Patron Saints

[Guest Catechumen2005]

Hello,

So, I will be taking my RCIA classes beginning this fall. I have been reading about the Saints and from what I understand I get to choose my Patron Saint. So, far the list of possible candidates is this...

1) St. Abraham the Patriarch
2) St. Michael the Arch Angel
3) St. Matthew
4) St. Anthony of Padua
5) St. John Mary Vianney

This is a start. I have only considered these because they are some that have stood out. But is there anything else to consider when thinking about a patron Saint. Am I even allowed to pick?

[homeschoolmom]

It's good to think of someone who has something in common with you. For example, I love St. Elizabeth Ann Seton because she was a convert (like me) and a teacher (like me).

PS Welcome to Phatmass and congratulations on RCIA.

[Mickey's_Girl]

Congratulations on joining the Church, and welcome to Phatmass!

I agree with hsmom--choosing one with something in common with you is a good plan--it gives you a connection. Some just take a saint with their own name, or the name of someone they love/admire.

Also, if a particular saint is known for a virtue you'd like to have (say, patience, or compassion), that might be a good idea too.

St. Bede the Venerable is my patron. He's kind of random, but I'd always felt a strong, strange connection to him, many years before I became Catholic. I just always thought he was so cool. So when I came to pick a patron, I knew he was the one (once I realized that he was an actual saint, and not just called The "Venerable" Bede because he was well-respected or old. Ah, my innocent Protestant days...clueless, I was. LOL!)

Bede was the one for me. But many people pick someone much more popular, such as St. Therese the Little Flower. (Or as others have put it, they didn't pick their saints--their saints picked them!)

MG

[St. Gregory the Great]

I guess the saint i picked is somewhat obvious. I picked him cause im planning on being a teacher, which he is patron of, I play the sax and he is a patron of musicians, and my father's name is Gregory, it was too good of a match to pass up. Congrats for wanting to do RCIA by the way.

[Guest Catechumen2005]

I certaintly do not have anything in common with these Saints but each one does have something that I admire. Also, I am planning on going into a carrer in Finance and St. Michael the Archangel is a Patron to banking/bankers; however, St. Matthew is a patron to essentially the same financial professions as well as additional ones. Also, the Gospel of St. Matthew is my favorite book of the Bible.
It's such a difficult decision when it comes down to virtues that I admire because each on is very admirable. In this category I would suppose the I admire the faith of Abraham the most but picking a biblical figure seems uncommon.
Thanks for the advice.

[jezic]

i think the best thing to do is to pray about it.

Usually, i think, God has a saint in mind for each of us. We just have to discover who it is.

[FutureSoror]

Keep reading about them, too. It helps me a lot, and its inspiring

[journeyman]

Our RCIA program didn't require this . . . having seen the kids try to find a saint for their confirmations, I was a little disappointed. I had narrowed it down to Thomas . . . but I couldn't decide between Aquinas, Beckett, More or the Apostle . . . not having had to decide, all four of them are still on the short list, but there may be another out there just waiting for me to discover a perfect match

[Lil Red]

i LOVE St. Michael. i love what phatcatholic has said about him:

ST. MICHAEL, captain bad-ass, mr. who's-your-daddy, mr. "WHO-IS-LIKE-CHRIST!?!?, mr. bring it on, mr. you-cant-hold-me, mr. foot-on-your-face, mr. don't-make-me-use-my-sword, mr. get-the-hell-outta-here, mr. the-devil-aint-shinobi, the Prince of Heavenly Host, our defender in battle, our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil, the ultimate warror, the soldier of Christ, our bodyguard from temptation and sin, the protector of the Church and enemy of the Devil. St. Michael, the archangel, pray for us!!

[homeschoolmom]

Captain Bad-Ass... I like that...

[littleflower+JMJ]

[quote name='Catechumen2005' date='Aug 11 2005, 08:20 PM']Hello,

So, I will be taking my RCIA classes beginning this fall.  I have been reading about the Saints and from what I understand I get to choose my Patron Saint.  So, far the list of possible candidates is this...

1) St. Abraham the Patriarch
2) St. Michael the Arch Angel
3) St. Matthew
4) St. Anthony of Padua
5) St. John Mary Vianney

This is a start.  I have only considered these because they are some that have stood out.  But is there anything else to consider when thinking about a patron Saint.  Am I even allowed to pick?
[right][snapback]682694[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]


I'm really, really glad you were able to make it here to the phorum! its really good to have you and i hope you like it here! God bless you in choosing a patron saint....i erally love all your choices--especially 2, 4,5. and your completely right--its sooo hard!!

[theculturewarrior]

Sometimes Patron Saints choose you!

[Anthony]

Congrats:

RCIA is a great experience; I know because I went through it. Anyway, I suggest Butler's Lives of the Saints because it gives so much info. on many saints. The way I picked mine is because of the fact that I tend to lose things a lot. I chose St. Anthony of Padua (whom you had also had your possibilities narrowed down to) because he is the patron saint of lost articles. Through his intercessions, I have been able to find a lot of things I have lost.

You have a while to think about you saint. I didn't make it known until the day before my Vigil. Find a saint that fits right with you, one whom you admire, read about different saints. They're all great. You'll find the right one, I'm sure. God Bless,

Anthony :

[AlterDominicus]

Possible, but already know candidates

Saint Dominic de Guzman
Saint Therese the Little Flower <<<<<< Just ask Sister Mary Emily the BRAND NEW Vocation Director of Saint Cecilia Congregation in Nashville TN, popularly known as the Nashville Dominicans.

As a matter of fact I still HAVE TO ask her how she came up with my confirmation name. Seriously! I just called her like a second time like a long time ago and she is like "Hmm...here is what I came up with, Amanda Therese, Amanda Cecilia." (There was a third, but I cant remember.)

[MamimiFista]

I chose Saint Dymphna... she is the patron saint of the mentally ill... I have bipolar disorder, so yeah, she fits me pretty well... actually my *slight* obsession with her (and saints in general) is one of the things that helped me decide that I'm definately gonna join the Catholic church and leave the *CRAZY* Mormon church (cult)

[avemaria40]

St. Joan of Arc, b/c she inspired me to become a Catholic, she was young like I was when she first heard her call (13 years old) and she was willing to fight and stand for what she believed.

[tojo]

Be sure to pray about it. At first I thought of St. Joseph, but then I began to consider many others, until God was like "hey, that St. Jospeh thing was from me."

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

My patron is Padre Pio.

I chose him because he spent alot of time in the confessional, and after my first confession, I really loved the sacrament. As well he hada grat devotion to the Mary my momma, and I want to foster that kind of devotion. As well Padre pio had a soft spot for Americans, in fact I read one place that he said all americans would be his spiritual children, and they sould send their guardian angels to him for help.

I connected with these things so I chose him. I think I made the right choice, because at Easter Vigil of of my good Regligious friends, Sr. Ann Marie, couldn't see, but she heard Fr name someone Padre Pio, and knew it was me.