Saints and Their Specialties: A Look at Some Unique Patron Saints in the Catholic Church

Pope Francis recently canonized the two most recent saints in the Catholic Church, Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta Marto, at a special ceremony in Portugal. The young brother and sister from the Portuguese parish of Fatima are said to have witnessed an apparition of the Virgin Mary exactly 100 years ago this year. Their canonization marked the centenary of their first miraculous vision.

While Saints Francisco and Jacinta of Fatima are already considered patron saints of the sick and those ridiculed for their piety, there are many other saints with specific areas of divine assistance. For example, St. Adjutor is the patron saint of swimmers and those at risk of drowning, while St. Balthasar is the patron saint of playing card manufacturers.

Other unique patron saints include St. Bernardino of Siena, who is considered the patron saint of advertising and public relations, and St. Columbanus, the patron saint of motorcyclists. St. Drogo is the patron saint of unattractive people and coffeehouses, while St. Erasmus is the patron saint of stomach ailments, colic, and appendicitis.

St. Giles is the patron saint of breastfeeding, St. Gummarus is the patron saint of difficult marriages, and St. Januarius is the patron saint of blood banks. St. Julian the Hospitaller is the patron saint of murderers, St. Lidwina is the patron saint of ice skaters, and St. Médard of Picardy is the patron saint of protection against bad weather.

St. Rita is the patron saint of the impossible, St. Servatius is the patron saint of foot and leg disorders, rheumatism, and protection against rats and mice, and St. Vedast is the patron saint of children who are late in learning to walk. These saints offer assistance in a wide range of specific areas, providing comfort and support to those in need.