| Where: | London at St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place,Holborn |
| When: | 3rd February |
| Time: | 1pm |
3rd February is the feast day of St Blaise, the patron saint of Woolcombers; the saint was also venerated for his aid to sufferers of throat related illnesses and some churches still offer throat blessings on this day. The most celebrated example of the service is held in London at St Etheldreda’s church in Holborn; two candles are held in the form of a cross to the throat and a blessing is said as the supplicant kneels at the chancel step.
Helpful Hints
When 3rd February is a Sunday, the service moves to Monday 4th instead- this won’t happen for some years (last time was 2019). The blessing usually follows the 1 pm Mass, which lasts about half an hour (depending on the number of communicants). Check the website below for updates.
As this is a solemn religious service, there are no photos of the Blessing itself but if you’re quick you can get a photo of the candles before the service.
Click here for St Etheldreda’s Church website :http://www.stetheldreda.com
Leave a Reply