Blessing Saint Barbara

A bishop has blessed a statue of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners and people working underground, in preparation for the start of tunnelling at Karangahape Station.

The Link Alliance invited Auckland’s Catholic Auxiliary Bishop, Bishop Michael Gielen, to bless
the statue about 20 metres underground. He also blessed the new road header machine and the face of the shaft that will be excavated first, so that the good things sought through their use may come about in the best way possible.

“May God bless and protect all those involved in this project,” Bishop Gielen said.

Around the world, Saint Barbara statues are placed at the entrance to mines for miners to touch on their journey underground. The tradition can be traced back to the 1500s when miners and military engineers working with explosives prayed to the saint for protection.