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Although the Christian religion is monotheistic and all replies to
prayers are said to come from the grace of Jehovah, in practice, prayers to
Jesus and the Holy Spirit (the other two members of the Christian Trinity),
are acceptable to all Christians, and prayers to The Virgin Mary (the mother of
Jesus) have a long history of popular usage dating back to pre-Christian
European Goddess-centered paganism.
As in most religions, the honoured dead of Christianity --
real or fictitious men and women known for their piety --
are referred to as "saints" (holy persons). In what some
scholars believe was an attempt to appeal to pagans who
worshipped various polytheistic pantheons, the Catholic
Church long ago established the concept of the "intercession
of saints," the idea that the saints of the Church have
"the ear of God," and that prayers made by them in Heaven
are more powerful or efficacious than prayers made on Earth by common
people.
In order to facilitate the process of intercession, it has for
centuries been the practice of the Catholic Pope to declare
that certain occupations and conditions of life have
official "patron" saints who take special interest in those
specific matters. Attested miracles connected with an
occupation or condition that ocurred during the saint's life
or through intercessory prayer after his or her death
influence the realm of life over which he or she is declared
a patron.
Many Catholics address the Virgin Mary with direct prayers
and do not ask her to intercede on their behalfs with
Jehovah, but although this is a common practice, technically
speaking, Mary is not a deity but a holy person, and
therefore prayers addressed to her are also called
"intercessions." In acknowledgement of her widespread
popularity, Mary's various manifestations and apparitions
have been given patronage over an assortment of occupations
and conditions by the Church, as if she were a multiplicity
of saints.
The list of Patron Saints below is by no means complete, and it contains
several individuals who have not received Papal approval but
find common acceptance among folk-Catholics in
various regions. Some people call these non-canonical
intercessors "Folk Saints." They fall roughly into
three categories:
"Legendary" Saints: During the 20th century some former Catholic
saints, such as Saint Christopher, were
down-graded by the Church to the status of mere "legends" because
there was no documentation that they had ever lived. This did not
stop their veneration in the nations which had been the centers of
their cults, and for that reason they are still
believed to be patron saints by many Catholics.
"Not Yet" Saints: Catholics
tend to lobby for the bestowal of sainthood status upon local holy people, thus we
see novenas, statuary, amulets,
and candles produced in advance of a person's
beatification and sainthood in the hope of accumulating examples of intercessions by
these non-canonical figures.
Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez
of Venezuela and Nino Fidencio
of Mexico are prominent examples of this type of Folk-Saint.
"Mythical" Saints: These are entities who have never been saints
and can never become saints because in the eyes of the Church, they do not really exist.
The best known example may be the spirit known as
Santisima Muerte or Santa Muerte
(Most Holy Death or Saint Death) . She is not recognized as a saint by the Vatican,
yet statuary and amulets depicting her skeletal form and printed Novena
booklets filled with prayers to her can be purchased throughout Mexico.
Within the folk-Catholic traditions, information about these saints and the
areas of life over which they assume patronage is passed
along through word of mouth and by means of holy cards which often have
short printed prayers or orations on the reverse, novena booklets containing
longer prayers and a biographical note, and
novena candles with a
short prayer for intercession on the back.
OCCUPATION SAINT
or
CONDITION
Accountants St. Matthew
Actors St. Genesius
Adopted Children St. Thomas More
Air Travellers St. Joseph Cupertino
Amputees Saint Anthony
Animals Saint Francis of Assisi
Architects Saint Barbara
Arthritis St. James
Artillery Saint Barbara
Artists St. Luke
Astronomers St. Dominic
Athletes St. Sebastian
Aviators Our Lady of Loretto,
St. Joseph Cupertino
Bachelors Saint Christopher
Bail Bondsmen St. Raymond
Bakers St. Nicholas,
St. Honoratus
Bankers St. Matthew
Barren Women Saint Anthony
Basket-Makers St. Hilarion
Battle Saint Michael Archangel
Birds Saint Francis of Assisi
Blacksmiths St. James,
St. Dunstan
Blindness St. Lucy,
St. Raphael Archangel
Bodily Ills Our Lady of Lourdes
Bookkeepers St. Matthew
Boy Scouts St. George
Breast Cancer Saint Agatha
Brewers St. Luke,
St. Nicholas
Bricklayers St. Stephen
Brides St. Nicholas
Builders Saint Barbara
Businesses San Martin Caballero
Butchers St. Luke,
Saint Anthony
Cab Drivers St. Fiacre
Cabinetmakers St. Anne
Cancer Patients Saint Agatha,
St. Peregrine
Candlemakers St. Ambrose
Carpenters Saint Joseph
Cavalry St. George
Charitable Societies St. Vincent de Paul
Childbirth St. Anne,
St. Gerard,
St. Ramon
Childhood Rape Victims Saint Dymphna
Children St. Nicholas
Infant of Prague
Chivalry St. George
Churches Saint Joseph
Civil Servants St. Thomas More
Clergy St. Charles
Comedians St. Genesius,
St. Vitus
Composers St. Cecilia
Conception St. Gabriel Archangel
Cooks St. Lawrence,
St. Martha
Counsel The Holy Spirit
Court Workers St. Thomas More
Cranky Children St. Sebastian
Dancers St. Vitus
Desperation Saint Jude
Dieticians St. Martha
Difficult Marriages St. Thomas More
Diplomats St. Gabriel Archangel
Dog Bite St. Hubert
Dog Lovers St. Roch
Domestic Workers St. Martha
Doubters Saint Joseph
Dream Interpretation St. Gabriel Archangel
Druggists St. Raphael Archangel
Dying Saint Barbara
Saint Joseph
Editors St. John Bosco
Environmentalists Saint Francis of Assisi
EMTs St. Luke
Enemies of Religion St. Sebastian
Engineers Saint Joseph
Epilepsy St. Vitus
Eye Diseases St. Raphael Archangel
Eyes St. Lucy
Faith Saint Anthony
Falsely Accused St. Gerard,
St. Raymond
Families Saint Joseph
Family Harmony Saint Dymphna
Farmers St. Isidore,
St. George
Fathers Saint Joseph
Fever St. Peter
Fire St. Lawrence
Firefighters St. Florian
Fireworks Saint Barbara
Fishermen St. Andrew,
St. Peter
Florists St. Theresa
Foot Trouble St. Peter
Gardeners St. Fiacre,
St. Sebastian
Glass Industry St. Luke
Glaziers St. Mark
Goldsmiths St. Luke
Gout Sufferers St. Andrew
Grandmothers St. Anne
Gravediggers Saint Anthony
Greetings St. Valentine
Grocers Saint Michael Archangel
Hairdressers Saint Martin de Porres
Happy Death Saint Joseph
Hardware St. Sebastian
Healing of Wounds St. Rita
Hermits St. Hilarion
Hesitation Saint Joseph
HIV-AIDS Patients St. Lazarus of Dives
Home Builders Our Lady of Loretto
Home Sellers Saint Joseph
Homosexuals St. Sebastian
Horsemen St. Anne,
San Martin Caballero
Hospital Staff Saint Martin de Porres
Housekeepers St. Anne
Housewives St. Anne
Hunters St. Hubert
Illegal Drug Dealers Jesus Malverde
Illegal Immigrants Nino Fidencio
Impossible Causes Saint Jude
Incest Victims Saint Dymphna
Infertility Saint Anthony
Insanity Saint Dymphna
Invalids St. Roch
Jewelers St. Luke
Jurists St. Juan Capistrano
Kidnap Victims Nino de Atocha
Laborers St. James
Lamp Makers Our Lady of Loretto
Lawyers St. Genesius,
St. Thomas More
Leather Workers Sts. Crispin & Crispinian
Librarians St. Jerome
Lightning Saint Barbara
Locksmiths St. Dunstan
Loneliness St. Rita
Long Life St. Peter
Lost Articles Saint Anthony
Lovers St. Valentine,
St. Raphael Archangel
Lumbago St. Lawrence
Machinists St. Hubert
Marital Fidelity Santisima Muerte
Masons The Two Sts. John,
St. Clement
Medical Students Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez
Mental Illness Saint Dymphna
Merchants Saint Francis of Assisi
Messengers St. Gabriel Archangel
Midwives St. Raymond
Milliners St. Catherine
Miners Saint Barbara
Missing Persons Saint Anthony,
Nino de Atocha
Missions St. Theresa
Monastics St. Benedict
Monks St. Benedict
Motorcyclists O.L. Miraculous
Musicians St. Cecilia
Navigators O.L. Star of the Sea
Needle Workers Saint Francis of Assisi
Nerves Saint Dymphna
Notaries St. Luke,
St. Mark
Nurses Saint Agatha,
St. Camillus
Occultists St. Cyprian,
St. Albertus Magnus
Organ Makers St. Genesius
Painters St. Luke
Paramedics St. Luke
Paratroopers Saint Michael Archangel
Pawnbrokers St. Nicholas
Peddlers St. Lucy
Peril At Sea Saint Michael Archangel
O.L. Caridad d. Cobre
Pharmacists Sts. Cosmos & Damian
Philosophers St. Catherine of Alexandria
Physicians St. Luke,
St. Raphael Archangel,
Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez
Pioneers Saint Joseph
Plague Victims St. Roch
Plasterers St. Bartholemew
Poets St. David
Poison Sufferers St. Benedict
Police Officers Saint Michael Archangel
Poor Saint Anthony,
St. Lawrence
Porters Saint Christopher
Postal Workers Saint Gabriel Archangel
Potters St. Sebastian
Pregnant Women St. Gerard
St. Raymond
Printers St. Augustine
Prisoners Saint Barbara,
St. Raymond,
Nino de Atocha
Prisoners of War St. Leonard
Procrastinaters Saint Expedite
Public Relations St. Paul
Radio Saint Gabriel Archangel
Race Relations Saint Martin de Porres
Radiologists Saint Michael Archangel
Realtors Saint Joseph
Rheumatism St. James
Sailors St. Brendan,
Saint Christopher
St. Nicholas,
O.L. Star of the Sea,
O.L. Caridad d. Cobre
Salesmen St. Lucy
Shoemakers Sts. Crispin & Crispinian
Scholars & Schools St. Thomas Aquinas
Scientists St. Albertus Magnus
Sculptors St. Claude
Secretaries St. Genesius
Seminarians St. Charles
Servants St. Martha
Service Women St. Joan of Arc
Ship Builders St. Peter
Sick St. Camillus,
Saint Michael Archangel
Sick Poor Saint Martin de Porres
Singers St. Gregory,
St. Cecilia
Skin Disease St. Peregrine,
St. Lazarus of Dives
Snake Bite St. Patrick
Social Justice Saint Joseph
Soldiers St. George,
St. Joan of Arc,
St. Sebastian
Solitary Death Saint Francis of Assisi
Souls in Purgatory Anima Sola,
Our Lady Mt. Carmel
Speedy Results Saint Expedite
Infant of Prague
Stationers St. Peter
Steel Workers St. Sebastian
Stenographers St. Cassian Tangiers
Stock Brokers St. Matthew
Stomach Trouble St. Charles
Storms Saint Barbara
Stone Carvers St. Peter
Students St. Thomas Aquinas
Surgeons Sts. Cosmos & Damian
Surgery Patients Infant of Prague
Tanners St. James
Tax Collectors St. Matthew
Teachers St. Gregory
Television St. Clara,
Saint Gabriel Archangel
Temptation Saint Michael Archangel
Theologians St. Thomas Aquinas
Throat Trouble St. Cecilia
Tilesetters The Two Sts. John
Tongue Trouble St. Catherine
Toothache St. Patrick
Travel Safety Saint Christopher
Truck Drivers Saint Christopher
Tuberculosis St. Theresa
Tumor St. Rita
Ulcers St. Charles
Undertakers St. Sebastian
Veterinarians St. James
Vocalists St. Cecilia
Watchmakers Saint Joseph,
St. Peter
Widows St. Paula
Wisdom St. Sophia
Workingmen Saint Joseph
Writers St. Lucy,
St. Catherine of Sienna
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