The Celebration for the Feast of Saint Barbara, Patron Saint of the Vatican Fire Brigade
Courage, perseverance and vigilance
Saint Barbara, a martyr, is not only the protector of the Fire Brigade but also a model to be emulated for her virtues and her example of faith. This was emphasized by Father Franco Fontana, chaplain of the Directorate of Security Services and Civil Protection and of the Vatican Museums, during the Mass celebrated in the Church of San Pellegrino in the Vatican on Thursday morning, December 4, on the Saint’s feast day.
During the celebration, Father Fontana invited those present to reflect on the way in which God continues to speak to humanity: not only through the Gospel, the “written page,” but also through the lives of the Saints, “living pages” of faith and witness. The Saints, he said, “are useful to us not so much for imitation as for inspiration.” They are not necessarily models to be copied literally in their actions—often tied to contexts far removed from our own—but figures from whom we can draw inspiration.
In particular, what does the figure of Saint Barbara inspire in the men and women of our time? In this regard, Father Fontana identified three values: courage, perseverance, and vigilance.
The courage that characterized her life, he explained, is the same courage required of each person today: the strength to take a stand in defense of human dignity, not to retreat into selfishness and to give oneself for others. “A life lived selfishly,” he added, “always proves unsatisfying and therefore empty, devoid of meaning and is also lost in a spiritual sense.”
Alongside courage is perseverance. Saint Barbara, the chaplain noted, was able to keep her faith firm even in the harshest trials. From this comes a reflection on a central element: “Without the theme of salvation,” he emphasized, “religion becomes a set of abstract concepts, moral commands, prohibitions and ritual ceremonies—an ensemble that usually arouses little curiosity and little interest.”
On the contrary, it is necessary to understand that in religion what is at stake is the possibility of being “saved,” of overcoming danger without harm. This makes the Christian message living and close to everyone’s experience. It is a universal need, and the gift of a Savior is the response offered to humanity’s search.
Finally, there was the invitation to vigilance, particularly during the Season of Advent. To be vigilant, he explained, means to be ready, attentive to emergencies, capable of intervening promptly to help those in difficulty, placing the lives and safety of others first, even at the cost of risking one’s own.
Addressing the firefighters present with their families, Father Fontana concluded by saying that courage, perseverance and vigilance can transform daily service into an authentic form of love toward every person. With the intercession of Saint Barbara, this path can become for everyone a simple and concrete way to holiness.
Among those present were Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti and Davide Giulietti, respectively Director and Deputy Director of the Security Services and Civil Protection, and Paolo De Angelis, Coordinator of the Fire Brigade.
