What are saints and why pray to saints?  

Saints are persons who have died and have gone to heaven. They lived a life of heroic virtue because of their love for Jesus Christ. The saints are the good and faithful servants of the Lord (cf. Matthew 25:21), they are the blessed ones who have inherited the kingdom (cf. Matthew 25:34).

Christians need to be reminded of the saints because although saints are human persons like us, they inspire us to live a life of heroic virtue out of love for Jesus Christ. We ask the saints to pray for us so that we too can live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We can always pray directly to God, but God has given us the saints to be our helpers. In this life, God always sends people to help us. In the same way, God also sends angels and saints to help us, even if we don’t see them with our eyes.   

Saints of the Month

St. John the Baptist
m. 28–29 AD

Saint John the Baptist (martyred 28–29 AD) Feast Days: June 24 and August 29 The voice of one crying in the wilderness (From a sermon by Saint Augustine) The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it ...

St. Lawrence
225-258 AD

Saint Lawrence (225-258 AD) Feast Day: August 10 He ministered the sacred blood of Christ (From a sermon by Saint Augustine) The Roman Church commends to us today the anniversary of the triumph of Saint Lawrence. For on this day he trod the furious pagan world underfoot and flung aside ...

St. Monica
331-387 AD

Saint Monica (331-387 AD) Feast Day: August 27 Let us gain eternal wisdom (from the Confessions of Saint Augustine, Lib. 9, 10-12) The day was now approaching when my mother Monica would depart from this life; you know that day, Lord, though we did not. She and I happened to ...

St. Augustine
354-430 AD

Saint Augustine (354-430 AD) Feast Day: August 28 Whether they like it or not, those who are outside the Church are our brothers We entreat you, brothers, as earnestly as we are able, to have charity, not only for one another, but also for those who are outside the Church ...

St. Caesarius of Arles
470-542 AD

Saint Caesarius of Arles (470-542 AD) Feast Day: August 27 Divine and human mercy Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. My brothers and sisters, sweet is the thought of mercy, but even more so is mercy itself. It is what all men hope for, but unfortunately, not ...

St. Maximus the Confessor
580-662 AD

Saint Maximus the Confessor (580-662 AD) Feast Day: August 13 The mercy of God to the penitent God’s will is to save us, and nothing pleases him more than our coming back to him with true repentance. The heralds of truth and the ministers of divine grace have told us ...

St. Bernard
1090-1153 AD

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153 AD) Feast Day: August 20 That they might guard you in all your ways He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy; his wonderful works are for the children of ...

St. Dominic
1170-1221 AD

Saint Dominic (1170-1221 AD) Feast Day: August 8 He spoke with God or about God Dominic possessed such great integrity and was so strongly motivated by divine love, that without a doubt he proved to be a bearer of honor and grace. He was a man of great equanimity, except ...

St. Clare of Assisi
1194-1253 AD

Saint Clare (1194-1253 AD) Feast Day: August 11 Behold the poverty, humility and love of Christ Happy indeed is she who is granted a place at the divine banquet, for she may cling with her inmost heart to him whose beauty eternally awes the blessed hosts of heaven; to him ...

St. Alphonsus Liguori
1696-1787 AD

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787 AD) Feast Day: August 1 On the love of Christ All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ our God, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture ...

Saint John Vianney
1786-1859 AD

Saint John Vianney (1786-1859 AD) Feast Day: August 4 The glorious duty of man: to pray and to love (From the Catechetical Instructions by Saint John Vianney) My little children, reflect on these words: the Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts, then ought to be ...

St. Pius X
1835-1914 AD

Saint Pius X (1835-1914 AD) Feast Day: August 21 The song of the Church The collection of psalms found in Scripture, composed as it was under divine inspiration, has, from the very beginnings of the Church, shown a wonderful power of fostering devotion among Christians as they offer to God ...

St. Maximilian Kolbe
1894-1941 AD

Saint Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941 AD) Feast Day: August 14 Apostolic zeal for the salvation and sanctification of souls The burning zeal for God’s glory that motivates you fills my heart with joy. It is sad for us to see in our own time that indifferentism in its many forms is ...

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