Use this list of saint names for boys, their meanings, their Feast Days, and information about their lives, for naming babies, or choosing a Confirmation Saint. This is a supplement to Terry Modica’s book Daily Prayers with the Saints, which is available for download in an ebook from Catholic Digital Resources.
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Aaron
Meaning: lofty mountain
Brother of Moses and High Priest of the ancient Israelites (14th century B.C.)
Abraham, Abram
Meaning: father of many
Saint Abraham is the founding father of the Jewish people. God set into motion the plan of salvation by testing him. (2000 B.C.)
☆ Feast Day: December 20
🙏 Prayer
Adam, Adan
Meaning: first of the Earth
Adam is the name of the first man, created by God to be the father of the human race.
Adrian
Meaning: brave
Saint Adrian of Canterbury was a highly successful missionary in pagan England, and a great teacher of Bible study. (Born between 630 and 637, died 710)
☆ Feast Day: January 9
🙏 Prayer
Alan, Alain, Allan, Allen
Meaning: Harmony
Our Lady told Blessed Alan de la Roche to revive the ancient Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. He was a Dominican Father in Brittany, a theologian famous for his sermons. (Born 1428, died 1475)
☆ Feast Day: September 8
Alban
Meaning: white
Saint Alban was converted by a priest whom he sheltered from persecutions and rescued by changing clothes with him. Patron saint of converts. (Died 305)
☆ Feast Day: June 20
🙏 Prayer
Albert
Meaning: illustrious
Saint Albert the Great was a bishop who introduced Greek and Arabic science to medieval Europe, raising understanding of botany, biology, physics, and other studies of nature. A scientist himself, he wrote many books on these subjects. (Born 1206, died 1280)
☆ Feast Day: November 15
🙏 Prayer
Alexander, Alistair, Alec, Alex, Alejandro, Sacha, Sandor
Meaning: helper of people
Saint Alexander Sauli became a bishop in a diocese where faith had died. Clergy and laity knew little about scripture and Church teachings. With the help of three friends, he inspired the people to new faith, corrected abuses, rebuilt broken down churches, and founded colleges and seminaries. (Born 1534, died 1592)
☆ Feast Day: October 11
🙏 Prayer
Alexis, Alex, Alexei, Alexius, Sasha
Meaning: helper
Saint Alexius grew up wealthy but enjoyed helping beggars. He wanted to devote himself to God, but his parents arranged a marriage for him. On his wedding day his fiancee agreed to let him follow his vocation. Our Lady spoke from a picture at church, pointing him out and calling him the “Man of God”. (Born 4th Century, died 412)
☆ Feast Day: July 17
🙏 Prayer
Aloysius, Louis, Alois, Lewis, Ludwig, Luigi, Luis
Meaning: famous warrior
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, at age 16, gave up his right to be a prince to grow in sanctity through the Jesuit discipline. He died at age 23, because he contracted a disease from the sick people he had helped. Patron saint of youth. (Born 1568, died 1591)
☆ Feast Day: June 21
🙏 Prayer
Alphonse
Meaning: eager for battle
Saint Alphonsus Liguori was a civil and a canon lawyer who made it a point to always attend Mass before heading to court. His promised that he would never waste a moment of his life, and held fast to it for over 90 years, even when his rheumatism hurt so much that he could barely move. (Born 1696, died 1787)
☆ Feast Day: August 1
🙏 Prayer
Ambrose
Meaning: immortal
Saint Ambrose of Milan was called “the honey-tongued doctor” because of his gift of preaching and his reputation as an expert on Church doctrine. Words were very important to him and he said, “Let no word escape your lips in vain or be uttered without depth of meaning.” (Born 337, died 397)
☆ Feast Day: December 7
🙏 Prayer
Angel, Angelo
Meaning: angel
Saint Angelus of Jerusalem was born to Jewish converts and learned to respect Jews as well as to help them accept Jesus as the Messiah. After assisting in the formation of the first Carmelite house, he was sent to Italy where he converted many Sicilian Jews. (Born 1185, died 1220)
☆ Feast Day: May 5
🙏 Prayer
Andrew, Andre, Andreas, Andres, Drew
Meaning: manly
Saint Andrew was the first Apostle. He enthusiastically led other people to You, starting with his brother, Saint Peter. Saint John Chrysostom said in a homily about these saints, “To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, loving kinship and sincere affection.”
☆ Feast Day: November 30
🙏 Prayer
Anselm
Meaning: divine helmet
Saint Anselm of Canterbury actively fought against slavery in England, even getting politically involved and obtaining legislation that made it illegal to sell human beings. (Born 1033, died 1109)
☆ Feast Day: April 21
🙏 Prayer
Anthony, Tony, Anton, Antonio, Antony
Meaning: priceless
As a bishop, Saint Anthony Mary Gianelli founded the Missionaries of Saint Alphonsus. (born 1789, died 1846)
☆ Feast Day: June 7
🙏 PrayerSaint Anthony of Padua was always a ready helper in time of need. Living as a hermit, he left his cave only to attend Mass and sweep the nearby monastery. When he filled in for a scheduled speaker who failed to keep his commitment, his reputation as a great preacher spread widely. Patron saint for finding lost articles. (Born 1195, died 1231)
☆ Feast Day: June 13
🙏 PrayerSaint Anthony Claret was convinced that the Church should use the power of the printed word to evangelize the world. (Born 1807, died 1870)
☆ Feast Day: October 24
🙏 Prayer
Arnold
Meaning: strength of an eagle
Saint Arnold was confessor in the court of Charlemagne who was noted for his charity to the poor. (Born and died 8th century)
☆ Feast Day: July 8
Feast Day: Augustine, Feast Day: August, Austin, Augustin
Meaning: majestic
When Saint Augustine was a young adult, he rejected his upbringing, converted to a false religion and lived immorally. It was a lifestyle he did not want to give up, but he finally realized that nothing truly satisfied him except friendship with God. (Born 354, died 430)
☆ Feast Day: August 28
🙏 Prayer
Barnabas, Barnaby
Meaning: son of consolation
Saint Barnabas was converted shortly after Pentecost. He gave up all his possessions to detach from the world and follow the way of Christ. His helpful, compassionate and optimistic nature inspired other new Christians, including Saint Paul. (Died 61)
☆ Feast Day: June 11
🙏 Prayer
Bartholomew, Bart, Bartel, Barry
Meaning: son of Talmai
Saint Bartholomew was an Apostle whose greatest desire was to know the truth. His initial reaction to Jesus was, “How can anything good come from Nazareth?” But when he met Jesus, he wanted to become one a disciple. Jesus said of him, “Here is a man in whom there is no deception.” (Born and died 1st century)
☆ Feast Day: August 24
🙏 Prayer
Basil, Vasily, Vassily
Meaning: royal
Saint Basil the Great practiced law but decided to become a monk. He founded a monastery which he directed. He wrote a famous monastic rule that lasted longer than any others in the East. Patron of hospital administrators. (Born 329, died 379)
☆ Feast Day: January 2
🙏 Prayer
Bede
Meaning: life
Saint Bede the Venerable combined contemplative prayer with theological studies, always hungry to discover more of the riches of the Faith. He especially admired the spirituality of the Blessed Mother. (Born 672, 735)
☆ Feast Day: May 25
🙏 Prayer
Benedict, Benoit, Bennett, Benito
Meaning: blessing
Saint Benedict believed in excelling and doing his very best to honor God. When he founded twelve monasteries, the demand for spiritual excellence in his Monastic Rule was so frustrating to lazy monks, some of them tried to poison him, but he blessed the drink and consumed it with no ill effects. (Born 480, died 547)
☆ Feast Day: July 11
🙏 PrayerAfter Saint Benedict Biscop made a pilgrimage to Rome, he added Roman elements of worship to English liturgies and thus became the patron saint of musicians and painters. (Born 629, died 690)
☆ Feast Day: January 12
🙏 Prayer
Benjamin, Benson
Meaning: son of the right hand
Saint Benjamin was a Deacon who was imprisoned for his faith. Released on condition that he never preach about Christ again, he refused to comply and neglected no opportunity to talk about Jesus. He was martyred. (Born 329, died 424)
☆ Feast Day: March 31
Bernard, Barnard
Meaning: bold as a bear
Saint Bernard used to ask himself every morning, “Why have I come here?” and he answered, “To lead a holy life.” He valued using all talents, resources, time, experiences, hurts, and spiritual growth for God so that no day would be wasted. (Born 1090, died 1153)
☆ Feast Day: August 20
🙏 PrayerSaint Bernard of Menthon protected travelers from thieves in the Alpine Mountains and established hospices for people making pilgrimages to Rome. The big dogs that are trained to search for missing victims in the mountains were named after him. (Born 1020, died 1081)
☆ Feast Day: May 28
🙏 Prayer
Blaise, Blas
Meaning: babbler
Saint Blaise was a physician who healed humans and animals. While imprisoned for his faith, he healed his fellow prisoners and saved a child who was choking on a fish bone. Thus he became the patron of throat ailments, colds and viruses. (Died 316)
☆ Feast Day: February 3
🙏 Prayer
Bonaventure
Meaning: good attempt
Saint Bonaventure was one of the greatest thinkers of the Middle Ages. He was exceptionally gifted in his soul, mind, and personality. (Born 1221, died 1274)
☆ Feast Day: July 15
🙏 Prayer
Boniface
Meaning: doer of good things
Saint Boniface left everything that was familiar to him to evangelize the German tribes and reorganize the Church in France. He traveled continuously, always willing to deal with change for the sake of the Lord. (Born 675, died 754)
☆ Feast Day: June 5
🙏 Prayer
Brendan, Brandon, Brennan
Meaning: sword
Saint Brendan and a crew of other Irish monks voyaged across the Atlantic to America in a ship made of oxhides — 400 years before the Vikings and almost 1000 years before Christopher Columbus! (Born 486, died 575)
☆ Feast Day: May 16
Brian, Bryan, Bryant
Meaning: strong
Saint Alexander Briant was an English Jesuit whom people called “the beautiful youth” because of his handsome looks and purity of heart. When he was martyred, he felt no pain during the tortures. He said: “Whether this that I say be miraculous or no, God knows.” He was 25 when he died. (Born 1556, died 1581)
☆ Feast Day: December 1
Brice, Bruce
Meaning: breach
Saint Brice was a self-centered, overly ambitious cleric who repented. But when he became a bishop, he reverted to his old ways and neglected his duties. When exiled, he repented again and completely changed his attitude. Resuming as Bishop, he served with such humility, holiness and ability that the people venerated him as a saint before he died. (Born 370, died 444)
☆ Feast Day: November 13
Bruno
Meaning: brown
Saint Bruno knew that cheerfulness comes from serving God with hard work, fasting, and continual prayers. He said, “Try and you will see how rewarding it is to serve God with all the love of your heart.” He felt great concern for those who lived in Satan. (Born 1030, died 1101)
☆ Feast Day: October 6
🙏 PrayerSaint Bruno of Segni was an avid defender of orthodox Christian teachings. One of the doctrines he strongly promoted was the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. (Born 1045, died 1123)
☆ Feast Day: July 18
🙏 Prayer
Camillus, Camille, Camillo
Meaning: temple servant
Saint Camillus de Lellis repented from a wild-spent youth and gambling addiction to serve God, and although he was incurably diseased, he took care of others who were sick. He founded the Congregation of the Servants of the Sick, believing that the suffering people were living images of Jesus. (Born 1550, died 1614)
☆ Feast Day: July 14
Carl, Charles, Carlo, Carlos, Carroll, Cary, Karl, Karol
Meaning: strong
Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions were the first twenty-two black martyrs of Uganda, Africa. Many of them had been baptized only a short time before risking their lives in faithfulness to Christ. (Died 1886)
☆ Feast Day: June 3
🙏 PrayerSaint Charles Borromeo served as a bishop in a diocese that was plagued by superstitions and other faulty religious practices, but he resolved the problems by issuing wise rulings, instituting them with kindness, and setting an example through his own holy life. He learned from having a severe speech impediment that “we are all weak, but if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily.” (Born 1538, died 1584)
☆ Feast Day: November 4
🙏 Prayer
Casimir, Cass, Casper
Meaning: peaceful
Saint Casimir of Poland was the son of a king and held the high office of Grand Duke. He hated luxury and the temptations of the flesh. He secretly did many penances to keep himself focused on the growth of his spirit. (Born 1458, died 1484)
☆ Feast Day: March 4
🙏 Prayer
Chad
Meaning: martial
When Saint Chad became a bishop, he put tremendous effort into understanding ecclesiastical truth and maintaining purity of doctrine. He devoted much time to the activities of humility and self-sacrifice. When he traveled, he went by foot rather than by horseback, in imitation of the apostles. This spirituality made his preaching of the Gospel powerful and effective. (Born 620, died 672)
☆ Feast Day: March 3
Charles, Carl, Carlo, Carlos, Carroll, Cary, Karl, Karol
Meaning: strong
Saint Charles Borromeo served as a bishop in a diocese that was plagued by superstitions and other faulty religious practices, but he resolved the problems by issuing wise rulings, instituting them with kindness, and setting an example through his own holy life. He learned from having a severe speech impediment that “we are all weak, but if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily.” (Born 1538, died 1584)
☆ Feast Day: November 4
Christian
Meaning: anointed, belonging to Christ
Jesus Christ is your patron! With this name and a heart that is devoted to Christ, you have the whole body of Christ — the Communion of Saints — as your prayer partners.
Christopher, Cristobal, Chris
Meaning: Christ-bearer
Saint Christopher died a martyr during the reign of Decius in the third century. However, he was quite possibly only a legend created by popular story-telling, so he is no longer on the official list of Saints. He is known for carrying travelers across a stream (which is why he is the patron of travelers), including a child who was surprisingly heavy. It turned out that the child was Jesus bearing the weight of the world. (Died 251)
☆ Feast Day: July 25
Clair, Clare, Clarus, Clarence
Meaning: clear
Saint Clarus was a priest who became a Benedictine monk and lived as a hermit. When he resisted the advances of a noblewoman, she had him killed. (Died 875)
☆ Feast Day: November 4
Claude, Claudius
Meaning: lame
Saint Claud was a holy priest who served as a Benedictine Abbot and later a bishop, though he preferred not to have such status. In the 12th century (400 years later), his body was discovered to be incorrupt. His burial place became a favorite place for pilgrimages, and miraculous cures occurred there. (Born 607, died 696 or 699)
☆ Feast Day: June 6
Clement
Meaning: merciful
Saint Clement knew the Apostles personally before they were martyred. As pope, he challenged his people to follow their examples. He said, “We ought to put aside vain and useless concerns and should consider what is good, pleasing and acceptable in the sight of Him who made us.” (Born 35. Died 97 or 101)
☆ Feast Day: November 23
🙏 Prayer
Colin, Columban, Colman, Colum, Cullen
Meaning: dove
Saint Columban moved from place to place preaching the Gospel, forming a community who accompanied him, and being a witness of humility and love through his own life. He often took time out to be alone with God in the forest, and the animals obeyed his voice. (Born 543, died 615)
☆ Feast Day: November 23
Cornelius, Connor, Conor, Cornel, Neal, Neil
Meaning: horn
Saint Cornelius was pope during terrible persecutions, and he anguished over the sufferings of his people. Saint Cyprian was his friend and said to him, “Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love.” (Died 253)
☆ Feast Day: September 16
🙏 Prayer
Crispin
Meaning: curly haired
Saints Crispin and Crispinian were brothers who promoted Your kingdom by day and supported their families by night as shoemakers. (Died 286)
☆ Feast Day: October 25
🙏 Prayer
Cyril, Cyr, Kyril
Meaning: lordly
Saint Cyril of Alexandria defended the Blessed Virgin Mary’s title as Mother of God, at a time when there was much persecution against her. He called her “Hail, Mary, Mother of God, venerable treasure of the whole universe.” (Born 376, died 444)
☆ Feast Day: June 27
🙏 PrayerSaint Cyril of Jerusalem was the bishop of Jerusalem when the persecutions ended and great heresies began. This new enemy tried to force him to accept false teachings about the Church, but he stood firm. When anti-Christians tried to prove that Jesus were wrong in His prophecies, Cyril’s confidence came from knowing that Jesus would prove Himself right. (Born 315, died 386)
☆ Feast Day: March 18
🙏 Prayer
Damian, Damiano, Damien, Damon
Meaning: tamer
Saints Cosmas and Damian were twins who became excellent doctors. They refused payment for their medical care because they believed that when they treated patients, they were also caring for Jesus. By conveying great love, they won the hearts of their patients as they taught them about the Faith. (Born 3rd century, died c. 303 or 287)
☆ Feast Day: September 26
🙏 Prayer
Daniel, Dan, Niel
Meaning: the Lord is judge
Saint Daniel and four companions were Egyptians who visited Christians condemned to do hard labor in the mines during persecutions, to comfort them. They were arrested for this, tortured and beheaded. (Died 309)
☆ Feast Day: February 16
David
Meaning: beloved
Saint David of Wales received a vision from Jesus that sent him to Jerusalem where anti-Christian sentiment was strong. By relying on God, he preached so powerfully that he converted many who had been attacking the Faith. (Born 500, died 589)
☆ Feast Day: March 1
🙏 Prayer
Denis, Dennis, Dion, Sidney, Sydney
Meaning: wild, frenzied
Saint Denis (also called Dionysius) was the first bishop of Paris and the Apostle of France. (Died 272)
☆ Feast Day: October 9
Dominic, Domingo, Dominick
Meaning: I belong to the Lord
Saint Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order, worked hard against heresies. When people refused to accept the truth, he grew discouraged, but the Blessed Mother appeared and asked him to pray the Rosary daily and to teach it to others. Through the Rosary, the heresies were conquered. (Born 1770, died 1221)
☆ Feast Day: August 8
🙏 Prayer
Donald
Meaning: dark stranger
Saint Donald had nine daughters, and when his wife died, the family formed a religious community, which he directed. In his native Scotland, natural features such as hills are called the “Nine Maidens” in memory of his daughters. (Died 8th century)
☆ Feast Day: July 15
Edmund
Meaning: happy protection
Saint Edmund of East Anglia was a king who was captured by pagan invaders. The enemy wanted him to sign a treaty that would harm his country and Church, but he chose to die rather than to grieve God and hurt his people. (Born 841, died 869 or 870)
☆ Feast Day: November 20
🙏 Prayer
Edward
Meaning: prosperous guardian
Saint Edward the Confessor was one of the most popular English kings, because he trusted in God and greatly loved his people. By relying on God, he was able to rule wisely and maintain peace. (Born 1003, died 1066)
☆ Feast Day: October 13
🙏 Prayer
Edwin
Meaning: prosperous friend
Saint Edwin was a pagan king who listened to a Christian preacher publicly explain the Gospel. He accepted salvation, renounced his worship of the gods, and commanded his high priest to destroy their altars and temples. (Born 586, died 633)
☆ Feast Day: October 12
🙏 Prayer
Elias, Elijah
Meaning: the Lord is God
Saint Elias ministered with Saint Daniel to Christians condemned to do hard labor in the mines during persecutions, to comfort them. When they were arrested for their beliefs, Elias bravely shared his mystical insights, even though this led to his death. (Died 309)
☆ Feast Day: February 16
Emil, Emile, Emilian, Emilion, Emilius
Meaning: excelling
Saint Gregory the Great had three aunts who led prayerful religious lives in their father’s house: Tarsilla, Saint Emiliana, and Gordiana. They encouraged each another to growth in holiness. (Born 6th century, died 594)
☆ Feast Day: December 24
Emmanuel, Immanuel, Manuel
Meaning: God with us
Jesus Christ is your patron! Having a name associated with the joy of Christmas is a reminder that you are called to bring Christ to all those around you.
☆ Feast Day: December 25
Eric, Erick, Erich
Meaning: ever-ruler
Saint Eric was a king of Sweden who codified Swedish law under Gospel principles. He used his power and authority to spread the Gospel through his kingdom. (Born 1120, died 1160)
☆ Feast Day: May 18
Ernest
Meaning: serious
Saint Ernest was the abbot of a Benedictine Abbey in Germany. He went on the Crusades, preached in Arabia and Persia, and was captured by the Moors. He was tortured to death in Mecca. (Died 1148)
☆ Feast Day: November 7
Eugene, Gene
Meaning: well born
Saint Eugene I was a priest who had served in several different positions in the Church and became pope. He was widely known for his charity and holiness. (Died 657)
☆ Feast Day: June 2
Eustace
Meaning: fruitful
Saint Eustace served as a parish priest until he was elected abbot. He later became the apostolic legate to England for Pope Innocent III. (Died 118)
☆ Feast Day: September 7
Fabian
Meaning: prosperous farmer
Saint Fabian was filled with zeal and wisdom. As a layman and farmer, he entered Rome on the day a new pope was being elected. By God’s design, a dove flew into the proceedings and landed on his head, an obvious sign that God had anointed him to serve as pope. Surprised but obedient, Saint Fabian said yes. (Born 200, died 250)
☆ Feast Day: January 20
🙏 Prayer
Felix, Felician, Felicio
Meaning: happy
Saint Felix of Nola was a priest ordained by and worked with Saint Maximus of Nola. When Maximus was dying, Felix hid him from soldiers in a vacant building. God used a spider to spin a web over the door, fooling the soldiers into thinking no one had entered there. (Died 250)
Feast Day: January 14
Ferdinand, Fernando, Ferde, Fernand, Hernando
Meaning: adventurous
Saint Ferdinand III of Castile was a great administrator who had very deep faith. His friendship with God inspired him to be a just ruler, and he pardoned those who attacked his throne. (Born 1199, died 1252)
☆ Feast Day: May 30
🙏 Prayer
Fidelis, Fidel
Meaning: faithful
Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen was a lawyer who grew disgusted by the greed, corruption, and lack of interest in justice by his colleagues. He changed careers to join the priesthood. He gave away his worldly wealth to poor seminarians and other needy people. (Born 1577, died 1622)
☆ Feast Day: April 24
🙏 Prayer
Francis, Frank, Franz, Francesco, Francisco, Franco, Francois
Meaning: free
When Saint Francis of Assisi turned his life over to God, he gave away his possessions, including the clothes on his back. He discovered that this freed him to experience His love more fully, so he said, “Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin.” (Born 1181, died 1226)
☆ Feast Day: October 4
🙏 PrayerSaint Francis Xavier was sent to evangelize the unexplored Far East. This was made difficult by sciatica, but he offered up his pain for the mission and he received many supernatural gifts, including prophecy, healing, calming storms, and raising people from the dead. He baptized more than 40,000 converts. (Born 1506, died 1552)
☆ Feast Day: December 3
🙏 Prayer
Frederick, Fred, Federico, Frederic, Friedrich
Meaning: peace-ruler
Saint Frederick was a bishop who established order throughout his diocese. He sent eager, faith-filled and holy missionaries to the places where paganism still existed. He was good at caring for the spiritual growth of converts. (Born 790, died 838)
☆ Feast Day: July 18
Gabriel
Meaning: God’s strength
God had given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth. Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News; he can help us hear God’s voice and to teach us the truth. (Born 1066, died 115)
☆ Feast Day: September 29
🙏 Prayer
Geoffrey, Godfrey, Jeffrey, Jeff, Gottfried, Goffredo
Meaning: God’s peace
Saint Godfrey was the abbot of a rundown abbey who restored it to good discipline and rebuilt it into a flourishing community. (Born 1066, died 115)
☆ Feast Day: November 8
George, Georges, Giorgio, Igor, Jorge, Jurgen
Meaning: farmer
Saint George was nicknamed the “Victory Bringer” because he relied on God’s power to defeat evil wherever he went. Starting as a soldier in the army, he converted and became a soldier for Christ. Laying down the world’s armor by giving his wealth to the poor, he forever after carried the shield of faith and won many victories for those who sought God’s help. (Born 320, died 361)
☆ Feast Day: April 23
🙏 Prayer
Gerald, Geraldo, Garcia, Jerold
Meaning: spear rule
Saint Gerald of Aurillac was a Count who gave away his possessions and dedicated himself to God and ministry. Though he never joined an order, he lived as if he did. He built a church and abbey on his property. (Born 855 or 856, died 909 or 918)
☆ Feast Day: October 13
Gerard, Gerhard, Gerado, Girado, Girard
Meaning: strong spear
Saint Gerard of Brogne joined a monastery in order to find a quiet, peaceful place to spend his time in prayer, although he willingly left his solitude to help others become stronger in their faith. He believed that if people realized the joy that came from praying, they would pray more often. (Born 885, died 959)
☆ Feast Day: October 3
🙏 Prayer
Germain
Meaning: kin
Saint Germaine Cousin was a severely abused and neglected child. She turned to God, who taught her how to forgive her family and grow in holiness. She entrusted the sheep she tended to God’s care while she went to daily Mass, and they were never attacked by wolves. One day when the rains flooded the river, a villager saw the water part so she could get to Mass. She died from her mistreatments at age 22; forty years later her body was exhumed and found incorrupted. (Born 1579, died 1601)
☆ Feast Day: June 15
Gervais, Gervas, Jarvis, Jervis
Meaning: spear servant
Saint Gervasius was one of the first martyrs of Milan. He is the patron of haymakers and is invoked for the discovery of thieves. His relics were discovered by Saint Ambrose, who was guided to them by a vision. (Born 2nd or 3rd century, died 180 or 303)
☆ Feast Day: June 19
Gilbert
Meaning: bright pledge
Saint Gilbert of Sempringham was exiled to Paris by his father to study the arts because he refused to become a soldier. When he returned home, he opened a school for poor children, giving them special training in religion. When his parents died, he spent his inheritance by founding monasteries and helping the poor. (Born 1083, died 1189)
☆ Feast Day: February 4
Giles
Meaning: pledge
Blessed Giles Mary-of-Saint-Joseph served as a lowly porter in a monastery. He accepted his work with humility out of devotion to You. When assigned the responsibility of distributing food and alms to the poor, he gave generously yet never ran out, thanks to the aid of Saint Joseph.
☆ Feast Day: February 7
🙏 PrayerMany of the people who listened to Saint Giles preach were handicapped beggars, so he built hospitals and safe houses for them that were handicap-accessible. Due to his own damaged leg and his concern for the crippled paupers who needed alms for survival, he became the patron saint of beggars and the handicapped.
☆ Feast Day: February 12
🙏 Prayer
Gregory
Meaning: watchman
Saint Gregory the Great was the first pope who referred to himself as “the servant of the servants of God,” and all the popes since then have used the same title. (Born 540, died 604)
☆ Feast Day: September 3
🙏 Prayer
Guy, Guido
Meaning: guide
Saint Guy of Anderlecht was born in poverty, and he believed this was a holy condition that God wanted for him. Once, he invested in an sea expedition in the hopes of getting rich. The ship sank, and Guy took it as a sign. He walked to Rome in penance for his greed, then to Jerusalem where he worked for a while as a guide to pilgrims. (Born 950, died 1012)
☆ Feast Day: September 12
Harvey, Herve
Meaning: warrior
Saint Harvey was blind, but this did not stop him from serving as a good abbot for his community. He was famous for miracles. (Born 521, died 556)
☆ Feast Day: June 17
Henry, Hank, Harry, Emeric, Enrico, Heinrich, Henri, Rico
Meaning: home ruler
Saint Henry II was one of the best rulers of the Christian Roman Empire. He reformed the Church, assisted the growth of new monasteries, and oversaw the building of many beautiful churches. Because he believed that the Creed was essential to understanding our faith, he convinced the Pope to institute its use every Sunday and major feast day. (Born 973, died 1024)
☆ Feast Day: July 13
🙏 Prayer
Herbert
Meaning: shining warrior
Saint Herbert was the disciple and close friend of Saint Cuthbert. Herbert begged his spiritual father to pray that, as they had served God together on earth, they might be allowed to see God’s glory at the same moment in heaven. Soon after, Herbert succumbed to a painful illness which lasted until they died simultaneously the following year. (Died 687)
☆ Feast Day: March 20
Herman, Armand, Ernan, Germain, German, Hermann, Herme, Hernando
Meaning: soldier
Saint Hermann Joseph was a monk and mystic who had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. He consecrated the Eucharist with remarkable reverence. He was gentle, friendly and humble. He prayed for hours at Our Lady’s altar and experienced ecstatic visions there. He composed wonderful prayers and hymns to Our Lady. (Born 1150, died 1241)
☆ Feast Day: April 7
Hilary, Hilarion, Hilaire
Meaning: merry
Saint Hilary of Poitiers was an avid defender of Christ’s divinity when many were claiming that Jesus was only human. (Born 315, died 368)
☆ Feast Day: January 13
🙏 Prayer
Hubert, Umberto
Meaning: bright mind
Saint Hubert turned to the religious life after his wife died, reputedly after seeing a crucifix between the horns of a stag while he was hunting. Thus he is the patron of hunters. He became a bishop who ended idol worship in his diocese, made numerous conversions, and became known for his miracles. (Born 656, died 727)
☆ Feast Day: November 3
Hugh, Hughes, Hugo, Ugo
Meaning: thought
The father of Saint Hugh the Great wanted him to become a knight and secular leader, but his mother supported his interest in religious life, especially after a local priest had a vision about it. When he became a priest, he fought corruption in the Church and founded nearly 2000 houses for religious who shared his high standards. (Born 1024, died 1109)
☆ Feast Day: April 29
Ignatius, Ignace, Ignazio, Inigo, Nacho
Meaning: fiery
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was wounded in battle and had to spend months in recovery. He wanted to pass the time reading adventure books about knights, but all he could find were biographies on the saints. Reading these, he felt challenged to do what the saints had done. (Born 1491, died 1556)
☆ Feast Day: July 31Saint Ignatius of Antioch was taken to Rome under military guard after he was condemned to die in the Roman amphitheater. On the way, he wrote inspiring letters to Christian communities. Nothing would stop him from carrying out his ministry of preaching the Gospel. (Died 107)
☆ Feast Day: October 17
🙏 Prayer
Isaac
Meaning: he laughs
God set into motion the plan of salvation by testing Abraham’s faith. He was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God, and at the last second God provided a substitute — a ram — as a sign of the coming of the Messiah.
☆ Feast Day: December 20
🙏 Prayer
Isidore, Dore, Dorian
Meaning: strong gift
Saint Isidore of Seville was one of the most learned men of his day and has become the patron saint of computer users and the Internet. (Born 560, died 636)
☆ Feast Day: April 4
🙏 Prayer
Ives, Ivar, Iver, Ivo, Ivor, Yves
Meaning: archer
Saint Ivo of Kermartin was a lawyer and a priest, often defending the poor for free. He fought the government over taxes and the rights of the Church. He was an incorruptible diocesan judge but eventually resigned from all law work to shepherd the people spiritually. He worked miracles, including feeding hundreds from one loaf of bread. (Born 1253, died 1303)
☆ Feast Day: May 19
Jacob, Jake
Meaning: holding by the heel, or supplanter
Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. His name comes from his birth, when he emerged grabbing onto his twin brother’s heel as they fought for first place. He later stole from his brother (Esau) the first-born’s rights. He was renamed Israel by God after he wrestled with a divine visitor and was finally broken of his pride.
☆ Feast Day: December 20
🙏 Prayer
James, Jacob, Diego, Jacques, Jaime, Santiago, Iago, Seamas, Shamus
Meaning: supplanter
Saint James the Greater was one of the first Apostles, but he started out as a very impulsive, self-centered man. He dared to ask Jesus for a place of honor in His kingdom, and he wanted Jesus to destroy the villages that had rejected Him, but eventually he developed a true understanding of holiness. (Died 44)
☆ Feast Day: July 25
🙏 Prayer
Jeremiah, Jeremy, Jeremias
Meaning: exalted of the Lord
Saint Jeremy and four companions were Egyptians who visited Christians condemned to do hard labor in the mines during persecutions, to comfort them. They were arrested for this, tortured and beheaded. (Died 309)
☆ Feast Day: February 16The Old Testament writer Jeremiah (Jeremias) was called at a youthful age to become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
Jerome, Geronimo
Meaning: holy name
Saint Jerome said that ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ. As secretary to the pope, he received the commission to translate the Bible from its original languages into Latin. (Born 340, died 420)
☆ Feast Day: September 30
🙏 Prayer
Joachim, Joaquin
Meaning: God prepares
The grandparents of Jesus, Saints Joachim and Ann dedicated their precious daughter Mary to the service of the Temple when she was three years old, preparing the way for her to become the Blessed Mother. (Born BC 100, died BC 10)
☆ Feast Day: July 26
Joel
Meaning: the coming down of God
In the Old Testament, Joel was the second in the list of the twelve Minor Prophets. He warned of the judgment of Yahweh in order to awaken the people from their moral lethargy, while rejoicing in Yahweh’s work of salvation.
John, Evan, Gian, Giovanni, Hans, Ian, Ivan, Jan, Johann, Johannes, Jon, Juan, Sean, Shane, Shaun
Meaning: God has mercy
Saint John became one of Jesus’ closest friends. He was the only one who stayed with Him until the end. On the cross, Jesus placed His Mother into his care. After Jesus rose, he ran ahead of the other Apostles to see the empty tomb and he was the first to recognize Him at the lakeside. (Died 101)
☆ Feast Day: December 27
🙏 PrayerSaint John Chrysostom was very vocal in condemning the sinful customs of his society, earning the name “John of the Golden Tongue.” With his powers of persuasion, he stopped immoral performances of plays. (Born 347, died 407)
☆ Feast Day: September 13
🙏 PrayerSaint John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests with a special concern for men who enter the priesthood late in life. He himself had a delayed vocation, and he managed to get through seminary only with great difficulty. (Born 1786, died 1859)
☆ Feast Day: August 4
🙏 Prayer
Joseph, Josef, Jose, Gisseppe
Meaning: increase
God chose Saint Joseph to care for Mary and Jesus because his holiness and love for him was great, his compassion for others was outstanding, and his desire to protect and provide for his family was honorable.
☆ Feast Day: March 19
🙏 PrayerSaint Joseph of Cupertino endured much rejection in his life. His mother disapproved of him and the religious orders he tried to join refused him. But rather than succumbing to self-pity, he turned to God for acceptance. He became a priest who worked miracles and conversed intimately with Jesus in ecstasies. (Born 1603, died 1663)
☆ Feast Day: September 18
🙏 Prayer
Jude
Meaning: praised
Saint Jude was one of the first 12 Apostles. He was known for exorcising pagan idols, which crumbled as the demons fled. He is the patron of desperate situations and lost causes.
☆ Feast Day: October 28
Julian, Julius, Jules, Julio
Meaning: soft beard
Saint Julian spent his life caring for the poor as a sacrifice for inadvertently killing his parents. He is the patron saint of circus workers, innkeepers, travelers, and murderers. (Born 1st century)
☆ Feast Day: February 12
🙏 Prayer
Justin
Meaning: just
Saint Justin Martyr struggled with his intellect in order to find God. He had studied various philosophies, filling his mind with many ideas that were contrary to Christianity, and this made it difficult for him to accept the Faith. But once converted, he wrote strong defenses of Christian beliefs. (Born 100, died 165)
☆ Feast Day: June 1
🙏 Prayer
Kenneth, Kent, Canice
Meaning: handsome
Saint Kenneth was an Irish priest who was a close friend of Saint Columba. He was a very successful missionary and built a few monasteries. (Born 515, died 600)
☆ Feast Day: October 11
Kevin
Meaning: handsome, beautiful
Saint Kevin was born into royalty, but when he was ordained, he became a hermit for 7 years. Then he founded a monastery for the disciples he attracted. Many fantastic miracles were attributed to him, and he supposedly lived to the age of 120. (Born 498, died 618)
☆ Feast Day: June 3
Kilian, Killian
Meaning: church
Saint Kilian was a bishop who traveled throughout his diocese to reach all the parishes and minister to his flock. He realized that his calling to be a missionary meant going beyond the borders of his own country, so he took eleven companions and left home to evangelize Gaul. (Born 640, died 689)
☆ Feast Day: July 8
🙏 Prayer
Lance, Ladislaus, Lancelot, Lazlo
Meaning: ruling well
Saint Ladislaus was a great king of Hungary who encouraged Christian missionaries, built many churches, and gave religious freedom to the Jews and Mohammedans in his country. He was known for his zeal, piety, and moral life. (Born 1046, died 1095)
☆ Feast Day: June 27
Lawrence, Lars, Lauren, Laurence, Laurenz, Loren, Lorenzo
Meaning: laurel
Saint Lawrence protected the Church’s money from the Roman Empire by giving it to the poor. When the greedy prefect of Rome demanded the Church’s treasures, Saint Lawrence presented to him the poor and the sick, an-nouncing, “This is the Church’s treasure!” (Born 225, died 258)
☆ Feast Day: August 10
🙏 PrayerSaint Lawrence of Brindisi served Christ as a military chaplain who preached effectively and taught the Faith in many languages. (Born 1559, died 1619)
☆ Feast Day: July 21
🙏 Prayer
Leo, Lee, Leigh, Lon, Leov, Lionel
Meaning: lion
Saint Leo the Great was pope during fearsome times. Heathen armies were attacking the faithful in many places and Christians were spreading errors about the Faith. Yet, he led the Church wisely and courageously, refusing to fear any threat, any difficulty, or any army. (Born 1559, died 1619)
☆ Feast Day: November 10
🙏 Prayer
Louis, Alois, Aloysius, Lewis, Ludwig, Luigi, Luis
Meaning: famous warrior
Saint Louis Bertrand was a Dominican priest who was so poor at preaching, it seemed he’d be ineffective, but his deep love for people produced great results. As a missionary in South America for 6 years, he baptized thousands. Though he knew only one language, God gave him the gift of tongues, so that when he preached, all the different Indian tribes understood him. (Born 1526, died 1581)
☆ Feast Day: October 9
Luke, Lucian, Lucas, Luca, Luciano, Lucio, Lucius
Meaning: light
Saint Luke the Evangelist was a physician who helped Saint Paul set up young faith communities. He is a patron saint of doctors. (Died 84)
☆ Feast Day: October 18
🙏 PrayerSaint Lucian was a devil worshipper who converted to Christianity. He is the patron of possessed people. (Born 3rd century, died 251)
☆ Feast Day: October 26
🙏 Prayer
Malachy, Malachi
Meaning: messenger of the Lord
Saint Malachy was appointed archbishop, but because of political intrigues he was unable to serve at his flock for two years. Over the next three years, he restored order to the Church, and put the Roman Liturgy to use. Numerous miracles were attributed to him, and he was had the gift of prophecy. (Born 1094, died 1148)
☆ Feast Day: November 3
Mark, Marc, Marcel, Marco, Marcus, Markus, Marcellus
Meaning: of Mars
Saint Mark the Evangelist was one of those who ran away in fear when Jesus was arrested, but after the resurrection of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, he became a writer of the Faith, and he helped Saints Paul, Barnabas, and Peter build the new Church. (Born BC 5, died 68)
☆ Feast Day: April 24
🙏 PrayerSaint Marcellinus was a priest who was martyred for his faith. He thought of his imprisonment as just one more opportunity to evangelize. He converted his jailer and his family, and his executioner became a Christian after his death.
☆ Feast Day: June 2
🙏 Prayer
Martin, Martino
Meaning: warlike
Saint Martin de Porres studied medicine to cure the sufferings of people. By entering the Dominican order and growing in holiness, he discovered that God often would heal people miraculously through his prayers. (Born 1579, died 1639)
☆ Feast Day: November 3
🙏 PrayerSaint Martin of Tours was raised by pagan parents, but after joining the Roman army he began to study the Christian faith. When his desire to imitate Christ compelled him to help a beggar, God came to him in a vision and called him to receive baptism and enter religious life. Eventually he became a bishop and banished pagan worship from his diocese. (Born 316, died 397)
☆ Feast Day: November 11
🙏 Prayer
Matthew, Matt, Matteo, Mattias, Matthias
Meaning: the Lord’s gift
Saint Matthew the Apostle was considered by his own people to be a traitor because he collected taxes for the enemy, but Jesus did not label him as bad, because Matthew was willing to hear the truth and learn from it. When Jesus said, “Follow me,” Matthew immediately left his money and his job. (Died 74)
☆ Feast Day: September 21
🙏 PrayerBefore the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, He chose Saint Matthias to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle. This was the beginning of the apostolic succession and a reminder to us today that God is the One who calls men to the priesthood. (Died 80)
☆ Feast Day: May 14
🙏 Prayer
Maurice, Maur, Morris, Moritz, Mauricio
Meaning: dark
Saint Maurice was a Christian officer in charge of a legion of converts in an anti-Christian army. He had a very challenging and significant responsibility to help his men remain strong in the Faith despite persecutions. When he and his men refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, they were martyred. (Born 3rd century, died 287)
☆ Feast Day: September 22
🙏 Prayer
Maximilian, Max, Maxim
Meaning: greatest
Saint Maximilian Kolbe was imprisoned in Auschwitz where he ministered to the captives and celebrated Mass by consecrating bread and wine that had been smuggled in. He was martyred after he voluntarily took the place of a young married prisoner condemned to die. (Born 1894, died 1941)
☆ Feast Day: August 14
🙏 Prayer
Meinrad, Maynard
Meaning: strong firmness
Saint Meinrad is the patron and in some part the founder of the still-functioning Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln in Switzerland. He lived as a hermit there and was martyred in 861 when he gave hospitality to two criminals. (Died 861)
☆ Feast Day: January 21
Mel
Meaning: honey
Saint Mel is the nephew of Saint Patrick. He went with his uncle to Ireland as a missionary and helped him evangelize that country. He supported himself by working hard, and any extra that he earned he gave to the poor. (Died 489)
☆ Feast Day: February 6
Michael, Michel, Michele, Miguel, Mikhail, Mitchell
Meaning: who is like God?
Saint Michael the Archangel led the army of angels that defeated Satan and the demons when they rebelled against God. Because his name means “Who is like God,” Pope Saint Gregory the Great said, “Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power.”
☆ Feast Day: May 8 and September 29
🙏 Prayer and 🙏 Prayer
Moses
Meaning: saved by water
Moses of the Old Testament was rescued from death during persecutions of the Jews in ancient Egypt, raised as one of the Pharaoh’s own family, and later returned to free the Hebrews from cruel slavery under the Pharaoh’s tyranny. He is known as Moses the Lawgiver.
☆ Feast Day: September 4Saint Moses the Ethopian was an Abyssinian slave feared for his strength and ferocity. He led of a gang of thieves but converted to Christ. He had supernatural gifts, and his wisdom is included in the sayings of the Desert Fathers. (Born 330, died 405)
☆ Feast Day: August 28
Nathaniel, Nathan
Meaning: gift of God
Saint Nathaniel is the same person as Saint Bartholomew, the Apostle whose greatest desire was to know the truth. His initial reaction to Jesus was, “How can anything good come from Nazareth?” But when he met Jesus, he wanted to become one a disciple. Jesus said of him, “Here is a man in whom there is no deception.” (Died 253)
☆ Feast Day: August 24
Nicholas, Colin, Nicol, Niles, Nikolaus, Claus, Klaus
Meaning: people’s victory
Saint Nicholas was an archbishop who dearly loved to help the poor, especially young children. He worked to protect the innocent and minister to those who were wronged. Eventually, the stories of his kindness evolved into the legend of Santa Claus. (Born 270, died 343)
☆ Feast Day: December 6
🙏 Prayer
Noel
Meaning: Christmas
Saint Neol Chabanel was a missionary priest killed with other North American martyrs by the Iroquois in a violent raid. He had not liked his assignment, so to put God above his personal desires, he had made a solemn vow, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, to remain until death in this service. Soon after the massacre, many Iroquois converted. (Born 1613, died 1649)
☆ Feast Day: December 26
Norbert
Meaning: brightness
Saint Norbert chose the priesthood because it seemed to be a good career move, but God changed his heart. A dramatic escape from death convinced him to take his vows seriously, and he began a new life of penance. He devoted his time to teaching priests and increasing their holiness. (Born 1075, died 1134)
☆ Feast Day: June 6
🙏 Prayer
Oliver
Meaning: peace
Saint Oliver Plunkett was an archbishop of Ireland during anti-Catholic persecutions. Though he had to go into hiding, he was determined to continue shepherding his people. Later, he chose to die rather than give false evidence against other bishops. (Born 1625, died 1681)
☆ Feast Day: July 11
Otto
Meaning: rich
Saint Otto of Bamberg was a priest who worked for the royal court, but when his emperor broke from Rome and then appointed him bishop, the saint refused the position, declaring his obedience to the Church. He became bishop only after the pope consecrated him. (Born 1060, died 1139)
☆ Feast Day: July 2
🙏 Prayer
Owen, Ouen
Meaning: to possess
Though Saint Ouen was a chancellor to the king, he also served the Church. Later, he was ordained and became an archbishop who encouraged learning and the growth of monasteries. He was known for his spirituality and generosity, and he supported missionary activities. (Born 609, died 684)
☆ Feast Day: August 24
Pascal, Paschal, Pasquale
Meaning: Passover
Saint Paschal was a pope who gave refuge to people escaping persecutions. He built and redecorated many churches in Rome and transferred many relics from the catacombs to churches in the city. (Died 824)
☆ Feast Day: February 11
Patrick
Meaning: nobly born
Saint Patrick had been born in Scotland to Roman parents who were in charge of the British colonies. When he was about fourteen, he was kidnapped during a raid and taken to pagan Ireland to herd sheep. He learned the Druidic language and practices of the people, which later helped him to evangelize them when he returned as a bishop. (Born 400, died between 461 and 493)
☆ Feast Day: March 17
🙏 Prayer
Paul, Pablo, Paolo, Pawel
Meaning: little
Saint Paul the Apostle was converted from persecuting the Christians by an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascas, after which he poured his passionate enthusiasm into spreading the Gospel. His powerful leadership was marked by boldness and unwavering conviction. (Died 67)
☆ Feast Day: January 25
🙏 Prayer
Peter, Pierre, Pedro, Perrin, Pierce
Meaning: rock
Jesus gave Saint Peter his name (changing it from Simon) to signify that he was the rock upon which He would build Your Church. After Jesus’ resurrection, He ordained Peter as the first leader of the Church. (Died 64 or 67)
☆ Feast Day: February 22
🙏 PrayerSaint Peter Chanel became a priest at a time when many had lost interest in the Faith. Assigned to a parish that was spiritually dead, he discovered that frequent prayer and daily Mass kept him from becoming discouraged. In just three years of working to inspire people to get excited about Jesus and His Church again, the parish came alive with spiritual fervor. (Born 1803, died 1841)
☆ Feast Day: April 28
🙏 PrayerSaint Peter Claver was known as “the Slave of the Blacks” because during the arrival of slaves in America, he ministered to them physically and spiritually. He entered the smelly cargo holds of the ships to care for the dead and sick captives. He also baptized 300,000 slaves, and he worked to influence plantation owners to treat their slaves humanely. (Born 1581, died 1654)
☆ Feast Day: September 9
🙏 Prayer
Philip, Phelps, Filippo, Felipe, Philippe
Meaning: lover of horses
Jesus chose Saint Philip to be one of His first disciples, because he so openly and obviously loved God. And then Jesus sent him out as an apostle to share what he had learned. (Born 3 A.D., died 80)
☆ Feast Day: May 3
🙏 PrayerSaint Philip Neri was a priest whom the people nicknamed the “Saint of Joy” because God had gifted him with a special sense of humor. His smile went with him when he visited the sick and the imprisoned, and when he served pilgrims who traveled to Rome.
☆ Feast Day: May 26
🙏 Prayer
Pius, Pio
Meaning: holy
Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina experienced the stigmata, ecstasies, bilocation, and the gift of prophecy, because he had learned to free his soul from this world through the practices of fasting, prayer vigils, solitude, and other mortifications that subdued the passions of his flesh.
☆ Feast Day: August 23
🙏 PrayerSaint Pius V was the pope who reformed the Church after the Protestant division. To propagate improved standards, he published a new breviary and missal, he issued a new catechism to help people understand clearly the teachings of the Church, and he promoted the Rosary.
☆ Feast Day: April 30
🙏 PrayerSaint Pius X was the pope who authorized children to receive Holy Communion and encouraged everyone to receive the Eucharist as often as possible. During his papacy, he had many heavy responsibilities that increased in difficulty, and he relied on God, saying, “His Power is infinite, and if I lean on him, it will be mine. His Wisdom is infinite, and if I look to Him for counsel, I shall not be deceived.”
☆ Feast Day: August 21
🙏 Prayer
Quentin, Quin, Quinn
Meaning: fifth
Saint Quintinus was a Roman who went to Gaul as a missionary. He was so successful in preaching that he was imprisoned, tortured and beheaded.
☆ Feast Day: October 31
Raphael, Rafael, Ralph
Meaning: God’s healer
Saint Raphael is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord. The angel of healing, he is the one who moved the waters of the healing sheep pool in Jerusalem. He is the patron of the blind, of happy meetings, of nurses, of physicians and of travelers.
☆ Feast Day: September 29
🙏 Prayer
Raymond, Ramon, Redmund, Raimondo
Meaning: wise protection
Saint Raymond Nonnatus spent his inheritance paying the ransom for Christians who had been enslaved and even traded himself to set others free. Because he miraculously survived his birth as his mother died, he is a patron saint for pregnancies.
☆ Feast Day: August 31
🙏 Prayer
Rene, Renato, Renatus
Meaning: reborn
Saint Rene Goupil was the first of those martyred by the Iroquois. He had tried to become a Jesuit priest, but his health prevented the completion of his novitiate. He then studied surgery and went to Canada, where he offered his services to the missionaries. He was tomahawked for making the Sign of the Cross on some children.
☆ Feast Day: October 19
Richard, Ricardo, Riccardo
Meaning: firm ruler
Saint Richard was the father of Saints Willibald, Winnebald, and Walburga. He was on a pilgrimage to Rome with his two sons when he became ill and died. Miracles were reported at his tomb.
☆ Feast Day: February 7
Robert, Robin, Rupert
Meaning: bright flame
Saint Robert Bellarmine is the patron saint of catechumens because he wrote two catechisms and devoted much of his time to teaching the Faith to children. He also wrote a revised version of the Bible.
☆ Feast Day: September 17
🙏 PrayerSaint Rupert was a Benedictine abbot and an archbishop who evangelized southern Germany. The Duke of Bavaria gave him a ruined town to rebuild, which Rupert renamed as Salzburg.
☆ Feast Day: March 27
Roderic, Roderick, Rodrigo, Rory, Rurik
Meaning: noble ruler
Saint Roderic, also known as Ruderic, was a priest during persecutions by the Moors. His own brothers, one a Mohammedan and the other a lax Catholic, beat him unconscious when he tried to stop an argument between them and refused to give up his Christian beliefs. He was also imprisoned for a long time and martyred for his faith.
☆ Feast Day: March 13
Roger, Hodge, Rogelio, Rudiger, Ruggero
Meaning: famous spear
Saint Roger (Ruggiero da Todi) received the habit from Saint Francis of Assisi. The latter appointed him to serve as spiritual director at one of the communities he founded.
☆ Feast Day: January 5
Roman, Romanus, Romain, Romano, Romaric, Romeo
Meaning: Roman
Saint Romanus was a Roman soldier who was impressed by the sanctity of Saint Lawrence when the latter refused to turn over the Church’s treasury to the empire. As he watched Saint Lawrence endure his punishment with courage and love for his enemies, he asked to be baptized into the same faith.
☆ Feast Day: August 9
🙏 PrayerSaint Romanus of Condat was a monk who lived as a hermit with his brother and sister. His spiritual teachings attracted followers, and he healed two lepers by embracing them. He is patron of drowning victims and the mentally ill.
☆ Feast Day: February 28
🙏 PrayerSaint Romaric was a nobleman who became a Christian and converted his estate into a monastery. Many people were attracted to the holy life he established there and they came in droves to join him.
☆ Feast Day: December 10
🙏 Prayer
Salvatore, Salvador, Salvator
Meaning: Savior
Saint Salvatore was a Franciscan Friar who developed great humility and service. He walked barefoot and kept long and rigorous fasts. His supernatural gifts healed the blind, the lame and the deaf. He was specially devoted to the Blessed Mother and to Saint Paul, both of whom visited him on several occasions.
☆ Feast Day: March 18
Samson
Meaning: Bright as the Sun
Saint Samson was a holy monk who exceeded those around him in spiritual maturity. When he met some Irish monks whose spiritual education was more advanced than his own, he went with them to Ireland so he could learn from them while he served at their side.
☆ Feast Day: July 28
Samuel
Meaning: asked of the Lord
Saint Samuel and four companions were Egyptians who visited Christians condemned to do hard labor in the mines during persecutions, to comfort them. They were arrested for this, tortured and beheaded.
☆ Feast Day: February 16
Sebastian
Meaning: venerable
Saint Sebastian is patron of athletes because of his physical endurance and his energetic way of spreading Christianity. He is also patron of soldiers because he joined the Roman army to defend Christian believers and martyrs without drawing attention to himself.
☆ Feast Day: January 20
Simon, Simeon, Simone
Meaning: obedient
Saint Simon was one of the 12 Apostles (not to be confused with Simon/Peter). He was zealous about preaching the Good News.
☆ Feast Day: October 28
🙏 PrayerBecause of the great holiness of the prayer life of Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger, and because of his growing reputation as a healer and miracle worker, the place where he lived as a hermit became a site for many pilgrimages.
☆ Feast Day: May 24
🙏 Prayer
Stanislaus, Stanley
Meaning: military glory
Saint Stanislaus of Cracow dedicated himself to the formation of clergy, and he became popular as a spiritual adviser. As Bishop of Cracow, Poland, he successfully reformed the Church. He was murdered while saying Mass because he spoke against the king’s cruelty and immorality.
☆ Feast Day: April 11
🙏 Prayer
Stephen, Steven, Stefen, Stefano, Esteban, Stephan, Sven
Meaning: crowned
Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons in the Church. His holiness was so evident that when he preached to his enemies, his face glowed brightly like an angel’s. He became the first martyr.
☆ Feast Day: December 26
🙏 PrayerSaint Stephen Harding found great joy in imitating Jesus through a life of poverty, praying, fasting, and working hard. When the other monks got tired of such a difficult life, Stephen formed a new community, the Cistercians.
Feast Day: April 17
🙏 Prayer
Sylvester
Meaning: from the forest, woods
Saint Sylvester I lived through many good and bad events during his long years of service as Pope, from horrendous persecutions to the downfall of the persecutors.
☆ Feast Day: December 31
🙏 Prayer
Terence, Terrence, Terry
Meaning: smooth
Saint Terence was one of the early bishops of the Church, serving the Christian community of Iconium. Some Bible scholars think that he might be the Tertius mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans.
☆ Feast Day: June 21
Theodore, Feodor, Tad, Theo, Teodoro
Meaning: God’s gift
Saint Theodore of Sykeon was a monk and a bishop who worked amazing miracles, including healings. He put an end to a plague of insects by praying, confidently putting the matter into God’s hands.
☆ Feast Day: April 22
🙏 PrayerSaint Theodore Tyro was a young soldier in the Roman army when he converted to Christianity. Though he was ordered to fight enemies of the empire, he believed that the devil was the only true enemy. Soon, he was killed for being a Christian, thus winning the battle against the demons who wanted to keep him out of Heaven.
☆ Feast Day: November 9
🙏 Prayer
Thomas, Tomas, Tom, Tommaso
Meaning: twin
Saint Thomas the Apostle doubted Jesus’ resurrection until he touched His wounds. After Pentecost, God called him to become a missionary in India, but he doubted again and said no. He changed his mind only after being taken into slavery by a merchant who happened to be going to India. Once he was cured of his doubt, God freed him and he began the work he had called him to do. He is the patron saint against doubt.
☆ Feast Day: July 3
🙏 PrayerSaint Thomas Aquinas had a strong desire to learn, study, and understand theology and the wisdom of the Faith, but his parents disapproved, so he joined the Dominicans secretly. His family kidnapped him, but his trust in the Lord kept his hope alive. A year later, they freed him to rejoin the friars.
☆ Feast Day: January 28
🙏 Prayer
Timothy, Timotheus, Timoteo
Meaning: God fearing
Saint Timothy was one of Saint Paul’s disciples, as well as his close personal friend and partner in evangelization.
☆ Feast Day: January 26
🙏 Prayer
Titus, Tito
Meaning: safe
Saint Titus was another one of Saint Paul’s disciples as well as his close personal friend and partner in evangelization.
☆ Feast Day: January 26
🙏 Prayer
Tobias, Tobia, Tobiah, Tobit
Meaning: goodness of God
In the Book of Tobit, God sent the angel Raphael, disguised as a human, to heal Tobit and free Sarah from the demon.
Valerius, Valerian
Meaning: valiant
Saint Valerius was a bishop who worked throughout southern France to evangelize the region and to increase monasticism.
☆ Feast Day: February 19
Victor, Victorio, Vittorio
Meaning: winner
Saint Victor was born in Mauretania in Africa which was the Berber kingdom on the Mediterranean coast of north Africa (modern Morocco). He became a soldier in the Roman army and moved his way through the ranks, but because held on to the Christian faith instead of worshipping the pagan Roman gods, he was tortured by being roasted and beheaded.
☆ Feast Day: May 8Pope Saint Victor I was the 14th pope. The bishops of Asia and Africa opposed him because he insisted that Easter should be celebrated according to the Roman Rite, not the Jewish one, and when they refused to comply, he excommunicated them.
☆ Feast Day: July 28
Vincent, Vincente, Vincenzo
Meaning: conquering
Saint Vincent de Paul developed a special concern for the poor after giving the Sacraments to a dying peasant. He cared for slaves, prostitutes, war victims, and the destitute.
☆ Feast Day: September 27
🙏 Prayer
Walter, Walther, Gualthieri
Meaning: strong warrior
Saint Walter of Pontnoise was made an abbot against his will. He fled several times to escape the position, and finally went to Rome to give his resignation directly to the pope. However, the pope asked him to return to his monastery, accept his responsibilities as abbot, and never quit again. He obeyed.
☆ Feast Day: April 8
🙏 Prayer
William, Willis, Wilhelm, Guiliermo, Guillaume
Meaning: strong helmet
Saint William of Eskilsoe worked so hard on his spiritual growth that he developed a widespread reputation for holiness and austerity.
☆ Feast Day: April 6
🙏 Prayer
Wolfgang
Meaning: path of a wolf
Saint Wolfgang was a monk and a bishop who had the gifts of teaching and healing. He evangelized the pagan empire of his country
☆ Feast Day: October 31
🙏 Prayer
Zachary, Zaccaria, Zacharias, Zecharian
Meaning: remembered of God
Saint Zachary became pope in 741. Recognized for his humility and goodness, he loved the clergy and people of Rome so much that he risked his life for them during a rebellion in Italy.
☆ Feast Day: March 15
More help from Saints
⤷ Pray with the Saint of the Day and be blessed by inspirational words of Saints. These faith-builders will help you grow in joyful holiness.
⤷ Saint Joseph for your home and family
A free PDF document of this is available for your own personal use.
How to Win Victories in Spiritual Warfare
Knowing God’s Will and Doing it Well
Lessons from the Blessed Mother
Daily Prayers with the Saints