Saint Blaise of Sebastea, also known as Saint Blase, was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia. According to the Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron combs, and beheaded. He is the patron saint of wool combers. In the Latin Church, his feast falls on 3 February, in the Eastern Churches on 11 February. Patron of Animals, builders, choking, veterinarians, throats, infants, Maratea, Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, Rubiera, stonecutters, carvers, and wool workers.
Modestus of Jerusalem (†630) was a Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is commemorated as a saint by the Catholic Church on December 17th, and by the Orthodox Church, on May 17, March 29 or December 17. As an adult, he was sold as a slave in Egypt, but converted his pagan master to Christianity and was freed by him. Withdrawing to Mount Sinai to live as an ascetic, he was later made abbot of the Monastery of St. Theodosius in Palestine. In 614 Chosroes II destroyed Jerusalem, killed 66000 Christians and captured the Patriarch of Jerusalem (then Zacharias), other Christians and the True Cross. Modestus had been on his way to raise Greek troops to oppose this and was surrounded by Persian troops, having a narrow escape. Modestus was then chosen to stand in for Zacharias as Patriarch. He buried the monks killed at the monastery of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified and rebuilt the Holy Sepulchre, the city's churches and monasteries. He became patriarch in his own right after Zacharias died in Persia when Heraclius visited the city to restore the True Cross in March 630.
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