From doctors to the blind, there is a patron saint that acts as an advocate in heaven. It could be a nation or place, such as a specific city. A patron saint could represent a craft or activity, such as sewing or fishing. They can also watch over or be associated with a person, family or class of people. In this article, you will learn interesting facts about saints, such as the patron saint of breast cancer, eye ailments, and libraries.
Seven Deadly Sins
While it is commonplace to associate the seven deadly sins (anger, greed, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, and sloth) as being listed in the Bible, they are not. It was St. Thomas Aquinas that first brought these frowned-upon qualities to light.
A Female First
The first female saint that was formally canonized by the Vatican was Saint Wilborada, who Pope Clement II canonized in 1047. Wilborada was an anchoress – one who withdraws from secular society so that they can lead a life filled with intense prayer. She alerted the monks of St. Gall that the Hungarians were planning on an invasion. Since she was just an anchoress, she was sent to a small cell, walled up where she could not escape. In the end, she was martyred by the Hungarians. She is also known as the patron saint of libraries and librarians.
Patron Saint of Breast Cancer
Since the Romans horrifically cut off her breasts as part of her martyr’s death, St. Agatha is known as the patron saint for women suffering from breast cancer.
St. Lucy
The martyrdom of St. Lucy involved the removal of her eyeballs, which were plucked from their sockets. Because of this, she is known as the patron saint for people suffering any ailment of the eye.
The Saint and the Lion
St. Jerome is responsible for translating the first one-volume Bible from Hebrew and Greek into his native Latin. There is a tale involving the saint removing a thorn from the paw of a lion – the beast immediately became his pet.
A Religious Record Holder
It seems that no one can compete with the record that St. Simeon Stylites holds in the Guinness World Records. He set the record for the longest-standing individual achievement of sitting on top of a pillar 70 feet high during the last 39 years of his life. Simeon was the son of a shepherd and was greatly touched by the spread of Christianity in the Roman province that he lived in. He was 13 years old when his interest started to grow after a reading of the Beatitudes. At an early age, he endured self-bodily austerities, especially fasting. When he entered the monastery, he hadn’t even reached the age of 16 years. Other stylites attempted to follow in the footsteps of Simeon, but no one was able to beat his accomplishment.
