NAVIGATION

Venerated as one of the fourteen ‘Holy Helpers’ Christopher is the patron saint of travellers, although there is no certainty he existed historically. However, many Christian denominations venerate him as the ‘martyr’ killed in the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius (r. 249 - 251) or under Emperor Maximinius Daia (r. 308 - 313). The confusion arises to the similarity in the names ‘Decius’ and ‘Daia’. By the 7th century AD, churches were being named in his honour.