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St. Martha is best known for her appearance in the gospels of Luke and John, where she and her sister Mary were entertaining Jesus for a meal. Additionally, Martha and Mary are the sisters of St. Lazarus, the recipient of Christ's first resurrection miracle, and with whom they share a feast day. But Martha is also known for something that doesn't occur in Scripture, that occurred in a small town in modern France known as Tarascon. According to legend, after Pentecost when the apostles spread around to share the gospel message, Martha ended up in Tarascon, where the locals were being terrorized by a fearsome beast--part dragon, part fish, built like an ox but with swordlike teeth. The called this monster the Tarasque. The Tarasque lived in the river, sinking their boats and eating people who tried to cross it. They begged Martha to help, and she agreed. She caught the beast in the midst of devouring a man. Martha lifted her crucifix and sprinkled it with holy water, and the Tara...

St. Agatha Kim A-gi was born to Confucian family. She married young and began to convert to Catholicism because of her sister's testimony, before Christianity was persecuted in Korea. She loved learning about her faith, but couldn't memorize the prayers and liturgy. Instead, she always repeated a simple prayer to Jesus and Mary, no matter what. Though she was only studying to be a Christian and hadn't even been baptized, she was arrested when persecution began. While in prison, Agatha was finally baptized, which redoubled her strength to resist her captors. She refused to turn on her friends, refused to give in to torture, and refused to deny God, instead repeating only her simple prayer to Jesus and Mary. She was executed a martyr for her faith. Lifetime:  1787 to 1839 Region:  Seoul, Korea Patronages:  Korean Christians; Converts; Issues with memory (informal) Iconograpy:  Downturned sword; Lilies; Hanbok dress Feast Day:  May 24

St. Zita of Lucca was born to a poor family and thus was sent to work as a servant for a wealthy family when she was just 12. She got up early to walk to Mass every day, and the family she worked for treated her very poorly, but Zita humbly worked on, always donating a third of her income to the poor. There are many miracles attributed to Zita, usually associated with helping those even less fortunate than her. Once, she was taking extra bread from her master's house, carrying the bread wrapped in her cloak. When some of the other servants called the master on her. When he confronted her, she opened the cloak, but all that was inside it were flowers. Lifetime:  1212 to 1272 Region:  Italy Patronages:  Homemakers; Lost keys; Servers Iconograpy:  Keys; Cloakful of flowers Feast Day:  April 27

St. Margaret of Castello began life with many challenges. She was born blind, experienced dwarfism, and had difficulties walking from an early age. Out of shame, her parents hid her in a small cell in the castle the lived in. They tried to bring her to a monastery in hopes of receiving a miraculous cure for their daughter, but when she was not cured, they abandoned her there. Young Margaret soon got a reputation in the area for her fervor of her faith, and eventually opened a school for the poor children who lived around her. She later joined a Dominican monastery where she lived until her death in her 30s.  Margaret's body was eventually exhumed and her body was found to be incorrupt, despite the decay of her coffin and clothes, and she became beatified in 1609, though she wasn't fully canonized as a saint until 2021. Lifetime:  1287 to 1320 Region:  Modern Italy Patronages:  People with disabilities; The blind Iconograpy:  Dominican habit; Walking stick Feast ...

St. John Climacus, also widely referred to as St. John of the Ladder, is best known for his theological book known as The Ladder of Divine Ascent . The text uses Jacob's ladder as a metaphor for the spiritual life, with each rung on the ladder representing a new virtue gained. The ladder went on to become a popular inspiration for iconography depicting monks ascending a ladder with Jesus at the top welcoming them into eternity.  Lifetime:  ~579 to 649 Region:  Modern Syria; Egypt Patronages:  Poets; Vegetarians; Wales Iconograpy:  Monk; Holding crozier; Literal ladder or copy of Ladder of Divine Ascent Feast Day:  March 30

The best known miracle of St. David of Wales occurred while he was preaching in a large crowd. In order for him to be better heard, a hill grew up under his feet, raising him up in view of all. A white dove also landed on his shoulder as a sign that he was a holy man. David set up numerous monasteries around Wales, and established very strict rules for his monks to live under. He is the patron saint of Wales, and today his feast day is celebrated by dressing in traditional Welsh garb and eating Welsh food. Lifetime:  ~500 to 589 Region:  Modern Wales Patronages:  Poets; Vegetarians; Wales Iconograpy:  Dove; Bishop's vestments; Standing on a hill Feast Day:  March 1

St. Kuriakose was a Syro-Malabar Catholic priest, an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Roman Catholic church that uses the East Syriac rite. He founded schools in his area for the poorest members of the community, and started an Indian Eastern Catholic order of Carmelites for men and for women. He was also a prolific writer, publishing numerous letters, prayers, theological texts, history, and administrative work on the printing press he established. Lifetime:  1805 to 1871 Region:  Kerala, India Patronages:  Media; Literature; Carmelites of Mary Immaculate order Iconograpy:  Carmelite habit; Scripture; Hand lifted in blessing Feast Day:  February 18

As a physician, St. Blaise was a healer of bodies as much as he later became a healer of souls. After he was elected bishop by popular acclaim, he performed many miracles of healing on people who sought his aid as well as on wild animals. Blaise is particularly invoked for the healing of injuries to the throat owing to a miracle where a woman begged for his help as her son was choking on a fishbone, and Blaise cured the boy. St. Blais is one of the fourteen holy helpers , a group of saints venerated in the middle ages for healing from illness. Lifetime: ? to 316 Region:  Modern Turkey Patronages:  Throats; Physicians; Veterinarians; Woolworkers Iconograpy:  Crossed candles; Comb; Animals Feast Day:  February 3 (Western); February 11 (Eastern)

Like many of the virgin martyrs , St. Agnes was born to a wealthy noble family. She was raised Christian, but as she started to become of age, many suitors were attracted to her. Agnes, however, had promised her life to God and intended never to marry. One of those suitors was the governor's son, and enraged by the rejection, turned her in to the Roman government, as Christianity was against the law at that time. The Roman governor tried many ways to get her to change her mind and marry his son, but Agnes refused each time. He tried to put her in chains, but she only smiled radiantly. He had her stripped naked in the street to try to embarrass her, but her hair instantly grew long enough to cover her entire body. Anyone who tried to do harm to her were blinded. The governor, feeling he had exhausted all other options, sentenced her to execution. She was tied to a post to be burned, but the fire would not light. Finally, a soldier cut her throat and Agnes bled to death, still smilin...

St. Lucian of Antioch was a controversial priest during his lifetime and after. His teachings on literalism formed the basis of the Arian heresy , and he was even the teacher of Arius and several of the other leaders in the movement, though Lucius may not have been an Arian himself. He was also excommunicated for much of his life due to his connection to his bishop, who was a proponent of another heresy. However, even his critics during his life agreed that Lucian was a devout and holy man. His corrected mistranslations of Scripture were later used by St. John Chrysostom and St. Jerome, and he was renowned as a teacher, scholar, and piety. Lucian was eventually arrested by Roman officials for his faith, and starved and tortured for nine years, never recanting his faith. On Theophany, he wished desperately to receive holy communion, and some Christians snuck in the bread and wine for him to bless. He was so weak from his abuse and chained by his jailers that he had to bless the element...

St. Stephen is one of the select martyrs mentioned by name in scripture. He was one of the first seven deacons ordained by the church as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. During his life, Stephen performed many miracles and was considered to be very holy. He was martyred by stoning after calling out the sins of the Sanhedrin, a martyrdom witnessed by Saul (who would go on to become St. Paul ). Stephen prayed for his killers' forgiveness as he died. Afterwards, many of the disciples fled the holy land for safety. Lifetime:  ~5 to ~33 Region:  Jerusalem Patronages:  Headaches; Brick layers; Altar servers; Harsh truths Iconograpy:  Stones; Censer; Deacon vestments Feast Day:  December 26 (Western); December 2 (Eastern)

St. Crispina was a mother and noblewoman from northern Africa who began to be persecuted after she refused to offer sacrifice to pagan gods. In an attempt to shame her into recanting her faith, the judge ordered her head to be shaven, but she remained steadfast. After continued failed attempts to get her to convert, the judge ordered her beheading and she was martyred. St. Augustine, who lived in the century following her martyrdom, preached about her example often. Lifetime:  200s to 304 Region:  Numidia (modern Algeria) Patronages:  None defined Iconograpy:  Shaved head; Holding crown; Wearing red Feast Day:  December 5

Bl. Miguel Pro was a Jesuit priest in Mexico at a time when the government was trying to suppress the Catholic faith. Priests were forced to marry, arrested for false crimes, or just killed, and churches were forced to close. Miguel continued to run his church secretly, for which he was arrested. He was released, but soon after he was arrested again and accused of attempting to assassinate a general. Despite witnesses saying he wasn't involved, Miguel was executed for the crime, refusing a blindfold so he could face the firing squad. He held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, and after forgiving the soldiers who were about to kill him, his last words were "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" - "Long live Christ the King!".  Lifetime:  1891 to 1927 Region:  Mexico Patronages:  Martyrs; Those facing persecution Iconograpy:  Rosary; Priest garb; Holding out arms at execution; Viva Cristo Rey banner Feast Day:  November 23

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was born a princess and married another noble when she was a teenager. Shortly after, she became serious about her faith and began to give her wealth to the poor. But after her husband died on his way to war, Elizabeth took it to a new level, taking vows similar to that of a nun. She used her wealth to build a hospital for the poor. Lifetime:  1207 to 1231 Region:  Hungary and Germany Patronages:  Bakers; Nurses; Widows Iconograpy:  Bread; Roses; Crown Feast Day:  November 17

St. Tabitha the Widow, also known by her Greek name Dorcas, appears in Scripture in the book of Acts. She is identified there as a very charitable woman and a devout follower of Jesus who would make clothing for the poor until she fell ill and died. When St. Peter heard of her passing, he visited her town and prayed over her corpse, and she was miraculously restored to life. Lifetime:  1st century Region:  Israel Patronages:  Tailors and seamstresses Iconograpy: Woman holding cuts of fabric Feast Day:  October 25

St. Bruno of Cologne is best known as the founder of the Carthusian order, an order of monks and nuns that combines hermitism with communal living. During his life, Bruno was also a teacher (one of his students would become Pope Urban II) and a chancellor for his archdiocese. He refused to be elevated to bishop in several different dioceses, and regularly spent long periods of time in solitude.  Lifetime:  1030-1101 Region:  Cologne, Germany; Reims, France Patronages:  Germany; Carthusian monastics Iconograpy:  Carthusian habit; Skull; Carthusian statutes Feast Day:  October 6

Padre Pio was canonized in 2002 and is one of the most venerated among Catholic saints today. During his life, Padre Pio experienced the miracle of the stigmata, where wounds similar to those Christ bore in his crucifixion appeared on Pio's body. He suffered the wounds for over 50 years, and despite trying to hide them with mittens, became very well known for the unhealing sores on his hands. He also expressed other miracles in his life such as bilocation and miraculous healing. Lifetime:  1887 to 1968 Region:  Italy Patronages:  Adolescents; Civil defense volunteers Iconograpy:  Gloves or stigmata; Franciscan habit Feast Day:  September 23

Saints Anne and Joachim are the parents of Mary, the Mother of God, and thus the grandparents of Jesus. Not much is known about them, and what is part of the tradition mostly comes from apocryphal texts such as the Gospel of James, as well as the Quran. According to tradition, Anne and Joachim were not able to conceive any children until old age, where God rewarded their piety and they conceived Mary shortly before Joachim's death. Lifetime:  1st century BC Region:  Judea Patronages:  Grandparents; Married couples; Child care providers Iconograpy:  Often portrayed together; Holding young Mary Feast Day:  July 26 (Western); September 9 (Eastern)

Very little is known about St. Sebald's life, but he has been venerated since at least the 11th century in Nuremberg, Germany, where his major shrine is still located. He was a hermit who became a missionary and performed many miracles. His most famous miracle was when he was visiting a poor man in the depths of winter. The fire was low and Sebald and the man grew very cold, so Sebald asked him if he could put more wood on the fire, but the man said he was so poor to keep up such a fire. Sebald then asked for a bundle of icicles, which he threw on the fire. To the man's amazement, the ice burned like logs of wood! Lifetime:  800s or 900s Region:  Modern Nuremberg, Germany Patronages:  Cold weather; Nuremberg Iconograpy: Staff and cap; Burning icicles Feast Day:  August 19

St. Clare of Assisi was one of the first followers of St. Francis of Assisi , and went on to form her own order for women in the style as his Franciscans, known commonly as the Poor Clares. She is known for several miracles - once, when she was sick and unable to attend Mass, the image of the liturgy she was missing appeared on her bedroom wall so that she could still participate (for this reason she is the patron saint of television). Another time, soldiers tried to storm Assisi, she placed a monstrance displaying the Blessed Sacrament and prayed, and following a bright light, the soldiers were overcome with fear and fled the city. Lifetime:  1194 to 1253 Region:  Assisi, Rome (modern Italy) Patronages:  Eye disease; Needle workers; Television Iconograpy:  Monstrance or lamp sending out a beam of light; Poor Clares habit Feast Day:  August 11