8 Patron Saints of the Weirdest Things

Hi! This is Alexis and there are a lot of Catholic saints. There are more than 10,000 saints that we've never heard of. Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Patrick, Saint Thomas Aquinas; all of these is common saints we pray to. What about Saint Alexis of Rome (who was a boy, to my dismay when I did a report on him)? How about Saint Casimir of Poland? And don't forget Saint Lydwina.

As odd as these uncommon saints are, the things they patronize are even stranger. I once did a report on the patron saint of bacon (which was fun). Here are 10 Catholic saints who have the most random things they patronize.

This is not for the purpose of disrespecting the holy Catholic saints! I greatly honor them, especially once I read their stories.

Saint Apollonia--- Dentists

In the reign of Emporer Phillip, there was an uprising against Christians. Saint Apollonia was hit in the face by a Christian persecutor and had all her teeth knocked out. When she was caught, she was threatened to be thrown into a blazing fire unless she would renounce her faith. She paused as if to curse God, then threw herself into the fire voluntarily, rather than deny God. Talk about courage.

Saint Eligius--- Gas Station Workers 

He was a skilled metalsmith and the chief mint under King Clotaire the Second (I didn't know how to do a roman numeral 2) of Paris. He became friends with the King and his skill spread. His fame spread all over the country, and he became very wealthy. With this fortune, he was very generous. He gave to the poor, ransomed a lot of slaves, and constructed churches and a monastery. Later he became a priest, then a bishop. He preached in Flanders, Antwerp, Ghent, and Courtai and spread the Word of God everywhere. He was a very influential saint. 

Saint Barbara--- anything that explodes 

This saint is also known as The Great Martyr Barbara. She had the most tragic and yet holiest life I have ever read about. She was known for being very beautiful, so her father Dioscorus (more about him later) locked her in a tower. She was only seen by her pagan teachers. As she looked out the tower window, she admired God's creations and realized the pagan idols were not part of them. Barbara secretly became Christian and dedicated her life to God. When she was older, as fathers do, he tried to marry her off to some rich guys. She denied them all and warned him the men would damage their relationship. Her father let her leave the tower to try and alter her attitude. She used the opportunity to mingle with other Christians and they taught her about Christianity and was baptized. When she got back, her father was building her a private bathhouse (fancy). The plans were for two windows, but she changed it to three to create a trinity of light. It became a sacred place of holy power and many miracles occurred there. Saint Barbara told her father that she was Christian and would not worship his idols. He went to behead her, but she ran away. A hill opened a crevice for her and she hid in it. Dioscorus searched for her, but could not find her. He found two shepherds and asked if they had seen her. The first denied it, but the second betrayed her. Later, he was turned to stone and his flocks turned to locusts. Saint Barbara's father beat her, starved her, and locked her up. Then he handed her over to Martianus, the prefect of the city, and he tortured her even harder. She never renounced her faith, and Jesus healed her wounds quickly. She and another Christian woman were hurt with hooks and rakes and dragged naked through the city. When the pair prayed, an angel came and covered them with robes and the torches used to burn them were extinguished. At last, she was beheaded by her own father. Ouch.

Saint Columbanus--- Motorcyclists 

He founded many monasteries, known for their strictness. He traveled to many places to preach the Gospel. He's pretty obscure. 

Saint Drausnius--- Invincible People 

He was the bishop of Soissons, France, and a monk. He founded a monastery, two churches, and a covenant. Also pretty obscure.

Saint Benedict of Nursia--- Spelunkers 

Spelunkers are also known as cavers, but 'spelunkers' sounds better, don't you agree? He lived the life of a hermit and lived in a cave for three years, fed by a monk named Romanus. He became the abbot of a monastery but the monks resisted his strict rule and tried to poison him, so he left to Subiaco and became known for his wisdom and spirituality. When he left for Monte Cassino, he destroyed a pagan temple of Apollo and brought the town back to Christianity. Under his command and authority from his miracles and intelligence, the monks were formed into a united monistic community. Here he wrote his famous book: The Rule of Saint Benedict. It's about prayer, work, study, and community life. He later ministered to the poor and taught priests and monks. He died on March 21 and his feast day is July 11. 

Saint Vitus--- oversleeping 

The first story is of an unreliable legend, so it should not be taken as a textbook. He became a Christian when he was only twelve and was the only son of a senator in Sicily. When his miracles and holy speeches became known to the administrator of Sicily, Saint Vitus was taken to him to try to shake the saint's faith. He was unsuccessful, but Vitus fled the city with his tutor, Modestus, and his servant, Crescentia. Emporer Diocletian's son had an evil spirit inside of him, so Saint Vitus freed him, but when he would not sacrifice to the pagan gods afterward, they associated his cure to sorcery. They went through torture and emerged unscathed, and were freed from prison when God-sent storms destroyed temples and an angel guided them back to their homes, where they died peacefully. This story is untrue. They were actually Christians whose cult went back for centuries and were martyred in Luciana. 

Saint Genesius--- clowns, plumbers, and torture victims

Saint Genesius was a pagan man who was very talented at writing plays, but not very wealthy. He desired fame, so he decided to write a play mocking Christianity, because at that time Emporer Diocletian ruled, and he was bent on destroying the entire Christian church. Genesius decided that the best way to write a script like that was to learn about Christianity and to join their church. He was successful and they let him join. When they prepared for Baptism was when Genesius decided to ake the subject of the play Baptism and to mock it. Even though he thought badly about Christianity, he became drawn to their stories of Our Savior. His confliction finally gave over to his dreams of fame and wealth, and he left the catechumenate. At the play in front of Diocletian, he played a bedridden old man begging for Baptism. However, when the actor playing the Christian poured water on his head, the grace of God came upon him. He boldly affirmed the Christian faith and spoke these words:

"I came here today to please an earthly Emperor, but what I have done is please a heavenly King. I came here to give you laughter, but what I have done is to bring joy to God and His angels. From this moment on, believe me, I will never mock these great mysteries again. I now know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the True God, the Light, the Truth, and the Mercy of all who have received his gift of baptism. O great Emperor, believe in these mysteries! I will teach you, and you will know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the True God."

Emperor Diocletian had him tortured and beheaded immediately.

Now, I understand the clown and the torture victim part, but... plumbers? Oh well.

I definitely enjoyed making this post, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

-Alexis