St. Toribio Romo

Toribio Romo was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1900.  He always wanted to be a priest and was ordained when he was 22.  But this was a time when religion was not only frowned upon, in Mexico, there were laws severely restricting Catholicism.  The President, Plutarco Elias Calles was very hostile towards Catholicism.  His anti-Catholicism fueled the Cristeros.

In order to minister to his people, Father Romo had to go underground.  He celebrated Mass in factories and residences.  I imagined he prayed for a lot of strength, but his fears didn't stop him.

On February 25, the government soldiers woke him up at 4:00 AM and shot him. The story of his martyrdom spread.  He became the patron saint of those who watch over migrants and refugeesand border crosses

.  In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Father Toribio Romo, along with 24 other martyrs murdered for their faith during the Cristero War.

Patron Saint for Sensitive Pessimists

Laura Macalister has a post about different things she could be patron of.  She asks, "What could you be the patron saint of?"  I  thought about her question for a bit.  At first, I thought that I could be the patron saint of  super sensitve people.  That's me.  I'm always reading into things that people don't really mean.

Then I thought that saints usually are patron saints of more than one thing.  A good example of this is St. Dominic.  Not only is he patron of preachers, but of those falsely accused and astronomers.  Don't ask me what St. Dominic has to do with astronomers, but he is.  Preachers because he founded the Order of Preachers.  "Those falsely accused", I'm not sure.  Probably because of Dominic's compassion and mercy.  But astronomers, I have no idea.  Maybe because of the star over Dominic's head?

Anyway, my point is, I can be the patron saint of more than one thing.  So besides being the patron saint of the sensitive, I think I could be the patron saint of pessimists.  Maybe optimists, too?  You see I am an optimist.  But that's because I'm a pessimist.  Realistically, I know that most of my negative imaginings never really do happen, and that causes me to be an optimist.  Doesn't that qualify me to be the patron saint of pessimists?

Do You Want a Patron Saint for 2015?

Because we’re Catholics we believe in the Communion of Saints. That means we pray for our beloved dead, and they pray for us.  Since we’re still here in this world, and fighting evil, we’re called the Church Militant.  The saints in heaven are called the Church Triumphant.  The Church Suffering is those souls still in Purgatory, who haven’t made it to heaven, yet.

We pray for the souls in Purgatory.  The saints in heaven pray for us. That’s called the Communion of Saints.  We honor the Saints and try to imitate their example.  We ask the saints to intercede for us with God and continue our prayers.

A Patron Saint is one who has been chosen as a special intercessor with God.  The custom arose from the Biblical fact that a change of personal name indicated a change in the person, e.g., Abram to Abraham, Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul, and Linton to Moses.  We are named for patron saints in our baptism.  We may take a patron saint for Confirmation.  The Lay Dominicans may take a patron saint’s name to imitate and whose intercession to invoke. 

We should frequently pray to our patron saint for our needs.  Pay attention to your saints Feast Day because everyone likes to have a special day celebrated for them.  Today, we will choose a patron saint for this year. 

Let’s pray that our patron is someone we can identify with and be a powerful intercessor for us. If you would like a patron saint to assist you and accompany you throughout 2015, write to me and tell me a little about yourself:

your vocation (single, married, religious, priest)

your work

your health

On January first, I will pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and choose a patron for you.  Email me at faith.flaherty@gmail.com      God bless.

St. Theodoret

Two years ago, I was given the Archangel Raphael as a patron. I have never felt so close to someone whom I barely knew existed. I read the story of Tobit and was attracted to Raphael. For a year, he was a wonderful intercessor.

Last year, I was given St. Nicholas. Well, a few days later I went to a museum, which just happened to have a special exhibit of icons of St. Nicholas. I didn't know this. I was shocked at the coincidence. And then my friend, Tricia, bought me a little icon of St. Nicholas.

Well...as you know, St. Nicholas loves to surprise people. What a blessed year I've had!
Deo Gratias.

This year, I've been given St. Theodoret.

Who? Yeah, that was my reaction. He's a wonderful saint. He's a church father, writer, apologist, and martyr. I loved how he defended the faith against the Monophysites, who denied the divinity of Christ. St. Dominic would have identified with St. Theodoret. They both fought heresies. They both defended the Faith. They both loved Veritas.

Theodoret was a theologian and his writings are still around today. I've copied out this saying and have it pinned up on my bulletin board:

To see visible objects we need the eyes of the body. To understand intelligible truths we need the eyes of the mind. To have the vision of divine things we cannot do without faith. What the eye is for the body, faith is for reason, puts it in contact with visible things; reason needs faith to show it divine things.

Would you like a patron saint? Go to Catholic Life.

Want A Patron Saint for 2012?

Matthew from a Catholic Life is matching patron saints to people who request them. I can attest to this wonderful devotion. I have met and become close to my patrons, over the years that I have participated.

I've also requested patrons for my family and others, whom I thought might benefit. So it you, too, would like to receive the patronage of a saint, this year, click on A Catholic Life and ask for a patron. God bless.

Another Choice for a Patron Saint

Father Marie Jean-Josepth Lataste, O.P.

Matthew, from A Catholic Life is choosing saints, again.  I've copied his post for you:

"What is the Saint for the Year Devotion? Here is my post on this from years past to clarify the matter. This is from the person that draws all of the saints. I don't draw the saints. I will merely pass on your name or screenname to her so that she will draw a saint for you. Also, I will pass on the name of any of your family or friends that would like to participate. This isn't superstition. St. Faustina did the same thing!

Last year dozens of people received saints to be their special patron, and there were miraculous connections. It was truly amazing. We pray that this year the Holy Spirit will again work so that all participants receive a saint that they will be able to pray to for aid throughout the entire year:

Saint for the Year

I want to tell you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though. The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,” is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul. The excerpt is below.

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”Excerpt from Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina"

I have a container full of names ... I will be glad to pick out the name for you and send you the name if you prefer. I am so excited by my saint(s) ... I already picked mine. Well, I should say that they picked me ... I have Saints Marcus and Marcellianus ... they are twin brothers who were sent to prison before their death. St. Sebastian visited them continually in prison and helped keep their faith alive. They are buried near St. Felix and are specifically honored in Spain.

OK now ... here are a couple of immediate ironies in regard to these saints ... I have a SPECIAL place in my heart for twins! As a child, I LOVED reading the story about St. Sebastian. I had a children's book of saints and I think I wore out the pages on St. Sebastian! Felix is my grandfather's name! Silvia, our exchange student, is from Spain! I am so excited to have these two saints to walk through 2006 with me! I'm looking forward as to where and how they will intercede for me.

Please pass this message on through your blogs and/or email distribution lists, letting all of the Catholic blogsphere have the chance to participate. I only ask that you give me your email addressso that I may contact you when your saint is drawn. Usually within one to two days I can email you about your saint."


Go to Matthew's site to get your patron for 2011.

Want A Patron Saint for 2011?

Angela is doing it again.  She will pick a patron saint for you.  Two years ago, I got the Archangel Raphael and was greatly blessed.  Last year, it was St. Nicholas, and ran smack into him by accident at the Russian Museum of Icons.  
  I can't wait to see who gets me this year.
  Why don't you pop over to Where Angels Blog and ask for a patron saint.  Hurry, you only have to the end of November.

Saint Nicholas

I know why Saint Nicholas chose me. He is known to be wise (I need a wise patron, for sure.), and he performed good works in secret for the poor and oppressed (And I'm sure he wouldn't mind throwing in a few good works for the foolish and accident prone), and he is known as the Patron of Prisoners. There you go. I volunteer in a prison. I belong to a Lay Dominican Chapter inside a prison. Some of my dearest friends are cons and ex-cons. I love this guy!

There are many legends about his many deeds. He is the inspiration for our Santa Claus. Santa Claus is the Americanization of the Dutch for Saint Nicholas. His stories contribute to our stories of Father Christmas, St. Nick, and of course, Santa Claus.

Today I visited the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA. It is only a few years old. It was founded by Gordon Lankton in 2006, to house his personal collection of icons. I was blessed to meet him, personally, today. He had gathered them from his travels back and forth to Russia, since the 1980's. The Museum houses the largest collection of Russian icons, outside of Russia. What I saw, on this day, was a collection of icons spaning six centuries. Since today is Jan 6th, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the museum highlighted Saint Nicholas and the Russian Orthodox Christmas. And since Saint Nicholas is my patron saint this year, I felt very blessed to view these beautiful icons.

The icon that I've posted is displayed in the way that Russian Orthodox believers are accustomed to viewing icons--encased in an outer wooden frame or kiot, and covered with an ornately engraved screen or riza, revealing only the face and hands of the saint. This icon features an elaborate, gilded kiot with grape-leaf motif and silver riza. The box was made circa 1800, the body of Saint Nicholas circa 1750, and the doors, circa 1830.

Icons are art created for prayer. You stare at them, and see, and figure out their story. In this way, the icon speaks to you. It's contemplative.

Saint Nicholas of Myra

Finally! On Dec. 28th I told you about Matthew at Catholic Life picking patron saints for the year. Rather, the saint picks you. Well, I got picked by St. Nicholas of Myra.

I don't know why St. Nick chose me. I've read about his life and I don't see any reason that connects us. Just about everybody reveres him. He's the patron saint of Russia and Greece. There's many icons of him.

He is the patron saint of judges, murderers, pawnbrokers, thieves, merchants, paupers, scholars, sailors, bakers, travelers, maidens and poor children. He is also known as the friend and protector of all those in trouble. Oh-oh. I hope trouble isn't brewing for me this year. And he's the patron of murderers--look out everybody. Don't piss me off.

I like his life story. He doesn't die a horrible death like Peter Martyr. He doesn't live a terrible life like St. Margaret of Castello. He's an average guy who try to live right and do right. He loved to surprise people with little gifts. Who could not love this guy?

The most famous story about Nicholas tells of how he helped three unfortunate young sisters who all had suitors but had no dowries because their father, a poor nobleman, could not raise the money. Because of this, they could not marry.

So he secretly left a bag of gold so that the father would find it, three times. One story has him tossing the bag down the chimney into the fireplace. Another has St. Nick putting the bag of gold into one of the girl's stocking that was hanging to dry.

See how the legend grew into Santa Claus?

I don't know why St. Nicholas of Myra picked me, but I'm happy he did. I like him.

Want A Patron Saint for 2010?

Mathew at Catholic Life is offering to give you a patron saint for 2010. This is a fun and nice thing to do. Last year, I did the picking and in so doing, fell in love with the Archangel Raphael. I just feel an affinity for him.

Anyway, hop over to Matthew's blog and request a saint. See who you get?