Patron Saints: Friends and Companions In All our Activities

I don’t know about you, but I love sports. I’m not as good at them as I used to be, but that doesn’t stop me from trying something new. And I do like to watch my favorite sports on television, With the Rio Olympics nearly upon us, I’ve been trying to figure out how to watch my favorite sports. Livestream? Videos on YouTube or sports fan sites? Wait for the edited version on network television? Hmm... I can hear some people thinking, are you devoting too much time to this when there are more important things to do?

But recreation and fun is a necessary and good part of balanced living. Always put God first, then your family, your workplace and parish, and then all the other ministries for which we are responsible. But without recreation, we soon find that we have no energy for anything, not even prayer. So there must be some people in the vast panoply of Catholic sainthood who managed to find that balance. To serve God and practice a sport. As Catholics, we believe that those who have entered heaven before us do not forget us or their earthly lives. Through Christ, they are willing to help and companion us through the activities and trials of our daily lives.

As it turns out, there are in fact patron saints for everything. For example, the patron saint of all athletes is St. Sebastian., who doesn’t seem to be known for practicing any one sport but is the patron of athletes anyway because of his energetic evangelization and physical endurance (the connection seems to be energetic , which athletes certainly are, and endurance due to the fact that he was martyred more than once!). And in a bit of irony, he is the patron saint of archers.

It is possible though to find patron saints for any type of endeavor. People in the past have done what we do now. Maybe not exactly, as in modern football, but we are not the first culture to practice and enjoy rough sports. To find your patron though, it is necessary to study the lives of the saints who have gone before us. Even if they didn’t practice a skill as a sport, they still used it in their daily lives. I have listed a few saints here, to start the conversation, but I am quite sure there are dozens more. So google your favorite sport or activity, looking for a patron and leave their names in the comments section for all to enjoy and learn from.

St. Ann- horseback riding. St. Brendan-sailing, St. Bernard of Menthon-hiking and backpacking, St. John Paul II who loved kayaking, soccer and many sports, Bl. Chiara Badano, who was involved in tennis and swimming, as well as hiking, St. Lidwina-skaters, St. Bernard of Montjoux-skiers, St. Adjutor-swimmers,