Patron saint

This page is for saints who may be called upon for particular purposes. For a list of saints that can be used for being named after in Baptism, see Baptismal names

A patron saint is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Since the time of the early Christians up to the present, a vast number of patron saints have been recorded.

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The following is a list of saints who are often called upon for special purposes.

Against demons and witchcraft

• Ss. Hieromartyr Cyprian & Virgin-Martyr Justina (October 2)
• St. Mitrophan of Voronezh (November 23, August 7)
• St. Basil the Great (January 1)
• St. Theodore the Sykeote (April 22)

Against drinking, drug addiction, smoking

• Holy Martyr Boniface & the Righteous Aglais (December 19)
• St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
• St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (May 5) and (January 3) the discovery of his relics
• St. Paisios of Mount Athos (July 12)
• St. Moses the Black (August 28)

Against leprosy

• St. Nikephoros the Leper (January 4)
• St. Anthony the Great (January 17)
• Job the Long-suffering (May 6)

Against the plague

• St. Bessarion of the Saviour, Archbishop of Larissa (September 15)
• St. Haralambos (February 10)
• St. Marina the Great Martyr (July 17)

Delivery from sudden death

• St. Barbara the Great Martyr (December 4)

For a good end to one's life

• Holy Archangel Michael (November 8)
• St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople (August 11)

For animals and livestock

• Holy Martyr Mamas (September 2)
• Ss. Speusippus, Eleusippus, and Meleusippus: horses (January 16)
• St. George: cattle & herds (April 23)
• St. Modestus of Jerusalem (December 18)
• St. Parthenius of Radovizlios: cattle (July 21)
• St. Tryphon: geese (February 1)

For captives and court cases

• St. George the Great Martyr (April 23)
• St. Onouphrios the Great (June 12)
• St. Peter of Athos (June 12)
• St. Simeon the God-Receiver (February 3)

For care and protection of infants

• St. Stylianos (November 26)

For chastity and help in carnal warfare

• St. Virgin-Martyr Justina (commemorated with Hieromartyr Cyprian on October 2)
• Holy Martyr Ignatios of Athos (October 8)
• Holy Martyr Theodore the Byzantine (February 17)
• St. Anysia the Virgin Martyr (December 30)
• St. Basil of Mangazea (March 23)
• St. Demetrios the Great Martyr (October 26)
• St. John the Forerunner (August 29)
• St. John the Much-Suffering (July 18)
• St. Joseph the All-Comely (the Patriarch; Holy Monday)
• St. Martinian (February 13)
• St. Mary of Egypt (April 1 and the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt)
• St. Moses the Hungarian (July 26)
• St. Susanna (Old Testament; December 17)
• St. Thomais (April 13 or 14)

For children

• St. Nicholas of Myra (December 6)

For church chanting

• Ss. Leonty and Geronty, Canonarchs of Kievo-Pechersk (July 18 and April 1)
• St. John Koukouzelis (October 1)
• St. Roman the Melodist (October 1)
• St. Gherásimos Mikraghiannanítis (January 10)
• St. Theodosius of Chernigov (February 5)

For cobblers

• St. Eustathius the Cobbler of Georgia (July 29)

For ears

• St. Spyridon the Wonderworker (December 12)

For eyes

• St. Lucia of Sicily (December 13)
• St. Paraskevi (July 26)

For finding employment

• St. Xenia of St. Petersburg (January 24)

For finding things

• St. Menas the Great Martyr of Egypt (November 11)
• St. Phanourios the Great Martyr (August 27)

For guilelessness and simplicity

• Holy Apostle Nathaniel (April 22)
• St. Paul the Simple (March 7)

For skyn, hands and feet disorders

• Holy Great Martyr Artemius - skin cancer (October 20)
• St. John Damascene - hands (December 4)
• St. Seraphim of Sarov (January 2)
• Saints Boris and Gleb (July 24)
• St. Demetrius the New of Bessarabi (October 27)

For sleep disorders, insomnia

• Saint Marcel, founder of the "Monastery of the Achimites" - excessive sleepiness (December 29)
• Seven Holy Youths (Sleepers) of Ephesus - insomnia (August 4)

For headaches

• Holy New Martyr Demas of Smyrna (April 10)

For help against quick-temper and despondency

• St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (August 13)

For help in distress or poverty

• St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
• St. John the Almsgiver of Alexandria (November 12)
• St. Martin of Tours, the Merciful (November 12)
• St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 6)

For help in studies

• St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
• St. Justin the Philosopher (June 1)
• St. Nestor the Chronicler of Kievo-Pechersk (October 27)
• St. Sergius of Radonezh (September 25)
• Three Hierarchs: St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian (January 30)

For hernias, stomach and intestinal disorders

• Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch (October 20)
• St. Artemius of Verkola (June 23 and October 20)
• St. Theodore the Studite (November 11)
• St. Seraphim of Sarov (January 2)

For iconographers

• St. Ignatius the icon painter (September 2)
• St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist (October 18)
• St. Theodore the Studite (November 11)
• St. Lazarus the Painter (November 17)
• St. Theodore, Archbishop of Rostov (November 28)
• St. John of Damascus (December 4)
• Our father among Saints Gregory III, Pope of Rome (December 10)
• St. Peter, Metropolitan of Kiev, Moscow and All Russia (December 21)
• St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia (December 31)
• The Holy Empress Theodora, Restorer of Orthodoxy (February 11)
• Theophanes the Confessor (March 12)
• St. Adrian of Poshekhonye, the Iconographer (March 15)
• Our father among the Saints Germanus I, Patriarch of Constantinople (May 12)
• St. Dionysius, Abbot of Glushitsa, Vologda (June 1)
• Saint Hierarch Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople (June 2)
• St. Daniel Chorny the icon painter (June 13)
• St. Andrei Rublev (July 4)
• St. Basil Kalika, Archbishop of Veliki Novgorod and Pskov (July 16)
• St. Pafnuty-Pârvu the Painter from Robaia Monastery (August 7)
• St. Gregory the icon painter from Kiev Pecerska Lavra (August 8)
• Holy Martyr for the Holy Icons Anthony of Alexandria (August 9)
• Holy Martyrs for the Holy Icons Julian of Constantinople and Marcian, John, James, Alexius, Demetrius, Photius, Peter, Leontius, Maria the Patrician, the Protospatharios (“Sword-Captain”) Gregory and those with them (August 9)
• St. Alypius of Kiev Pechersk Lavra (August 17)

For marital difficulties

• Venerable Schema-monastics Cyril and Mary (January 18), parents of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh (September 25).
• Ss. Peter and Febronia of Muron: also for newlyweds (June 25)
• Holy Martyrs Samonas, Gurias, and Abibus (November 15)

For meeting a difficult situation

• Holy Archangel Raphael (November 8)
• Ss. Cosmas and Damian and their brothers Anthimus, Leontius, and Evropius of Arabia (October 17)
• Ss. Cosmas and Damian and their mother Theodoti of Asia Minor (November 1)
• Ss. Cosmas and Damian of Rome (July 1)
• Ss. Cyrus and John of Alexandria (January 31)
• Ss. Panteleimon and Hermolaus (July 27 and July 26)
• St. Anicetus (August 12)
• St. David the Prophet, Psalmist, and King (Sunday of the Forefathers and the Sunday following the Nativity)
• St. Diomedes the Healer (August 16)
• St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
• St. Julian the Martyr (June 21)
• St. Mocius (May 11)
• St. Nectarios of Aegina (november 9)
• St. Thallelaus (Armenian saint)
• St. Zoticos the Orphan-Keeper (December 30 or 31)
• The Holy Unmercenaries and Healers

For mental disorders

• St. Gerasimos of Cephalonia: the possessed (August 16)
• Holy Martyrs Cyprian and Justina (October 2)
• St. Anastasia (October 12)
• Venerable Niphon (December 23)
• Holy Martyr Tryphon (February 1)
• St. Naum of Ochrid (June 20)

For patient endurance of affliction

• Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia: especially in freezing cold weather
• Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Amorion
• Righteous Job the Much-Suffering (May 6)
• St. Eustathius Placidas & Family (September 20)
• St. Pimen the Much-Suffering of Kievo-Pechersk (August 7)

For perfumers

• St. Abo the Perfumer of Georgia (January 8)

For physicians

• St. Panteleimon (July 27)
• The Holy Unmercenaries
• St Agapit the Physician of Kievo-Pechersk (June 1)

For protection against thieves

• St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Kievo-Pechersk (January 8)

For protection of gardens and crops from pests

• St. Paraskeve of Serbia: against locusts, beetles (October 14)
• St. Gerasimos the New Ascetic (October 20)
• Holy Great Martyr Tryphon: also for hunters and Patron of Moscow (February 1)
• St. Michael of Synnada (May 23)

For gardeners

• Holy Martyr Phocas the Gardener of Sinope (September 22)
• Holy Martyr Conon the Gardener of Pamphylia (March 5)
• Holy New Martyr Michael Baknanás, the Gardener of Athens (June 30)
• Holy Martyr Serenus the Gardener (August 9?)
• St. Fiacre of Breuil (August 30)

For safe childbirth

• St. Eleutherios (August 4 and December 15)

For soldiers

• Holy Archangel Michael (November 8)
• St. Barbara the Great Martyr (December 4)
• St. George the Great Martyr
• St. Titus the Soldier of Kievo-Pechersk (February 27)

For spiritual help, consolation, and compunction

• St Alexios the Man of God (March 17)
• St Ephraim the Syrian (January 28)
• St Seraphim of Sarov (January 2)

For stone-workers

• Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus (August 18)

For teeth

• St. Antipas of Pergamum (April 11)

For the kitchen and home

• Ss. Spyridon and Nikodim of Kievo-Pechersk: Prosphora making (October 31)
• St. Euphrosynos the Cook (September 11)
• St. Juliana Lazarevskaya (January 2)
• St. Prochor of Kievo-Pechersk (February 10)
• St. Sergius of Radonezh: for baking (September 25)

For the throat

• St. Blaise of Sebaste (February 11)

For trading

• St. Paraskevi (July 26)

For travelers

• St. John the Russian: for transport, auto, buses (May 27)
• St. Nicholas: in general, and specifically for sea travel (December 6)
• St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople: for safety at sea (August 11)

For workers in hospitals

• Holy Unmercenaries
• St. Dositheus, Disciple of Abba Dorotheus (February 19)

For young people

• Holy Great Martyr Demetrios the Wonderworker (October 26)

To have a child

• St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos (September 9)
• St. Elizabeth, Mother of the Forerunner (September 5)
• St. Irene of Chrysovolantou (July 28)
• St. Sabbas the Sanctified of Palestine (December 5)
• St. Symeon the Myrrh-streamer, father of St. Savva of Serbia (February 13)

Of the Internet

• (Unofficial) St. Isidore of Seville, "the last scholar of the ancient world". (April 4)

Source

• Saints Called upon for Special Purposes
• Which Saint should we pray to?

See also

• Name day