My Patron Saints
One of the nice things about being Catholic is that, in good times and
in bad, I can call upon the Church Triumphant. What follows is a list of
the saints whom I regard as my patrons; I can't say what they think of
this arrangement.
-
Mary, the Mother
of God [Updated July 2, 1999]
-
St. Joseph, Husband
of Mary [Updated March 17, 1998]
-
St. Thomas the
Apostle [Updated July 3, 1999]
-
St. Soter, Pope
-
St. Rupert of Salzburg
-
St. Francis of
Assisi
-
St. Clare of Assisi
[Updated August 11, 1999]
-
St. Zdislava of
Lemberk [Added October 12, 1999]
-
St. Thomas Aquinas
[Updated July 15, 1998]
-
St. Thomas More
[Updated November 1, 2000]
-
Bl. Junipero
Serra [Updated July 1, 1999]
-
St. Katharine
Drexel [Updated October 2, 2000]
-
St. Faustina
Kowalska [Updated May 1, 2000]
-
St. Raphael the
Archangel [Updated July 1, 1998]
Those who aren't familiar with the Catholic tradition of the invocation
of saints are often confused or misinformed about what's involved. It's
not superstition, and it's not magic, and it certainly isn't worship. The
Twenty-Fifth Session of the Council of Trent, in the document On the
Invocation, Veneration, and Relics, of Saints, and on Sacred Images,
provides a dogmatic basis for praying to the saints:
The holy Synod enjoins on all bishops, and others who sustain
the office and charge of teaching, that... they especially instruct the
faithful diligently concerning the intercession and invocation of saints...
teaching them, that the saints, who reign together with Christ, offer up
their own prayers to God for men; that it is good and useful suppliantly
to invoke them, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, (and) help
for obtaining benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is our alone Redeemer and Savior....
Invocation of saints is a common target of Christian Fundamentalists, who
generally see it as an encrustation on the original Christian faith. By
way of answer, I offer a very brief sketch for an argument in favor of
the biblical basis
of the invocation of saints.
Page maintained by Tom
Kreitzberg. Comments, suggestions, corrections, arguments, and questions
are welcome. Last modified November 1,
2000.