Who's your patron Saint(s)?

[Gideon4God]

Just wondering...(wanted to add that Orthodox do not have "patron" saints in the Latin sense) 

[dignitized]

St francis, St Clare, St Maximilian Kolbe, St Joseph Cupertino, St John Francis Regis, St Gregory the great, Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Our Lady the Immaculate Conception, St Anthony of Padua, St Vincent de Paul . . .

Thats a short list of my personal patrons. :)

[jukesk9]

St. Michael

[CopticOrthodox]

For my baptism name I picked Jonathan, because it's the middle name my parents gave me and I wanted to stick with that since if I had been baptised as an infant I would have gotten what they chose for me. The saints I'm closest to are St. Bishoi and St. Abanoub. Also St. Moses the Black and St. Athanasius. St. Nicolas, St. Antony, St. Paul, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Michael, and of course St. Mary are also cool :-)

[dignitized]

I tried to form a thread for sharing about saints in the IDD forum but some one felt it was inapropraite. :rolleyes: I figured in IDD EVERYONE could share about their own saints - Catholic, Protenstant, Orthodox and OTHER. Too bad.

[isshinwhat]

I have lately found myself asking for the prayers of St. Francis, St. Pio, St. Michael the Archangel.

God Bless,

Neal

[brewmama]

I chose the Theotokos at my baptism, and have a special relationship with her. My children attend a Waldorf school, and I am delighted to say that saints play a large part in their curriculum and calendar. They celebrate Michaelmas, St. Lucia day (the 2nd grade takes buns to all the other classes), St. Nicholas day (he actually visits with his book and Rupert) and he is always portrayed as a bishop. The second grade studies the saints in depth, along with fables, so they can recognize the highest and lowest in human nature.

[nyj]

Two of my patron saints are St. Thomas (the Apostle) and St. Francis of Assisi. These are the saints after which I am named. As I've grown and gone on to have a career (well, as a graduate student currently) I've grown fond of two other saints that I often pray to for support and guidance.

1. St. Albertus Magnus ( http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta11.htm ) - Saint and Doctor of the Church. Mentor to St. Thomas Aquinas. Patron Saint of Medical Technologists and Scientists. Author of a book entitled "On Cleaving to God" which I enjoy reading.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas ( http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintt03.htm ) - Saint and Doctor of the Church. Patron Saint of Students and Scholars. Also the author of one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard "Tantum Ergo Sacramentum".

Guess it just worked out that my two patron saints are Dominicans.

[Gideon4God]

the Holy Theotokos

St. Alexis Toth, Confessor & Defender of Orthodoxy in America.

St. Hilarion the Great, Founder of Monastic Life in Palestine.

the Pilgrim, Russian mystic.

St. Nektarios, patron of the Church I attend.

Bl. Fr. Seraphim Rose

[sklippstein]

St. Francis because of his love for animals.......and Sister Teresa.....who I don't think has been canonized yet.....but I'm still claiming her :D

[Gideon4God]

Pray to God for me, O saint (the name of the saint), well-pleasing to God, for I readily recommend myself to you, who are the speedy helper and intercessor for my soul. Amen.

O saint of God, (the name of the saint), pray to God for me, for my home and my family. Amen.

[Reader Nilus]

My patron Saint that I received at my Chrismation is St Nilus of Sora. I ask his prayers everytime I pray. Other Saints that I feel close to are St Ambrose of Optinia, St Peter the Aleut, St Herman of Alaska, St Tikhon of Moscow who I had the blessing of venerating his relics.
Jeff the Finn

[Photini]

I will be named Photini...she was the Samaritan woman in the Bible. that Christ revealed who He is to at the well. She was baptised on the day of Pentecost and martyred later by being cast into a well. O Holy Saint Photini, pray to God for us!

[Oblio]

St. Christopher, Christ-bearer

[Philip]

St Philip of the Seven Deacons.

Acts 8:30-31
30So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

Understanding this passage was instrumental in my conversion from Protestantism

[Maximus]

St. Lucian of Kiev, priest-monk martyred by the Mongols in 1243; feast day - October 15.

I also ask for the prayers of the Blessed Mother of God, and saints Peter and Paul, Stephen, Nicholas of Myra, and Herman of Alaska.

[MariaRegina]

Christ is in our midst! He is and always shall be!

My patrons are St. Elizabeth, the cousin of the Theotokos, and St. Mary, the Mother of God. The Theotokos = the Virgin Mary.

Yes, we do have patron saints in Orthodoxy. Our personal patron saint is the name we take at our baptism.

Some homes have dedicated patron saints, like St. Seraphim of Sarov who is our patron saint. He used to glow like a pillar of light. Once people came with buckets of water to put out a fire in his home. He was aglow with the Holy Spirit. Pope JP II mentioned St. Seraphim in his book CROSSING THE THRESHOLD OF FAITH. (the fonts don't work for me).

YSIC
Elizabeth

[MishaM]

My baptismal patron is Saint Juvenal(y) First Martyr of America. I am close to St. John the Wonderworker (of Shanghai and San Fransisco), Bl. Seraphim (Rose), the Royal Martyrs, Saint Barbara the Great Martyr..

I could go on.. but wont LOL

[Orthosdoxa]

Well isn't this just a blast from the past!!! Those are some names I haven't seen in a while. I wonder whatever happened to brewmama....

[MishaM]

Well.. whats the fun of having 500+ topics if we forget the bottom of the pile! I love some of these old topics! One could get lost in all of this Orthodoxy!

[paleodoxy]

Well, if I can manage to read through the whole 4 vol. set of George Poulos' "Orthodox Saints" before I have to choose my patron saint...I should have a pretty good idea. :)

Stay tuned...

[paleodoxy]

If I had to choose today, it would probably be "Maximus" after St. Maximus the Confessor.

[Ioan cel Nou]

My patron saint is St. James the Persian (by which I mean hat this is the saint I 'chose' when I converted). In addition, I have a particular devotion to the saints that played a part in my coming to Orthodoxy in the first place, St. John the New of Suceava (hence the username), St. Stephen the Great, voievod (sort of prince) of Moldova and St. Daniel the Hesychast. I have also developed rather an attachment to St. John Cassian since reading his life. Him being a Romanian (ethnically, the country didn't yet exist) in the west rather mirrors my status as a westerner going to Romania.

James

[DarkNLovely]

Are there Saints that are not recognized by the EOC? I like St. Perpetua!

[Ioan cel Nou]

Are there Saints that are not recognized by the EOC? I like St. Perpetua!
Of course. We don't recognise post-Schism western saints (so no Francis of Assisi and the like), nor do we recognise OO saints that come from after their schism with us.

James

[DarkNLovely]

Is St. Perpetua recognized? Please say yes! :prayer:

[TrueHope]

Saint Sophia. (Chosen by me) And the story of it is Amazing!
(Ok, I will share)

When in Marriage counselling with several other couples, our priest at the time, said to those of us whom are non-Orthodox, that we must choose a Saint. Then he said "I will give an example"

So, he shared the story of Saint Sophia and Faith, Hope and Love.

I fell in love with the story, and since there is other history to the story of my family, I chose it.

NOW, here is where it gets interesting. ALL my life I had an obsession with that name. Some how when I was about 5, I fell in love with Sophia Loren. (I too am French/Italian) And wanted to change my name soooooooooooo badly. And I thought..>Ahhhhh, perfect opportunity!!! Then I went home.......and checked out the calender and the day they celebrate........Guess what????

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Needless to say, I had chills all over and that finalized my decision!!!!!

[DarkNLovely]

True!
That gave ME chills! It was ordained even before you were born!

[xristos.anesti]

St. Stephen the Protomartyr.

[hungrytiger]

Is St. Perpetua recognized? Please say yes! :prayer:
This St. Perpetua?
http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100398

[DarkNLovely]

hungrytiger
YAY! Thanx, hon!

[TrueHope]

True!
That gave ME chills! It was ordained even before you were born!
I KNOW....isn't that so cooooool?!?!?

[Ioan cel Nou]

One of my best tales (I feel like my patron saint has been mine though I didn't know it from the beginning which is why I wrote chose as 'chose', and I don't think anyone really chooses their patron) has to do with my daughter.

When my son was born (his patron is St. Stephen the Great) I said that if we had another child their patron ought to be St. Daniel the Heychast because he was St. Stephen's spiritual father and it would make a good pair. I then promptly forgot about it. My wife then fell pregnant about 3 years later (neither child was actually planned) and went to the doctor for her check up. When she came back, I asked when the baby was due and she answered December 18th. My previous comment came back with a rush because that is St. Daniel's feast day!

Of course, my daughter's patron is St. Daniel now. To further add to the feeling that this was somehow foreordained, my daughter's godparents surprised us with a gift at her baptism, a hand written icon of St. Daniel that had been sent from the Metropolia of Moldova in Iasi. They apparently know a priest who works there and, of course, the Metropolitan is called Daniel himself. They told the priest about my daughter and back came the icon and the service (someone remind me of the proper name) to the saint. To say that we felt touched and honoured would be an understatement.

James

[TrueHope]

One of my best tales (I feel like my patron saint has been mine though I didn't know it from the beginning which is why I wrote chose as 'chose', and I don't think anyone really chooses their patron) has to do with my daughter.

When my son was born (his patron is St. Stephen the Great) I said that if we had another child their patron ought to be St. Daniel the Heychast because he was St. Stephen's spiritual father and it would make a good pair. I then promptly forgot about it. My wife then fell pregnant about 3 years later (neither child was actually planned) and went to the doctor for her check up. When she came back, I asked when the baby was due and she answered December 18th. My previous comment came back with a rush because that is St. Daniel's feast day!

Of course, my daughter's patron is St. Daniel now. To further add to the feeling that this was somehow foreordained, my daughter's godparents surprised us with a gift at her baptism, a hand written icon of St. Daniel that had been sent from the Metropolia of Moldova in Iasi. They apparently know a priest who works there and, of course, the Metropolitan is called Daniel himself. They told the priest about my daughter and back came the icon and the service (someone remind me of the proper name) to the saint. To say that we felt touched and honoured would be an understatement.

James
I got the chills on that one! It is amazing how it all seems so predestined, doesn't it?:angel: I was not even born Orthodox....I was a "give away" at birth, and ended up in all denominations. I often giggle at how God used my life and the twisted crooked paths to get me here! (even though I was definitely not giggling at the times!!! ;))

[hungrytiger]

hungrytiger
YAY! Thanx, hon!
No prob :) Glad I could find her for you

[hungrytiger]

Oh wow, what amazing stories, James and Sophia!

[Sothron]

My patron saint St. Patrick the Apostle to Ireland. Please see my sig for the reasons why. :thumbsup:

[Greg the byzantine]

OOh I like this thread.

My patron is St. Gregory the Theologian.

Among the saints who I have felt especially drawn to are St. Spyridon of Trymithus, St. Stylianos the hermit, Sts. Cosmas and Damien (Who are very important to my family), St. Irene Chrysovalantou, and St. Andrew the Apostle.

[TrueHope]

I am particularly drawn to Agios Nektarios. I have been to his Monestery in Aigena a few times. I have heard the knocking on the tomb...and found out that for every single year that my MIL goes there, that she never even knew the monestary UP the stairs existed. We found it on first visit! I took that as an enormous sign! And the energy we ALL felt on climbing those stairs (Which should exhaust one) we felt like little kids! It was intense and wonderful!

My hub, when he was small, did not talk at all. My MIL kept taking him to dr.s and they didn't have a clue why....So she went to Aigena to pray for intercession from Agios Nektarios:liturgy: and within 2 weeks he started talking full sentences like he had talked his whole life. (He was about 4...they keep changing his age from 3 or 6...I just say..Well, it wasn't normal for him not to talk...so who cares..lol) However, now I want to go pray for him to STOP talking! ;)He just doesn't stop sometimes!!!!

:D JUST KIDDING!!!!:D

[RobNJ]

My name Saint is St. Thomas the Apostle (my middle name), I'd say my Patron Saint is St. John The Wonderworker

[Andrew21091]

Saint Andrew the Apostle

[Macarius]

St. James, Brother of the Lord.

Believe it or not its actually not Macarius the Great :scratch:

[Kristos]

I was baptised Kristos.

[Mary of Bethany]

Mary . . . . of Bethany ;) sister of Martha and Lazarus. Because I already shared her name, and had always related to her choice to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him. She chose the "one thing needful", and I need a constant reminder of that.

Other Saints whose intercession I seek a lot: St. Sava for our parish; St. Nicholas, St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco (and all the Saints of North America, actually); St. Seraphim of Sarov; St. Monica (to bring my sons and husband into the Orthodox Church); and the Theotokos. And now that I've been to St. Paraskevi monastery and learned about her, I want to get her icon and start seeking her intercessions as well.

Mary

[EricTheRed]

St. Mercurius

[TrueHope]

Is there a site that has the stories of all the saints? I was supposed to get a book from our priest before we came to Gr, but it never happened, and I get head-aches trying to read entire chapters in Greek. I don't know even a fifth of the stories! I find them fascinating!

[ClementofRome]

I have not been yet come into the Church, but I am conflicted about a patron Saint. St. Clement of Rome was instrumental in my rejection of sola scriptura and led me into a study and love for the ancient Church. I have an affinity and love for St. Ephriam the Syrian. My birth name is Mark, so St. Mark is certainly a logical option.

If Bl. Fr. Seraphim (Eugene) Rose was a Saint, that would also be an option as he initially introduced me to EO.

Signed,
Conflicted
:)

[Macarius]

Is there a site that has the stories of all the saints? I was supposed to get a book from our priest before we came to Gr, but it never happened, and I get head-aches trying to read entire chapters in Greek. I don't know even a fifth of the stories! I find them fascinating!
www.oca.org (http://www.oca.org) has quite a few lives of the saints, along with their kontakion and tropar. Look under "Feasts and Saints" along the left hand side.

That's also a great site in general.

[TrueHope]

www.oca.org (http://www.oca.org) has quite a few lives of the saints, along with their kontakion and tropar. Look under "Feasts and Saints" along the left hand side.

That's also a great site in general.
Thank you very much!!!!

[nestoj]

Nicholas of Myra - ancestors became Christians on the day he is remembered so he is patron Saint of my family and our Slava.

nestoj
God helps

[Sacrum Silentium]

Saint Isaac the Syrian.

He that thundered on Sinai with saving laws for man hath also given thy writings as guides in prayer unto monks, O revealer of unfathomable mysteries; for having gone up in the mount of the vision of the Lord, thou wast shown the many mansions. Wherefore, O God-bearing Isaac, entreat the Saviour for all praising thee.

As an ascetic and God-bearer great in righteousness and an instructor of monastics do we honour thee, thou revealer of things sacred, and our protector. But, O Isaac, since thou hast great boldness with the Lord, intercede with Him for all of us who sing thy praise and who cry to thee: Rejoice, O Father most wise in God.

:crosseo:

I knew that Saint Isaac was my patron fairly early into my catechumenate. I saw a quote of his on someone's signature here on TAW, and after I read and read so many more, they became inscribed in my heart. His words really stick with me.

I also have a great love for Ephraim the Syrian, Saint Michael, St. John the Wonderworker, and Blessed Father Seraphim Rose.

[ma2000]

I have a great respect to Saint Anthony the Great and to Saint Teodora of Sihla.
My computer science teacher in highschool became a nun. One day she came back to Bucharest with some business and visited the highschool. We all loved her and she loved us, so she gave us little icons. Mine was an icon of Saint Teodora, who is celebrated on my birthday.
Unfortunatelly, it was stolen along with my car a few years ago :( I'm trying to find another one of her.

[EmperorConstantine]

Holy Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine aka St. Constantine the Great.

Ender of Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire.
Conveener of Nicaea I.
Financer of Churches in the Holy Land.
Guy Whose Mom Helped Find the Holy Cross.

And of course: Most Understood and Blamed Dude in Protestantism.

(hey, that's pretty good of the top of my head!)

[Rowan]

St. Mary of Egypt. Her life story can be found (off the top of my head) on my blog here:

http://aeria-gloris.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-patron-saint.html

[Friul]

Michael the Archangel

Saint Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours
Saint Maximus the Confessor
Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England
Apostle Andrew the First-Called

[Sipahi]

Holy Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine aka St. Constantine the Great.

Ender of Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire.
Conveener of Nicaea I.
Financer of Churches in the Holy Land.
Guy Whose Mom Helped Find the Holy Cross.

And of course: Most Understood and Blamed Dude in Protestantism.

Huh, really? I was a Protestant for years and years, and I never heard anyone making polemics against Constantine I. Anti-Catholic polemics run rampant in Protestant circles, rampant enough to have infected the public education system here, but never heard anyone attack Constantine I. Are you sure you aren't mistaking Protestants for non-Nicene Christians here?

[TrueHope]

St. Mary of Egypt. Her life story can be found (off the top of my head) on my blog here:

http://aeria-gloris.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-patron-saint.html
I love her story, it is one of the few I actually know!!! :)

[Sacrum Silentium]

Thank you for posting that link to the life of Saint Mary. It's the most edifying thing I've read in too long of a time.

[EmperorConstantine]

Huh, really? I was a Protestant for years and years, and I never heard anyone making polemics against Constantine I. Anti-Catholic polemics run rampant in Protestant circles, rampant enough to have infected the public education system here, but never heard anyone attack Constantine I. Are you sure you aren't mistaking Protestants for non-Nicene Christians here?
I'm sure. I've seen waaaay too many Protestants on CF saying any of the following:

-Constantine wrote the Nicene Creed to bring all under his power
-Constantine used "convert or the sword" tactics to bring all under his power
-Constantine founded the Roman Catholic Church
-Constantine wrote (fill in the blank) version of the Bible, which is not KJV therefore it is heresy
-Constantine was a child-molester, rapist and murderer.

All sorts of things.

[Sipahi]

Hmm, that reminds more of the claims made by some overzealous Muslims. Well, except for the last one, which we're too fed up with ourselves.

Weird. Mainstream Protestant denominations tend to accept the Nicene Creed, most even to the extent of not acknowledging the Christianity of non-Nicene Christians.

[buzuxi02]

I'm sure. I've seen waaaay too many Protestants on CF saying any of the following:

-Constantine wrote the Nicene Creed to bring all under his power
-Constantine used "convert or the sword" tactics to bring all under his power
-Constantine founded the Roman Catholic Church
-Constantine wrote (fill in the blank) version of the Bible, which is not KJV therefore it is heresy
-Constantine was a child-molester, rapist and murderer.

All sorts of things.
emperor,

you forgot the most common:

Constantine was a pagan sun worshipper who forced christians to worship on sunday rather than saturday.

[DejantheNeophyte]

St Athanasius the Great is mine. He's the man when part of your family is JW

[buzuxi02]

St Athanasius the Great is mine. He's the man when part of your family is JW
Oh man, lol. Does your JW family who tend to idolize Arius know that Arius did not believe that Jesus had a human soul?

[EmperorConstantine]

emperor,

you forgot the most common:

Constantine was a pagan sun worshipper who forced christians to worship on sunday rather than saturday.
That's right! All hail sun-worshiping emperors!

[/satirical moment]

[HowardDean]

Constantine was on American Idol a few years back.
But seriously, how does one get one?

[rako]

My patron saint is St Mstislav- the grandson of King Harold II of England- my American name is Harold

[Kristos]

Constantine was on American Idol a few years back.
But seriously, how does one get one?
HD - Just put some thought and pray into it and pick one - or as some say, they are really the ones who pick us. Normally, this would also be your name if/when you are chrismated.

[eoe]

http://saintjohnwonderworker.org/images/Stjohn2006.gif
http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Holy_Fathers/St._John_Maximovitch/37.jpg

[EmperorConstantine]

HD - Just put some thought and pray into it and pick one - or as some say, they are really the ones who pick us. Normally, this would also be your name if/when you are chrismated.
Isn't that usually Slavic traditions were your name and your saint's name are the same?:scratch:

But that is true. The saints do pick us.

[Mary of Bethany]

Isn't that usually Slavic traditions were your name and your saint's name are the same?:scratch:

But that is true. The saints do pick us.

Hmmm. I don't know. In my OCA parish, we use the name of the Saint we choose to be our patron.


Mary

[Sothron]

Hmmm. I don't know. In my OCA parish, we use the name of the Saint we choose to be our patron.


Mary

Same here. Everyone at my mission parish calls me Patrick due to St. Patrick.

[Dust and Ashes]

St. Seraphim of Sarov is my patron, though we are nothing alike.

[HowardDean]

I kindof took to Glyceria (how do you pronounce that? (May 13) when I read her story but I sure don't like the name. Its not in any baby name book, I bet!

[Vasileios]

St. Basil the Great

http://goarch.org/images/eImages/January/01_basil2.jpg

[EmperorConstantine]

Hmmm. I don't know. In my OCA parish, we use the name of the Saint we choose to be our patron.


Mary
I was thinking Slavic folk baptized after being born.

[Greg the byzantine]

I was thinking Slavic folk baptized after being born.

Well, usually only converts have different patrons than their common name. Cradles in most cultures are named, and that's it. They are given the name of their patron from birth, since they really have no say in the matter.

Their are various reasons why converts pick patrons with a different names from their own, but their is no reason that they can't chose a patron that corresponds to ther common name.

[EmperorConstantine]

Well, usually only converts have different patrons than their common name. Cradles in most cultures are named, and that's it. They are given the name of their patron from birth, since they really have no say in the matter.
So, most cradles have the same name, common and saint's?

[Greg the byzantine]

So, most cradles have the same name, common and saint's?

All cradles I know. It's only logic, as the name given to you at baptism is your patron's name. Their is no reason to baptize the child a different name than the name given, since baptism usually occurs within the first 2 years of the childs life. In fact in some Orthodox countries they don't call the child by their name until they are baptized, because that's when they are "given" their name. It's not even something confined to Orthodoxy. I remember when learning spanish some of the older material when asking for your name would ask for your "nombre de pila" which means "name of the font" referring to your full name as given to you when you are baptized.

[EmperorConstantine]

Ah, ok.

Thank you! :thumbsup:

[Dust and Ashes]

My son is named James after St. James and that's what we call him. Well besides Pumpkin, Sweet Pea, Bobo, Little Man and Mr. Thomas. :D

[KoolKat]

my patron saint is St. Katherine of Egypt (see avatar)