Saint Benignus of Armagh

He survived a burning building.

Saint Benignus of Armagh

During Easter, in the year 433, the Irish saint Patrick taunted the high druid king of Tara with public, illegal worship. The king summoned him to the castle, laying traps to kill him along the way, but Patrick and his band of followers, including a boy called Benignus of Armagh, evaded them by turning into deer — or in Benignus’s case, a fawn.

At the castle, Patrick set about a challenge by which to prove the validity of his faith. He asked the king to build a house and they would each send in a follower, tie them up, set the structure ablaze, and leave it to God to protect whoever He favored. So that’s what they did: in went young Benignus, and in went a wizard; someone locked the door and set the place on fire. Patrick gave it a good prayer, and the building burned down until only Benignus, unharmed, remained.

The king fell to his knees and converted to Christianity. Benignus dusted off his little feet and sang a godly song.

Fun bonus! Using Google Maps you can walk around the Hill of Slane, where the king of Tara lived and Benignus survived.