Who is your patron saint and why?

-- Cameron (shaolin__phoenix@hotmail.com), January 03, 2005

Answers

Ok, I'll start. Mine is St. Ignatius of Loyola. I picked him because his writings inspired me.

-- Cameron (shaolin__phoenix@hotmail.com), January 03, 2005.

Great idea, Cameron! I am not yet confirmed, but I am leaning toward choosing Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. She was a consecrated virgin and convert to the faith, who faced some opposition from her family and Native American tribe. She was also very devoted to holy mass, the Eucharist, and Christ crucified.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com"), January 03, 2005.

mine is St. Luke, the author of the gospel, i always just felt drawn to that particular gospel.

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), January 03, 2005.

Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, France. As a child I loved her story, admired her faith, strength and obedience especially when told by the Blessed Virgin Mary to wash her face with mud at the spot she was digging. People mocked, laughed and ridiculed her, but she did as was told because her faith was strong. Then the silly part as to why I chose her...my name is also French (Arlette) and sounds a little like hers so I felt it was meant to be. :o) I wanted her as my patron saint at the age of 9.

God Bless.

-- jalapeno (jalapeno52000@hotmail.com), January 05, 2005.

Sts. Joseph & James (the Less)were given to me by the Holy Ghost through my parents. My "adopted" patrons are St. Rita, her patron St. John the Baptist, and St. Pius X.

-- jake (j@k.e), January 05, 2005.

Mine is St. Anthony.

As a kid I was taught that he was good at finding lost things. My grandmother taught me a little prayer I won't go into but anyway---

I once lost my bite plate (teeth braces.) I accidently threw it in the trash during school lunch break (you can't eat with one in.) I later in extreme despiration (and fear of the cost of loss) went through piles of stinking garbage after class. After a prayer to Anthony and about another half hour of picking and searching, found it wrapped in a napkin.

I have straight teeth today. And only a few caveties.

-- Jim (furst@flash.net), January 05, 2005.

St Thomas More. Devoted husband and father, brilliant scholar, successful and scrupulously honest diplomat, judge, and politician. His deep faith was combined with an irrepressible sense of humor. (He was always making jokes, and his satire Utopia is as relevant, entertaining and thought-provoking today as it was 500 years ago.) Served his country with great dedication and honesty but was condemned as a traitor because he put God first. Quit his high office (second only to the king) to avoid compromising his faith. Chose to be killed rather than swear a false oath. Who said there are no lawyers in Heaven?

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), January 11, 2005.

who is my patron saint i wannna b a biologist so who would qualify?

-- monkeycrazi1955 (kickboxing.com@aol.com), January 23, 2005.

Thomas Aquinas is the Patron saint for academians, and I bdleive that also incudes Biologists, I will be corrected if I am in error here.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 24, 2005.

Yes, or St Albert the Great, the patron of scientists. Or St Luke, the patron of doctors and medical workers.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), January 24, 2005.

"..St Albert the Great, the patron of scientists..."

Careful Steve, lets not forgret St. Dominic de Guzman who is also a patron saint of scientists

"Or St Luke, the patron of doctors and medical workers.."

And lets not forget," St.Cosmas St.Damian St.Pantaleon St.Raphael the Archangel who are also patron saints of doctors, and lets not forget St.John Regis, who is also a patron saint of medical workers.

And for pharmacists we have St.Cosmas St.Damian St.Gemma Galgani St.James the Greater St.James the Lesser St.Mary Magdalen St.Nicholas of Myra St.Raphael the Archangel

-- - (David@excite.com), January 24, 2005.

No wonder hey needed so many surgeons when I was in teh Hopsital!

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 24, 2005.

I wasn’t being “careless” or “forgetful” David, I just didn’t think monkeycrazi necessarily wanted to be swamped with 15 patrons. Very few “patron saints” have been officially declared as such by the Church. Most of them have simply been adopted by custom among groups of people. I believe the 3 whom Zarove and I referred to are among the few “official” patrons.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), January 25, 2005.

St anthony i was confirmed last year and because i am so unorganized and constantly loose things i figured i could use all the help i could get

-- brandon t w (got3geckos@aol.com), February 01, 2005.

and to the importance of choosing proper saints my aunt is named anne and chose elizabeth as a patron anne and elizabeth are both patrons of mothers andf child birth she has had 5 babies in the last 6 years

-- brandon t w (got3geckos@aol.com), February 01, 2005.

Your aunt is a very lucky lady. I had five children in six years too. :o) We are praying for more and today all of my kids were talking about names. God willing.... As for your patron saint, hope you don't lose any of your geckos. ;o) My son lost his twice for five days each time. Once he (son) was mad at me because he thought I wasn't looking hard enough for his gecko. He saw his error, apologized and then we prayed for St. Anthony to help us, and 10 minutes later he was found.

God Bless.

-- jalapeno (jalapeno52000@hotmail.com), February 01, 2005.

Mine is Saint Thomas More, for all the reasons given for him above. You missed that he loved animals and kept a managerie in his back yard.

-- Pat Delaney (patrickrdelaney@yahoo.com), February 01, 2005.

Yes, St Thomas More kept a menagerie. I think this was a result of his insatiable scientific curiosity. He was a true “Renaissance Man”. His written works embrace everything from satire and humor to law, theology, history, and spirituality.

I also omitted that he insisted that his daughters receive a broad liberal education just like his sons - a revolutionary idea in those days, and one not generally accepted for another 450 years. And his sense of humor and his constantly making friends with people were combined with personal mortification (he wore a hair shirt). Even the 18th century Protestant minister and author Jonathan Swift said "He was the person of the greatest virtue these islands [Britain and Ireland] ever produced." A big call, but I agree.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), February 02, 2005.

My wonderful saint is Cecilia, virgin and martyr.

Her tomb and sarcophagus were discovered in Rome's catacombs rather accidentally. In a corner vault, untouched for many centuries. They found her virginal body incorrupt, with slash marks still open wide on the back of her neck, and linen cloths still caked with her blood bunched up at her feet. She was killed by Imperial soldiers in her villa; steadfastly refusing to burn incense to the Roman gods. This was expected of her and her house because they were Roman nobility. She preferred to die for love of her Saviour and Bridegroom Jesus Christ.

The Acts of the Saints describes Cecilia as a very lovely maiden so tiny she was hard to find in a crowd. She had an extraordinary gift of song, and she loved to sing the praises of God and His Holy Son before her Christian brethren. But they say she had to stand upon a tall pedestal to be seen! Haha! Today she's considered patron saint of music and musicians. Rome has for many years, a century or more --gloried in its most prestigious musical academy named in her honor: Academia di Santa Cecilia. Her feast is celebrated in the whole western world on November 22nd. That's the day I was born in 1937! --Naturally, I have the most profound love for her. (And for music.)

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), February 03, 2005.

Thanks for that, Eugene. St. Cecilia is my patron saint as well. Last year, on her feast day (and unbeknownst to me at the time), we just had a gloriously worshipful experience at mass. When I got home, I discovered I had e-mail from Theresa (forum gal) wishing me a happy St. Cecilia day. I thought, "Oh, so maybe we had a little extra help this morning at mass."

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), February 03, 2005.

O great Saint, whose name I am privileged to bear, beneath whose special protection God has confided the care of my salvation, when at baptism I was adopted and made a child of God; do thou help me by thy continual intercession to lead a truly christian life, and assist me, O gracious protector of my soul, to recover and preserve the grace of baptism I may have lost by sin. Plead for me before God that I may receive grace of following faithfully thy holy example and being by thee both throughout the length of this troublous life and at the hour of my death, I may rejoice with thee in glory everlasting. Amen

-- Blessings (noname@notreal.com), February 07, 2005.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich related from certain visions she'd seen during ecstasy:

The departing soul immediately following death is challenged by many demons trying to take him/her away to the abyss. But in these moments, three holy persons appear to guard the soul; taking [him/her] to the place of Personal Judgment before Jesus, Our King and Judge. These three are (1.) the Guardian Angel assigned him for his lifetime, (2.) The Holy Mother of God, Our Blessed Mother; and (3.) Our Patron Saint who prayed for our souls always.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), February 07, 2005.