No, these are not patron saints of the immigration enforcement branch of the U.S., but rather four saints who by tradition welcome in warmer weather in the spring, Saints Mamertus, St. Pancras, St. Servatius and Saint Boniface of Tarsus. We may add also in our new calendar Saints Matthias and Ignatius of Laconi. It was commonly held – at least in the northern hemisphere, and particularly Europe – that the few days in the middle of May, from about the 12th to the 15th, there was a cold snap, with frost and ice (to which I can attest this year, living in rural Ontario, Canada). After that, the ice would be gone for good, until its return late – we may hope quite late – in the fall, or even early winter. I’m all for a bit of global warming, and staving off another ice age.
So we rejoice that halfway through the official spring season, spring is finally here. Here comes the sun, and let us give thanks to God.
And why not a bit of Belloc, to rejoice in these Easter days of grace?
Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s laughter and dancing(*) and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!
(Most versions don’t have the ‘dancing’, but I thought, why not leave it in?)
