Background
Christopher's name, "Christ-bearer, " gave rise to the legend that he was a man of gigantic stature who used to carry travelers across a river.
Christopher's name, "Christ-bearer, " gave rise to the legend that he was a man of gigantic stature who used to carry travelers across a river.
Once, the legend relates, as he was carrying a child across the river on his shoulders, his burden seemed to grow heavier and heavier, until it was only with the greatest difficulty that he reached the other side. There the child told him he was the Christ Child and vanished. It is from this legend that Christopher came to be the patron saint of travelers.
