Skip to content

We ask you, humbly, to help.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

St. Phocas the Gardener

  1. Catholic Online
  2. Saints & Angels

Author and Publisher - Catholic Online

Image of St. Phocas the Gardener

Facts

Feastday: September 22
Patron of gardeners; sailors; hospitality; agricultural workers; boatmen; farm workers; farmers; fieldhands; gardeners; husbandmen; mariners; market-gardeners; sailors; watermen
Death: ~303
Support Catholic Online

Bless Your Home Today!

Phocas earned his living by cultivating a garden near the city gate of Sinope (now in Turkey). The quiet and beauty of the plot he cultivated proved quite conducive to his exercise of prayer in the course of his labors. He shared with the poor what he earned from his gardening, and opened his home to travelers lacking a place to stay. Phocas' Christian identity became known to the pagan Roman authorities. Soldiers were dispatched to find and arrest him. Upon nearing Sinope, they stopped at Phocas' door and received lodging from him, unaware that their host was the man they were charged to capture. At his table, they spoke openly of their mission before retiring for the night. As the soldiers slept, Phocas kept watch in prayer to prepare himself for martyrdom. The next morning, he revealed to them his identity. In a turn of events similar to the martyrdom of Saint Eudoxius (see September 5), the stunned soldiers were at first reluctant to carry out their orders against their kind host, but in the end they beheaded him. Phocas is venerated as a patron saint of both gardeners and mariners.

St. Phocas the Gardener Comments

More Saints

Browse Saints by Category

Saint of the Day

Image of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen

Franciscan Capuchin martyr. He was born Mark Rey is Sigmaringen, Germany, in 1577. A practicing lawyer, he traveled across Europe as a tutor to aristocrats but then started defending the poor. In ... continue reading

More Saint of the Day
April 2019
S M T W T F S
123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930

Saint of the Day by E-Mail

Saint of the Day newsletter icon

Learn about the lives of the saints and other saint resources, including a calendar, over 5,000 saint biographies, our most popular saints, and a list of patron saints. 7 days / week. See Sample

Required

Optional

Female Saints

Image of St. Gianna Beretta Molla

St. Gianna Beretta Molla

St. Gianna Beretta Molla was an Italian pediatrician born in Magenta in the Kingdom of Italy on October 4, 1922. She was the tenth of thirteen children in her family. At three-years-old, Gianna and her family moved to Bergamo, and she grew up in the Lombardy region of ... continue reading

More Female Saints
More Female Saints
St. Bertha of Kent
St. Bertha of Val d'Or
St. Bertha of Artois
St. Bertilia
All Female Saints
Saint Calendar
Saint Feast Days
Saint Fun Facts

Angels

Image of St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel isn't a saint, but rather he is an angel, and the leader of all angels and of the army of God. This is what the title "Archangel" means, that he is above all the others in rank. St. Michael has four main responsibilities or offices, as we ... continue reading

Image of St. Gabriel, the Archangel

St. Gabriel, the Archangel

St. Gabriel is an angel who serves as a messenger for God to certain people. He is one of the three archangels. Gabriel is mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible. First, in the Old Testament, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his ... continue reading

Angel Resources
What are angels?
Do they really exist?
Why did God Create Angels?
Angels with Names
Guardian Angels
Man lower than Angels?
Angels of the Church
The Fallen Angels
The Nine Choirs of Angels
Angel Encounters
Angels in the Bible
Prayers to the Angels

Saints Fun Facts

Saints Fun Facts for St. Charles Lwanga

St. Charles Lwanga

For those of us who think that the faith and zeal of the early Christians died out as the Church grew more safe and powerful through the centuries, the martyrs of Uganda are a reminder that persecution of Christians continues in modern times, even to the present day. ... continue reading

Saints Fun Facts for St. Christopher

St. Christopher

Saint Christopher is one of the most popular Catholic Christian heroes of the Faith. He is a saint, indeed listed as a martyr. He may have also been named Reprobus. He apparently died under the Roman Emperor Decius, in 251 AD. Most Catholics refer to him as Saint ... continue reading

Christian Saints & Heroes

Image of Vincent was born in the Third Century in Huesca, Spain and born again to eternal life only four days into the fourth century. He lived in Saragossa where he served the holy Bishop Valerius as a Deacon.He was one of the scores of Christians who suffered brutal persecution under the evil Roman emperor named Diocletian. Diocletian is associated with the last of the ten persecutions of the nascent undivided Christian Church of the first millennium of our history. Like many early deacons of the undivided Church such as Stephen, Lawrence and Ephrem, the hagiography which has been passed down through the Church records his holiness of life and heroic virtue. He lived the way he died, as a sign of the power of the Gospel and the truth of the presence of the Risen Jesus Christ in our midst.

Feast of the Deacon St Vincent Calls the Church and her Deacons to Heroic Virtue

By Deacon Keith Fournier

Vincent was a man like us who encountered the same Risen Lord Jesus whom we have encountered. He struggled with the choices which always accompany living the Christian life in the midst of a culture which has squeezed God and His truth out of the center of its ... continue reading

More Christian Saints & Heroes
More Christian Saints & Heroes
Santuario de Lourdes inaugura ano jubilar de Santa Bernardette Soubirus
Reflection on the Silence of St. Joseph, the Guardian of the Redeemer

Never Miss any Updates!

Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers.

Latest
by Catholic Online

Most Popular

Click to go to this article

7 powerful morning prayers you need to get your day started with God
Read More

Top Searches

Latest Videos
on YouTube

Subscribe to Catholic OnlineYouTube Channel
Image of Daily Reading for Friday, April 26th, 2019 HD video

Daily Reading for Friday, April 26th, 2019 HD
View Video

Image of Prayer Requests Live for Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019 HD video

Prayer Requests Live for Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019 HD
View Video

View All Videos

Daily Readings

Daily Reading for Wednesday April 24, 2019

Reading 1, Acts 3:1-10
Psalm, Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
Gospel, Luke 24:13-35

Read Today's Reading

Saint of the Day

Saint of the Day for April 24th, 2019 Image

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
April 24: Franciscan Capuchin martyr. He was born Mark Rey ... Read More

Catholic Online Shopping

We ask you, humbly, to help.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Information
Learn about Catholic world

Catholic Online
Inform - Inspire - Ignite

Catholic Online Saints
Your saints explained

Catholic Online Prayers
Prayers for every need

Catholic Online Bible
Complete bible online

Catholic Online News
Your news Catholic eye

Daily Reading
Today's bible reading

Lent / Easter
Death & resurrection of Jesus

Advent / Christmas
Birth of Jesus

Rest of Catholic Online
All Catholic world we offer

Services
Products and services we offer

Catholic Online Shopping
Catholic medals, gifts & books

Advertise on Catholic Online
Your ads on catholic.org

Catholic Online Email
Email with Catholic feel

Education
Learn the Catholic way

Catholic Online School
Free Catholic education for all

Student Classes
K-12 & Adult Education Classes

Support Free Education
Tax deductible support Free education

Socials
Connect with us online

Catholic Online on Facebook
Catholic social network

Catholic Online on Twitter
Catholic Tweets

Catholic Online on YouTube
Enjoy our videos

Catholic Online on Instagram
Shared Catholic moments

Catholic Online on Pinterest
Catholic ideas style inspiration

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2019 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2019 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.