5 Patron Saints of Work and Modern Situations

It’s hard being the President of a country, or even just the president of a thriving corporate company. You have to simultaneously look over everything: fix problems, listen to your clients and employees, and be the provider of things. Just imagine God doing the same thing. It’s chaotic. So to help Him out with His responsibilities to the world, the Catholic Church has recruited patron saints to act as ‘receptionists’ to sort through your requests.

And lucky you, there is actually a saint for everything. And we mean everything from Patron Saint of the Alcoholics to Patron Saint of Telecommunications. But we’ll shy away from the 10,000 plus recorded saints, and just focus on something that’s close to our hearts—work! Of course, these saints are particularly specific to the Roman Catholic Church. But if you’re not Catholic, it probably wont hurt knowing how these once ordinary people came to become the saints of something, right?

1. St. Bernardine of Siena: Patron Saint of Advertising 

St. Bernardine was a Franciscan priest considered the patron saint of advertisers, an honor that comes from his passionate and highly persuasive preaching. Bernardine didn’t preach much on his early days as being a priest due to his weak, hoarse voice. But after 12 years of focusing on prayers, he went to Milan where he preached with a voice so “strong and commanding” and “words so convincing that the crowd would not let him leave unless he promised to come back.” From then on, he spent most all of his time preaching; he even turned down several offers to be bishop.

2. St. Gabriel the Archangel: Patron Saint of Telecommunications

Anyone who works in communications knows how important delivering messages are. And for the patron saints, St. Gabriel might be the most busiest saint in his era. He was tasked to deliver messages from God to the people, all day, everyday. If only instant messaging would have been invented then, he’d have an easier job.

But no. They’re old school. One of the most vital information he delivered was to a young virgin, and telling her she was going to bear the Son of God. I don’t know about you, but that kind of information literally changed the way of the world. The Archangel certainly exemplifies how to communicate truthfully, with goodness and beauty, and probably the example to follow as we communicate with the world.

3. St. Francis de Sales: Patron Saint of Writers & Journalism

Even journalists have patron saints! St. Francis de Sales was came from a privileged family, he has a doctorate in law and theology, evangelized to Protestants, escaped assassins, and was friends with King Henry IV. He was noted for his deep faith and gentle approach for religion, as well as his writings on spiritual direction and spiritual formation.

His most famous work was 1609’s Introduction to the Devout Life, in which CatholiCity called it “the most popular Catholic ‘self-help’ book of all time.” He became the journalists patron saint because of his drive to help guide people spiritually and convert Calvinists through distributing flyers and books.

4. St. Cajetan: Patron Saint of Job Seekers

St. Cajetan was an Italian Catholic priest who had a great heart for the poor. His compassion for the unfortunate became so great that he decided to set up a bank to offer them trainings and alternative livelihood, and also to offer an alternative to usurers (loan sharks).

That bank is now called Bank of Naples. He was canonized by Pope as Patron Saint of Job Seekers, or those looking for work because of his general concern with those who had difficulties finding a job. So you’ll know who you should direct your job search prayers to when the going get’s tough.

5. St. Jude: Patron Saint of Desperate Situation

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Yes, that time when we were desperate for a sign whether our office crush also had a crush on us, or when we were praying so hard to make it through the next payday alive. But kidding aside, when tough times come, there’s only one saint who understands your sentiments—St. Jude Thaddaeus.

One of the twelve disciples, he became the saint of hopelessness and desperation simply because he was always mistaken for Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus. A person had to be desperate to invoke his name. Another would be due to his New Testament letter which stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances just as their forefathers had done before them; thus, he is the patron saint of desperate cases.

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