Who is your Patron Saint?

[AdJesumPerMariam]

Who is your Patron Saint & why?

Mine is St Agatha
Memorial
5 February
Profile
We have little reliable information about this martyr, who has been honored since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha's sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. Handed over to a brothel, she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus' advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off. She told the judge, "Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?" One version has it that Saint Peter healed her. Imprisoned further, then rolled on live coals, she was near death when an earthquake stuck. In the destruction, the magistrate's friend was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died.

Legend says that carrying her veil, taken from her tomb in Catania, in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.
Born
in prison at Catania or Palermo, Sicily (sources vary)
Died
martyred c.250 at Catania, Sicily by being rolled on coals
Name Meaning
good
Patronage
Ali, Sicily; bell-founders; breast cancer; breast disease; Catania, Sicily; against fire; earthquakes; eruptions of Mount Etna; fire; fire prevention; jewelers; martyrs; natural disasters; nurses; Palermo, Sicily; rape victims; single laywomen; sterility; torture victims; volcanic eruptions; wet-nurses; Zamarramala Spain
Prayers
Prayer to...
Representation
breasts on a dish; embers; knife; loaves of bread on a dish; pincers; shears; tongs; veil; virgin martyr wearing a veil and bearing her severed breasts on a silver platter

References
Dictionary of Saints, by John Delaney
New Catholic Dictionary
Communion of Saints, by the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine

Readings
Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am - you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.

-Saint Agatha
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Lord, my creator, you have protected me since I was in the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my spirit.

-Saint Agatha
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My fellow Christians, our annual celebration of a martyr's feast has brought us together. Agatha achieved renown in the early Church for her noble victory. For her, Christ's death was recent, his blood was still moist. Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ.

Agatha, the name of our saint, means "good." She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and her way of life. She won a good name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. She teaches them by her example to hasten with her to the true Good, God alone.

from a homily on Saint Agatha by Saint Methodius of Sicily

Its kinda funny how I chose her....I think she chose me! I have 13 grandchildren, and of all of then, only 3 girls. I have wanted a granddaughter named 'Agatha' forever....and her nick name being Aggie. Also, she is the Patron Saint of breast cancer, & nurses.....

 

[epiclesis]

I chose St. Maria Goretti for my Confirmation Saint.... I have more of a 'thing' for St. Catherine of Siena though.


St. Maria Goretti


Patron of youth, young women, purity, and victims of rape

b: 1890 d: 1902

St. Maria Goretti

Born in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, on October 16 1890; her farmworker father moved his family to Ferrier di Conca, near Anzio. Her father died of malaria and her mother had to struggle to feed her children.

In 1902 an eighteen-year-old neighbor, Alexander, grabbed her from her steps and tried to rape her. When Maria said that she would rather died than submit, Alexander began stabbing her with a knife.

As she lay in the hospital, she forgave Alexander before she died. Her death didn't end her forgivness, however.

Alexander was captured and sentenced to thirty years. He was unrepentant until he had a dream that he was in a garden. Maria was there and gave him flowers. When he woke, he was a changed man, repenting of his crime and living a reformed life. When he was released after 27 years he went directly to Maria's mother to beg her forgiveness, which she gave. "If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withold forgiveness," she said.

When Maria was declared a saint in 1950, Alexander was there in the St. Peter's crowd to celebrate her canonization. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950 for her purity as model for youth.

She is called a martyr because she fought against Alexander's attempts at sexual assault. However, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker -- her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death. Her feast day is July 6. St. Maria Goretti is the patroness of youth and for the victims of rape.

 

[Lynn]

When I was received into the Church this wasn't mentioned. I'd like to choose one. Any suggestions?


lynn

 

[JJM]

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=149

Oh and let's not forget copyright laws here even if they are from Catholic online

 

[JJM]

When I was received into the Church this wasn't mentioned. I'd like to choose one. Any suggestions?


lynn

well if they didn't mention then you probably could just use one with the same name as you seeing as that is the name they probably used at confirmation

 

[Lynn]

I have a VERY unusual name.

Unless there is a Saint Lynn, I'll have to come up with something else.

lynn

 

[hannabl]

I don't have a patron saint
For confirmation I chose the name 'Deborah' (Judges 4). Does that mean that she's my patron saint, even though she's OT? Or should I pick another?

And if I do pick one, do I have to stick with that saint for the rest of my life?

My family is originally protestantic (I became catholic when I was about eight, and my mother just contacted our vicar and is about to convert now) so I'm not so used to all this yet.

 

[geocajun]

St. Thomas Aquinas


Feastday: January 28

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church, patron of all universities and of students. His feast day is January 28th. He was born toward the end of the year 1226. He was the son of Landulph, Count of Aquino, who, when St. Thomas was five years old, placed him under the care of the Benedictines of Monte Casino. His teachers were surprised at the progress he made, for he surpassed all his fellow pupils in learning as well as in the practice of virtue.

When he became of age to choose his state of life, St. Thomas renounced the things of this world and resolved to enter the Order of St. Dominic in spite of the opposition of his family. In 1243, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Dominicans of Naples. Some members of his family resorted to all manner of means over a two year period to break his constancy. They even went so far as to send an impure woman to tempt him. But all their efforts were in vain and St. Thomas persevered in his vocation. As a reward for his fidelity, God conferred upon him the gift of perfect chastity, which has merited for him the title of the "Angelic Doctor".

After making his profession at Naples, he studied at Cologne under the celebrated St. Albert the Great. Here he was nicknamed the "dumb ox" because of his silent ways and huge size, but he was really a brilliant student. At the age of twenty-two, he was appointed to teach in the same city. At the same time, he also began to publish his first works. After four years he was sent to Paris. The saint was then a priest. At the age of thirty-one, he received his doctorate.

At Paris he was honored with the friendship of the King, St. Louis, with whom he frequently dined. In 1261, Urban IV called him to Rome where he was appointed to teach, but he positively declined to accept any ecclesiastical dignity. St. Thomas not only wrote (his writings filled twenty hefty tomes characterized by brilliance of thought and lucidity of language), but he preached often and with greatest fruit. Clement IV offered him the archbishopric of Naples which he also refused. He left the great monument of his learning, the "Summa Theologica", unfinished, for on his way to the second Council of Lyons, ordered there by Gregory X, he fell sick and died at the Cistercian monastery of Fossa Nuova in 1274.

St. Thomas was one of the greatest and most influential theologians of all time. He was canonized in 1323 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V.

 

[Metanoia02]

St. Lawrence martyr


Feastday: August 10

Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. When a persecution broke out, Pope St. Sixtus was condemned to death. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The Saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!"

In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. The Saint was tied on top of an iron grill over a slow fire that roasted his flesh little by little, but Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward. Saint Lawrence's feast day is August 10th.

 

[Maggie893]

My patron saint is St. Elizabeth but every year with my youth group we randomly pick a patron saint for the year and then focus on praying with that saint reading their writings and basically just building new relationship with a new saint each year. The kids love it and honestly so do I. It's really cool to see how God can use this "random" process and find just the right saint for the year for each person.

 

[JJM]

For confirmation I chose the name 'Deborah' (Judges 4). Does that mean that she's my patron saint, even though she's OT?

yep

And if I do pick one, do I have to stick with that saint for the rest of my life?

you can venerate who ever you want but in general when people ask this question that is what they mean.

 

[JJM]

I have a VERY unusual name.

Unless there is a Saint Lynn, I'll have to come up with something else.

lynn

well there is a St. Ann Lyne it's a bit of a stretch http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta39.htm

I'm pretty partial of St. Raphael myself

 

[Gwendolyn]

St. Joan of Arc.

Feastday: May 30

Patron of soldiers and France
b.1412 d.1431

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc is the patroness of soldiers and of France. On January 6, 1412, Joan of Arc was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at the obscure village of Domremy, near the province of Lorraine. At a very early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret.

At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices "of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret" told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. For at that time the English king was after the throne of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival of the French king, was siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory.

After overcoming opposition from churchmen and courtiers, the seventeen year old girl was given a small army with which she raised the seige of Orleans on May 8, 1429. She then enjoyed a series of spectacular military successes, during which the King was able to enter Rheims and be crowned with her at his side.

In May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Compiegne, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by a tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who hoped that the English would help him to become archbishop.

Through her unfamiliarity with the technicalities of theology, Joan was trapped into making a few damaging statements. When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and she was ultimately canonized in 1920, making official what the people had known for centuries. Her feast day is May 30.

Joan was canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

 

[BrotherKnight]

Mary is my patron saint...however, it was her that chose me.

+ACM

 

[anawim]

St. Therese of Lisieux.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

St. Anthony of Padua is my guy.

If I ever get to heaven my only question is going to be: "where do I do to join Tony's crew ?"

He holds the record for the fastest canonization in history: he was declared a saint 352 days after his death (Pentecost, May 30, 1232) by Gregory IX. His feast day is on June 13th, the day of his death, a day of popular and sumptuous celebrations in Lisbon. Saint Anthony is the patron saint of Lisbon and the patron of Padua, where his relics remained after his death.
The numerous miracles attributed to him made the name of Anthony celebrated throughout the world. St Anthony's miracles has never diminished, and even at the present day he is acknowledged as the greatest miracle worker of the times. A gifted speaker, he attracted crowds everywhere he went, speaking in multiple tongues; the legend being that even the fishes in the Brenta loved to listen.

One of the most beloved of saints, his images and statues are ubiquitous. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946, and is sometimes called the "Evangelical Doctor." He is especially invoked for the recovery of things lost. Also, against starvation, barrenness; patron of amputees, animals, boatmen, Brazil, diocese of Beaumont, domestic animals, the elderly, expectant mothers, faith in the Blessed Sacrament, Ferrazzano, fishermen, harvests, horses, Lisbon, lower animals, mail, mariners, oppressed people, Padua, paupers, Portugal, sailors, sterility, swineherds, Tigua Indians, travel hostesses (inn keepers and stewardess), travellers, and watermen. (note: this is a partical list - cosmic)

In Portugal, Brazil, and some parts of Latin America he is recognized as the marriage saint, and on his day (June 13) single women may buy a small statue of Saint Anthony and place (or bury) it upside down for a week, blackmailing him to only put him in his normal position after they found a good husband.

 

[NewMan99]

Padre Pio is MY MAN!!!

My wife's patron saint is the Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary.

Our oldest daughter picked St. Therese of Lisieux, while our youngest daughter picked St. Joan of Arc.

 

[AdJesumPerMariam]

St. Anthony of Padua is my guy.

That is my grandson's Patron Saint! (His name is Anthony, also )

 

[GK]

For those who do not have patrons: You do not have to pick by name. Look at some of the websites that list Saints (follow some of the links in this thread). Get to know a few. See if there is a saint with whom you have some sort of connection. Pray with him/her and see how it turns out. Don't feel like you have to choose someone right away or have to be formulaic.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Patron by Name at Confirmation : Aaron of the Ot (What can i say i didn't want to choose and likes my own name

Insturement of Mary by daily pleadge

St. Alhpounious Liquori was porvided by the Lord when I prayred for a guide.

Fondness of mediation growing for Our Lady of Sorrows