St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers, children, and boat captains, invoked for safe travel.
In Santeria St. Christopher is associated with the orisha Aganju who not only assists his devotees with difficult obstacles, but also grants them the inner power to overcome those trials and grow strong enough to carry all burdens.
Aganju (also known as Agayú, Aggayú, Aganjú), is the orisha of volcanoes and wilderness, and depending on the linage, the orisha of the desert. Aganju is an incredibly powerful orisha who forms the foundation on which societies are built. This deity embodies the duality of existence, being both life and destruction.
In some traditions, Aganju is said to be Chango's father, while in others, his brother.
In Candomble, Aganjú is worshiped as a manifestation or quality of the Orisha Shango, often called Xango Aganjú,representing all that is explosive and lacking control.
