Her story consists of her being carefully protected by her father who kept her locked in a tower in order to preserve her from the outside world, Barbara then become a Christian in secret. When her father found this information out he took upon his sword to kill her but her prayers created an opening in which she was transported to a mountain gorge where two shepherds watched their flocks. Her father pursued her rebuffed by the first shepherd but then betrayed by the second who turned to stone and his flock turned to locusts. Her father tortured her however because she kept true to her faith each night her wounds healed and the flames set to burn her would distinguish when they came near her. Her father then sentenced her to death to be carried out by him, however after the beheading as punishment he was struck by lightning and his body consumed by flames. Saint Barbara’s tomb then became a site for more miracles.

Saint Barbara became the patron saint of artillerymen. She is also traditionally the patron of armourers, military engineers, gunsmiths, miners and anyone else who worked with cannon and explosives. She is the patron Saint of the Italian navy also. Saint Barbara’s day is also celebrated by many other army military corps including the Royal Artillery and RAF armourers and also many sections of the Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Irish and Norwegian armies that deal with explosives. She is also the patron Saint of the US Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Ordnance men.