There are many patron saints. Some make total sense; others are more unusual. Did you know there are patron saints of unattractive people, motorcyclists, and comedians?
This begs the question: How did these saints become associated with their “fields of expertise”? And isn’t the concept of a patron saint too similar to the Greek and Roman deities and their various specialties?
Let’s explain.
St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of universities, and we know he taught at the University of Paris. St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals, a fitting title for a man who preached to birds.
Saints don’t receive their specialty because they have sole providence over certain fields. St. Thomas can still intercede for your injured dog and St. Francis for your upcoming exam.
Do Catholics make the saints too much like pagan gods?
No, we give adoration to God alone. We honor the saints, thereby honoring God, whose glory is manifest in His holy ones. We ask for their intercession the way we ask people here on earth to pray for us. God has chosen to work through the saints to accomplish His purposes.
Of course, He can answer all of your prayers on His own. It’s not as if God needs St. Anthony, the patron of lost articles, to help you locate your missing keys. But He made us to be in communion with one another, including members of the Body of Christ who have gone before us.
This is a far cry from the Greeks and Romans, who had to sacrifice to their patron gods and endure said gods’ childish behavior.
Our patron saints simply need us to pray to them with sincere intention.
Who is your favorite patron saint?
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