The St. Blaise Cathedral, completed in 1783, bears the name of the bishop and martyr, Blaise. This was the wish of the church’s builder, Prince Abbot Martin Gerbert. Benedictine monks had arrived in this Black Forest valley in the 9th century, bringing with them the relics of Saint Blaise. This is why the parish and the town bear the saint’s name.
Blaise came from Sebaste in Armenia. Today, the town is called Sivas and belongs to Turkey. Blaise was a bishop in his home town from the year 308 onwards. He died as a martyr during the last persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire in 316. Blaise was an innately popular doctor, became a Christian, and was then made bishop of the Sebaste Parish. Those are the confirmed historical facts about Blaise.
