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St. Brigid of Ireland was born in Ireland in 453. She befriended St. Patrick as a child. St. Brigid couldn’t bear to see anyone hungry, so she would often give them whatever she could – even if the items belonged to her father. St. Brigid became a nun and started convents all over Ireland. She traveled quite often, which is why she is the patron saint of travelers and sailors.

St. Blaise was a physician and a bishop in Armenia. He healed men and animals alike. When a ruler began to persecute Christians, St. Blaise was arrested and thrown into prison for refusing to recant his faith. St. Blaise is said to have saved a child who was choking on a bone while he was in prison, which explains why he is the patron saint of healthy throats. St. Blaise died for his faith around the year 316.

St. Agatha lived in Sicily around the year 250. She was a devout young Christian who consecrated her life to God. A magistrate tried to start a relationship with St. Agatha, but she refused. The man threw St. Agatha in prison and tortured her, but she never yielded because of her deep faith. St. Agatha, a martyr, is the patron saint of single laywomen.

St. Jerome Emiliani, born in Italy in 1481, is the patron saint of abandoned children and orphans. He became a priest in 1518 and began to devote much of his time to helping orphans, especially during a plague in 1528. He founded orphanages, a hospital and a shelter for women.

St. Scholastica is the patron saint of nuns and against rain. A nun, she consecrated her life to God when she was young. According to the writing of St. Gregory, St. Scholastica’s brother, St. Benedict, visited with her about once a year to talk of spiritual matters. On one occasion, St. Scholastica prayed to God that her brother wouldn’t have to leave, and it began to thunder and pour. She died in 543.

The Blessed Virgin Mary began appearing to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, Feb. 11, 1858. The authenticity of the apparitions was confirmed by the church in 1862, and the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes has been observed worldwide since 1907. Many people make pilgrimages to Lourdes, which they find to be a place of healing and faith.

St. Saturninus and his companions died as martyrs in Africa around the year 304. The emperor at the time ruled that Christians must give up the Scriptures to be destroyed, or they must die. However, St. Saturninus and his companions refused to renounce their faith. They were tortured and died.

Blessed Jordan of Saxony was born in the year 1190. He met St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), while at the University of Paris around 1219. He joined the Dominicans in 1220, and he was elected master general of the order after St. Dominic died in 1222. Blessed Jordan, a great preacher, helped the Dominicans grow rapidly until he drowned in a shipwreck in 1237. He is the patron of Dominican vocations.

St. Juliana of Curnae lived circa the year 305. She became a Christian even though her father and suitor hated Christians. Her father abused her to try to get her to renounce the Christian faith, and her suitor threw her in jail. However, St. Juliana persevered in her faith. She died a martyr – burned, boiled in oil and finally beheaded. She is the patron saint of bodily ills and sickness.

Blessed Angelico was born near Florence, Italy, in 1387. He joined the Dominicans in Italy in 1407. He was taught to illuminate missals and manuscripts. Blessed with natural talent, he became very dedicated to religious art. His works can be seen throughout Italy. He is a patron of artists.

St. Conrad of Piacenza, born to nobility, mistakenly started a fire which spread to forests and villages. A peasant was condemned to death for the fire, but St. Conrad confessed to save the man’s life. After paying for damages, he joined a group of Franciscan hermits and was known to have the gift of healing. St. Conrad, who died while kneeling in front of a crucifix, is the patron saint against hernias.

St. Margaret of Cortona was born in Tuscany in 1247. After an early life of sins, she went to seek asylum with the Friars Minor at Cortona. She became a penitent and nursed the sick and poor. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis, and she later formed a group called “The Poverelle” (the Poor Ones). She also founded the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy and a hospital in Cortona. She is the patron saint against temptations.