(June 24th 3-minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U. at IPP)
First, a word about Saints in general.
The word "Saint" means "Holy." In the New Testament, the word Saint referred to anyone who believed in Jesus and followed his teachings. Very early in Christianity the meaning of the word changed dramatically.
Christian communities began to notice that some men and women lived lives of heroic virtue and felt that these individuals should be singled out as examples to be revered. They called these individuals Saints. These Holy people lived out the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Eventually, the Church created a process called "canonization" through which such extraordinary people could be recognized and honored by Catholics everywhere.
The idea of formal Sainthood is shared by Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican (Episcopal) Churches, but many Protestant denominations do not accept the concept.
A "Patron Saint" is regarded as a "heavenly advocate" for a hemisphere, continent, nation, city (or place), group, craft, cure for an illness, job or avocation.
The reason why certain Saints are Patrons for places or jobs or groups is sometimes easy to recognize. For example, St. Francis of Assisi, who loved animals, is universally recognized as the Patron Saint for critters. The role of his spiritual partner, St. Clare, may be harder to understand. She is the Patron Saint of television (really, I'm not joking). Why? Because she had the ability to bi-locate (to be in two places at the same time).
When the process of photography arose in the 19th century, St. Veronica became its Patron because her veil miraculously captured the image of the face of Jesus after she wiped the sweat and blood from his brow. Franciscan Joseph of Cupertino is Patron of airline pilots and astronauts because he had the gift of levitation.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron of the Americas, Joan of Arc of Paris, Bridget of Europe. Thomas More is Patron of attorneys, Ambrose of bee keepers, and Gabriel of broadcasters.
Here are some other interesting Patron Saints:
Athletes: St. Sebastian
Barbers: St. Louis of France
Bodily ills: Our Lady of Lourdes
Booksellers: St. John of God
Brides (and grooms): St. Nicholas
Businessmen: St. Homobonus
Businesswomen: St. Margaret Clitherow
Charities: St. Vincent de Paul
Colleges: St. Thomas Aquinas
Comedians: St. Vitus
Computers (and the internet): St. Isidore of Seville
Desperate causes: St. Jude
Difficult marriages: St. Rita of Cascia
Disasters: St. Genevieve
Dogs: St. Roch
Ecology: St. Francis of Assisi
Food servers: St. Martha
Grandparents: Sts. Ann and Joachim
Greetings: St. Valentine
Headaches: St. Teresa of Avila
The Homeless: St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Immigrants: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Juvenile delinquents: St. Dominic Savio
Kidney disease: St. Benedict
Librarians: St. Jerome
Lost items: St. Anthony of Padua
Motorists: St. Frances of Rome
Mystics: St. John of the Cross
Orphans & abandoned children: St. Jerome Emillani
Police: St. Michael
Politicians and government workers: St. Thomas More
Race relations: St. Martin de Porres
Reconciliation: St. Vincent Ferrer
Social Justice: St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
Teachers: St. Gregory the Great
Writers: St. Francis de Sales
Here's a link to more information about Patron Saints:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/patrons.aspx
First, a word about Saints in general.
The word "Saint" means "Holy." In the New Testament, the word Saint referred to anyone who believed in Jesus and followed his teachings. Very early in Christianity the meaning of the word changed dramatically.
Christian communities began to notice that some men and women lived lives of heroic virtue and felt that these individuals should be singled out as examples to be revered. They called these individuals Saints. These Holy people lived out the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Eventually, the Church created a process called "canonization" through which such extraordinary people could be recognized and honored by Catholics everywhere.
The idea of formal Sainthood is shared by Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican (Episcopal) Churches, but many Protestant denominations do not accept the concept.
A "Patron Saint" is regarded as a "heavenly advocate" for a hemisphere, continent, nation, city (or place), group, craft, cure for an illness, job or avocation.
The reason why certain Saints are Patrons for places or jobs or groups is sometimes easy to recognize. For example, St. Francis of Assisi, who loved animals, is universally recognized as the Patron Saint for critters. The role of his spiritual partner, St. Clare, may be harder to understand. She is the Patron Saint of television (really, I'm not joking). Why? Because she had the ability to bi-locate (to be in two places at the same time).
When the process of photography arose in the 19th century, St. Veronica became its Patron because her veil miraculously captured the image of the face of Jesus after she wiped the sweat and blood from his brow. Franciscan Joseph of Cupertino is Patron of airline pilots and astronauts because he had the gift of levitation.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron of the Americas, Joan of Arc of Paris, Bridget of Europe. Thomas More is Patron of attorneys, Ambrose of bee keepers, and Gabriel of broadcasters.
Here are some other interesting Patron Saints:
Athletes: St. Sebastian
Barbers: St. Louis of France
Bodily ills: Our Lady of Lourdes
Booksellers: St. John of God
Brides (and grooms): St. Nicholas
Businessmen: St. Homobonus
Businesswomen: St. Margaret Clitherow
Charities: St. Vincent de Paul
Colleges: St. Thomas Aquinas
Comedians: St. Vitus
Computers (and the internet): St. Isidore of Seville
Desperate causes: St. Jude
Difficult marriages: St. Rita of Cascia
Disasters: St. Genevieve
Dogs: St. Roch
Ecology: St. Francis of Assisi
Food servers: St. Martha
Grandparents: Sts. Ann and Joachim
Greetings: St. Valentine
Headaches: St. Teresa of Avila
The Homeless: St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Immigrants: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Juvenile delinquents: St. Dominic Savio
Kidney disease: St. Benedict
Librarians: St. Jerome
Lost items: St. Anthony of Padua
Motorists: St. Frances of Rome
Mystics: St. John of the Cross
Orphans & abandoned children: St. Jerome Emillani
Police: St. Michael
Politicians and government workers: St. Thomas More
Race relations: St. Martin de Porres
Reconciliation: St. Vincent Ferrer
Social Justice: St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
Teachers: St. Gregory the Great
Writers: St. Francis de Sales
Here's a link to more information about Patron Saints:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/patrons.aspx
