St. Eulogius of Cordoba (? to March 11, 859)

   At a consignment shop this week, I was immediately drawn to a pendant like the one pictured above (from crosscrucifix.com). It was pinned to a mannequin and hanging from an old chain.
  When I got home, I examined it closer and found that it was a dogwood flower made from copper. I put it on a leather cord and haven't taken it off since. The beauty of it is not only visual, but in the legend of the dogwood tree.
  It was thought that the Cross that Jesus died on was made from its wood. At the time, the dogwood tree grew tall and wide. To paraphrase the story, the tree was sad, so Jesus made sure its blossoms were a reminder of the Crucifixion. They have two long and two short petals and what looks like nail holes. Also, bits of red color representing the blood can be found on them. Yet, they are also a beautiful color. And so that the tree would never be used as a crucifix again, the branches became thin and delicate.
  St. Eulogius of Cordoba is the patron saint of coppersmiths. He was born in Cordoba, Spain to wealthy parents. He worked as a priest and helped survivors during Islamic persecutions. Several times St. Eulogius of Cordoba was jailed for his religious beliefs, but he used his time wisely and wrote a book called "Exhortation to Martyrdom."
  He was beheaded on March 11, 859 and is recognized as one of the martyrs of Cordoba. His feast day is March 11.