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When I first converted to the Catholic faith, I was very uncomfortable with the prayer to St. Michael. In my mind, there was something strange (or rather, even stranger) about praying for the intercession of an angel over the intercession of the saints. Initially, I refused to participate in the prayer, which at my parish is said at the end of each Mass. Eventually, though, I opted to take a childlike submission to the church's teachings for a short while, and that humility was greatly rewarded. Now, the prayer to St. Michael is one of the most commonly used tools in my arsenal against sin, and I have come to realize the power of his special place as one of the protectors of humanity.   Lifetime:  Eternity Region:  Heaven & Earth Patronages:  Grocers; Mariners; Police; Soldiers Iconograpy:  Angel with a sword; Defeating Lucifer / a dragon; Scales Feast Day:  September 29 (with other Archangels) Michael is one of only three named angels in scripture, an...

St. Simeon the Stylite demonstrates a dedication to reliance on God to the extreme -- he spent most of his life atop a pillar, without shelter from the elements or any possessions. His unusual approach to asceticism was so inspiring that it kicked off a centuries-long trend of "pillar saints" following in his footsteps. Lifetime:  390-459 Region:  Syria Patronages:  Shepherds; Those who have left the church Iconograpy:  Atop a pillar; Habit; Long unkempt hair and beard Feast Day:  September 1 (Eastern Catholic & Orthodox) / January 5 (Roman Catholic) Young Simeon became enamored with the Christian faith when he was 13, after hearing a gospel reading of the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the meek", etc.). He joined a monastery before he was 16 and began pursuing an ascetic life immediately, giving away everything he could and restricting his niceties far beyond that which his fellow monks required -- or even found appropriate. It wasn't long before Simeon was asked...

Moses the Strong, also called Moses the Black and Moses the Ethiopian, is a story of one of the greatest conversions of heart. Moses turning from his life of murder and robbery to an advocate for non-violence and humility shows that no matter what our struggles, there is hope for us all. Lifetime:  330-405 Region:  Ethiopia; Egypt Patronages:  Africa; Nonviolence Iconograpy:  Walking stick; parable scroll; leaking sack of sand Feast Day:  August 28 Little is known about Moses' early life, but he is believed to have been born in Ethiopia. In his youth, he became a slave or servant of an Egyptian governmental official, where his notoriety began. Moses' master found Moses too dishonest and violent, and after Moses was accused of murder, he was thrown out and exiled. Moses quickly turned his violent energy and large body to crime, joining a band of robbers. As a bandit, Moses regularly assaulted travelers, stole their belongings, and may well have committed addition...

 Maxmilian Kolbe is one of the most inspirational modern saints. He was referred to by Pope St. John Paul II as "the patron saint of our difficult century" in reference to the 1900s.  Often, many of us wonder what we would do if we faced a difficult situation, such as taking on risk for declaring our faith, or offering our own life for another's. Maxmilian Kolbe faced the Nazi threat in his occupied country of Poland and stood up for what is right, at the cost of his own life. Lifetime:  January 8, 1894 - August 14, 1941 Region:  Poland Patronages:  Prisoners; Journalists; Families Iconograpy:  Franciscan robes; Nazi concentration camp prisoner uniform; Blue  Knight of The Immaculate magazine Feast Day:  August 14 Born Rajmund Kolbe in the Kingdom of Poland, Maximilian received his better-known religious name upon joining the Minorite branch of the Franciscan order. In his monastery, Maximilian founded an evangelization movement which is now a gl...

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was the first Native American canonized by the church. Her life was tragically short and filled with suffering, but the Lily of the Mohawks, as she is sometimes called, brought devotion that astounded those around her. Lifetime:  1656-1680 Region:  New York, USA; Kahnawake (near Montreal), Canada Patronages:  The environment; Native Americans; People in exile Iconograpy:  Lily; Turtle; Wooden cross Feast Day:  July 14 When Kateri was only 4, both her parents and her brother were killed by smallpox. Kateri herself also suffered from the disease, but survived, though her face bore permanent scars from it and her vision was damaged. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in another Mohawk village.  Kateri was ostracized in her new village for her scars, and though her new family took care of her and helped her learn the skills expected of women in their village, Kateri had few friends and spent much of her time alone. At 10, Ka...

When I was joining the Catholic church, I was torn between choosing as my confirmation saint either Benedict or Brigid . Each appealed to a different side of me: Brigid to hospitality, creativity, and love of nature, and Benedict to scholarship, work, and my desire for clear rules. I ended up choosing Brigid, but Saint Benedict is still very special to me.  Lifetime:  480-543 Region:  Roman empire (modern Italy) Patronages:  Students; Europe; Against poison Iconograpy:  Black robes; Book of the Rule; Raven Feast Day:  July 11 Like many saints, especially those in the early church, Benedict grew up wealthy and learned young that the things of the world couldn't bring lasting fulfillment. According to tradition, Benedict also had a twin sister, Saint Scholastica, though there is some debate as to whether they were actual twins or it was used more abstractly, as in "spiritual twins".  While studying in the Roman equivalent of college, Benedict began to se...

In light of recent events, I wanted to add an extra bonus minifig this month. July 9 will be, if he becomes canonized, the feast day of Venerable Augustus Tolton, the first Black American to become a Catholic priest. Lifetime:  1851-1897 Region:  Chicago, Illinois Patronages (presumed):  Black Americans; Against racism; Freed slaves Iconograpy:  Broken chain; Cassock; Biretta Feast Day:  July 9 Augustus Tolton grew up a slave in Missouri. During the Civil War, his family escaped across the Mississippi River, making them all free people. However, that did not mean their lives would be free of the effects of racism. Quite the contrary; his entire life would be plagued by injustice because of the color of his skin.  As Augustus grew up in Illinois, he joined the Catholic church through the school he attended. During his time in school, Augustus discerned a call to the priesthood. However, he was met with a huge barrier: no seminary in the United States would a...