And this mere girl, this Little Flower, with the simple, humble heart of a child? Seeing young women on fire for their faith was a rarity for me up until that point; the only women I heard share their spirituality were my mother and my elderly religious education coordinator who, God bless her heart, wore her shorts up to her chest and said yo! because she thought it was hip. Shes revered as the Apostle of Divine Mercy. Sign up for our Premium service. St. Maria is an example of costly faith. On her wedding, it said that she sang her heart to God. The options were grave: have an abortion, hysterectomy, or remove the fibroma with no guarantee of recovery. Saint Mary Magdalene is one of the most famous women of the Bible. Being the pro-life feminist hero that she was, Gianna respected the inherent human dignity of her unborn baby and faced death with courage to give birth to her child. The Jesuit missionaries in her new community observed that Kateri was very devout, firmly practicing sacrifice and suffering by purposefully making her meals taste bland, sleeping on thorns, and even burning herself. She not only led an army against the English, but refused to renounce her faith, even while knowing she would be burned at the stake for it at the young age of 19. St. Joseph is Jesus ' earthly father and the Virgin Mary 's husband. Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. She was exposed to Christianity while on a trip to Constantinople and brought back priests and deacons to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and help her convert her people. The Catholic Church is heavily criticized by the secular millennial generation for being sexist and oppressive to women, and if I didnt know the stories of so many empowering, inspiring female saints, I mightve come to agree with that opinion. Among all the Christian Saints celebrated by Catholics, some of them are considered the Patron Saints of Women and pregnancy: in particular, the Saints that Catholics pray for safe pregnancy and childbirth are Saint Anne, Saint Gerard Majella, Saint Nicholas, Saint Anthony of Padua and, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary; they are the five most famous Saints for children's protection and . Not so fast! Although she lived a much longer life than St. Agnes and St. Joan of Arc, Saint Josephine Bakhitas youth was filled with tremendous suffering. She is an example of simplicity, poverty of spirit, and fidelity to God. ~ Saint Nicholas/Saint Dorothy the Patron of Brides. Her feast day is October 5. Born a Christian peasant, the saint said she received visions of Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Born the daughter of a wealthy Italian count, St. Clare grew up with a deep love for prayer and experienced the privilege of pilgrimages to holy places during her childhood. St. Catherine of Alexandria. During her pregnancy, a fibroma was discovered on her uterus. Miryam is the Hebrew form of Mary. As empress, she used her power and wealth to help people. She is a perfect saint to turn to for mothers who live in fear of what may happen to their children. Joan of Arc, because strong-willed girls dont take no for an answer. And yes, I will admit - it is a struggle to parent my son. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Saint Gemma GalganiDied11 April 1903 (aged 25) Lucca, ItalyVenerated inRoman Catholic ChurchBeatified14 May 1933 by Pope Pius XICanonized2 May 1940, Saint Peters Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Pius XII7 more rows. If we need to raise money and plan training rides, Elyse is ready with an arsenal of spreadsheets and pre-delegated task lists. They both willingly went to their deaths being thrown into an arena of wild animals knowing that God would be by their side. But what other qualities do you associate with them? Many were also honored for their contributions to the Church and their community. Both a pediatrician and a hardworking momas well as a loving wifethis Italian queen is an all-star example of how a woman can be married, raising children, and working a mainstream job, and still be canonized. While the Little Flower may have led a seemingly peaceful life, she was filled with great loss when her mother died when she was 4, and also when her sisters left the home one by one to enter religious life. Her rite of passage was her choice to cut her hair and exchange her extravagant clothes for a plain robe and veil. St. Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) St. G is my go-to girl when I have my daily existential crisis about how my future self is going to balance working in a career while also raising healthy/happy/holy kids. When she still refused to deny God, she was forced to live in a brothel, but an angel protected her. St. Joan of Arc - "I am not afraid. Instead, she had a burning desire to offer herself and her life as a true sacrifice in atonement for the sins against peace. In addition to making three voyages to France, where she was born, to recruit Sisters to minister in hospitals and teach, she endured stark poverty, attacks from Native Americans and the dangers of what was then the Canadian wilderness. The details of her history are, at best, sketchy, but several people have reported visions of her independently of each other and report the same story. Her parents were displeased at her rejection of a potential marriage suitor, yet she persisted in her contemplation of the Blessed Sacrament for hours on end. ~ Saint Norbert the Patron of Peasants. She expressed her love for God through small acts of kindness: smiling at sisters she did not like, eating her meals without complaints, taking the blame for something she did not do without arguing. She became a beloved nun who brought kindness and compassion to many. Though she lived in the 13th century, her astounding and radical transformation from riches to rags still serves as a role model for those of us living in a consumerist society today. After everything she had endured, she finally became a Daughter of Charity in 1896. In England alone these numbered over 40,000 so not all of the Patron Saints and their chosen patronage are included in this website. Shes a Doctor of the Catholic Church. She was exposed to Christianity while on a trip to Constantinople and brought back priests and deacons to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and help her convert her people. St. Philomenas cult didnt begin until the nineteenth century, when her remains were discovered in the Catacombs of Priscilla. Check out our strong women patron selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Origin: Saint Joan of Arc - patron saint of soldiers. O Saint Joan of Arc, courageous woman soldier, called by God to fight and save your country from the enemy; grant that I, like you, may hear Gods call in my life and have the courage to follow it faithfully, as priest, religious, married or single. Saint Nicholas has been a recognized protector of women ever since he rescued three young women from a life of prostitution. But her life as a queen wasnt easy. Here are eight such saints whom we can look to for encouragement in our pursuit of courage. Patrons of trades and professions There are patron saints who reflect and protect ordinary walks of life such as family, sickness, death and trades and professions. A true pro-life pioneer, St. Gianna was a pediatrician in Italy when she became pregnant with her fourth child. And they help us to seek refuge in Jesus, Our Lord and Savior. Saint Patrick Who was Saint Patrick? The Three Patron Saints of Ireland. St. Gianna bravely opted for the third option, as it was the only one that would protect her unborn child. The beautiful patron saint was born in 1956 in Lima to Spanish Colonists and was known for her piety and chastity. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I was particularly drawn in by the female saints, who were portrayed as these gorgeous, glowing women of God that dropped everything in life to surrender to God. Is Jeanne Darc The Patron Saint Of Strong Independent Women? One day, Maria was sitting on the steps outside of her house sewing when her neighbor, Alessandro, approached her and grabbed her. After having dreams about Maria handing him white lilies, Alessandro repented, begged Marias mother for forgiveness, was able to attend Marias canonization, andbecame a laybrother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Once she met St. Francis, she immediately decided to join him in his mission. Unless you're Joan of Arc standing in the family garden, having a pleasant chat with Saint Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret, and then it's really, really cool. Wanting to be one of the boys and fostering a friendship with Francis, Clare sacrificed her beauty and comfort, started a feminist religious community of strong, defiant women with hearts on fire for Christ, and opposed the government to protect her sisters right to practice poverty. The saint shared Gods mercy and compassion with people around the world. Most of her devotees are drawn to her depth of wisdom and understanding of the interior life, especially as it pertains to the process by which a soul journeys to complete union with God. As the patron saint of the environment, Lily of the Mohawks St. Kateri Tekakwitha is like the Pocahontas on the Catholic Church (moral of the story: female saints are basically Disney princesses, but better). When she came upon her husband and his comrades who were returning from a hunting trip, they questioned her about it, but when she opened her cloak, a cascade of roses fell at their feet instead of the loaves. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Joan's case was vindicated, and she was eventually canonized in 1920. The women who have been created as Female Patron Saints are recognised for their virtue and the contribution they have made to the Christian religion. 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