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Patron saint

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In those denominations of Christianity that believe in the intercession of saints, the patron saint of a particular group of people is a saint who has special affinity for that group and its members. Prayers by such people are considered more likely to be answered by their patron saint. Some consider it a special devotion to God by displaying humility in asking a saint for intercession rather than expecting to be answered themselves, calling to mind Job 42:8, which implies God's favour to the virtuous.

Known saints

For example, Saint Christopher is generally thought of as the patron saint of travelers. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and the Irish, as well as of the profession of engineering, and Saint James the Great is the patron of rheumatics and of Spain. Eastern Orthodoxy generally similarly associates saints with places, occupations and activities, but to a much lesser degree, and usually that association takes place locally. The "Three Hierarchs", for instance (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom), are the traditional patron saints of education in the Orthodox world, St. Nicholas the patron saint of Russia, St. Demetrius the patron saint of the city of Thessaloníki, etc. Association with a particular area or profession can be found with tutelary deities from other religions as well. St. Lawrence is the Patron Saint of cooks, so bestowed because he himself was roasted alive by the Romans who prosecuted him. He never lost his sense of humor, even making a quip shortly before his death by crying, "I think I am done on this side!"

The feast day associated with a saint is often marked by those who have the saint as patron; this is especially the case with a national patron, whose feast day may be a public holiday. In some cases the celestial patronage is not assigned to a canonised person, but to a liturgical feast and/or (often associated) aspect of God or the Virgin Mary which is held in similar reverence (though unlike a saint it cannot actually intercede with God), such as:

Certain patron saints have only a nominal relationship with the trade or group that they represent, as is the case with Saint George of England. Saint Fiacre is the patron saint of taxi drivers, supposedly because the first hansom cabs in Paris were hired outside the Hotel Saint-Fiacre and, indeed, were known as fiacres.

Patron god

A counterpart in some polytheistic religions is that of a patron god or a matron goddess. Athena, for example, was the matron goddess of Athens. The most striking difference between patron gods and the Christian concept of saints is that a) saints are/were still human, and if they displayed/ experienced anything supernatural, it was not through their own personal ability; b) sainthood is a title conferred upon an individual, sometimes centuries after their death, rather than assumed simply upon birth, as is usually the case for godhood.

Criticism

Some Protestant Christian denominations regard the belief in patron saints as latent polytheism and heresy. The belief in a patron saint for certain things is a reminder of the pagan gods and goddesses, they say, and is in their view condemned by the Bible. A common misconception (even among Catholics) is that one prays to these saints instead of directly to Jesus or God, the Father. In fact, Catholics do not pray to a saint as if the saint himself can directly help them. One asks a saint to pray with or for you. The idea is that it is better to have multiple people praying for the same thing (i.e. the Catholic Mass). This misconception has resulted in many Protestant and other groups to believe that praying with saints is a serious act of blasphemy.

These denominations refer, among others, to 1 Timothy 2:5 states that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". The defenders of the intercession of saints refer at the same time to Paul who asks for prayer repeated in his epistles, showing that individuals can mediate for one another. Also, in Revelation, particularly chapter 8 verse 3 it can be seen that the prayers of saints are offered to God via an angel.

Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians and some Protestant denominations view saints as heroes of virtue and draw inspiration from their lives. Additionally, saints are sometimes considered as people who, while they have passed from this life, are already enjoying eternal life as promised by Jesus in the New Testament. As with all those who have entered heaven they are still members of the Church and thus are still capable of praying on petitioners' behalf.

Other uses

"Patron saint" can also be used in a jocular, non-religious sense as a person that serves as an emblem for a certain subject. For instance, the British actor Robert Newton is considered the "patron saint" of pirates by the founders of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, as Newton influenced many modern perceptions of pirates.

Lists of patron saints

See also

External links



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Last updated on Wednesday March 12, 2008 at 16:09:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
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