Whence came the custom of choosing a saint to intercede for certain professions?
Unsurprisingly, every profession has a patron saint, for whom we ask for protection. And so many professions, that today we choose only a few to speak a little of their intercessors.
But what is a patron or patron?
It is a holy intercessor who advocates for us together with God and that in special affinity for a country, community, place, congregation or professional activity.
The term “patron” comes from the Latin patronus , which means “protector, defender, lawyer”.
The custom of invoking a patron saint is very ancient. In the Old Testament, we find St. Michael and St. Gabriel as protectors of some countries. Later, the first Christians began to entrust the souls of the dead to the saints, especially the martyrs. Then the missionary bishops began to entrust the mission or congregation that they founded to specific saints.
As for the patron saints, the Second Vatican Council affirms: It is convenient that we love the friends and joint heirs of Christ, our brothers and excellent benefactors; that we give thanks to God for what we owe them; that we may humbly invoke them, and to ask God for the blessings through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is the only Redeemer and Savior, let us turn to his prayers, protection and help. All the genuine testimonies of love that we offer to the blessed are, by their very nature, directed to Christ and end in God, who is the crown of all saints.
The Saints, besides interceding for us and granting us favors, serve as models of virtues and values to follow. They are people who have given their lives to God.
Below, some professions and their respective patrons.
Profession: Actor
Patrons: St. Geneseus, who was a Roman actor of the second century, and St. John Bosco, who, in order to amuse and educate the young, was a magician and a juggler.
Profession: Other
Patroness: Santa Zita, who has been a domestic maid since she was 12 years old.
Profession: Translator
Patron Saint: Saint Jerome, who translated the bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.
Occupation: Dentist
Patroness: Santa Apolonia, who was martyred with the violent extraction of all her teeth.
Occupation: housewife
Patroness: Santa Marta, for her role in the biblical stories, in which she shows herself as a woman attentive to the activities of the home and welcoming.
Profession: Electrician
Patroness: Virgin of the Candelaria. His name refers to the holy light that leads to the right path, redemption and faith in God.
Profession: Photographer
Patroness: Saint Veronica, therefore, on the Via Sacra, she wiped the sweat of Jesus with a cloth, where the image of the face of Christ was imprinted, as in a photograph.
Occupation: Aviador
Patroness: Virgin of Loreto, since the house where she was born was transferred by the angels through the air.
You can find other professions and their respective patron saints by clicking here.
Now, if you do not have a profession and are looking for a job, pray for St. Jude or St. Caetano.
