Synopsis
"Many saints, through the circumstances of their loves or from stories attached to them after their death, have become patrons (protectors), an aspect of abiding interest. The associations are sometimes logical (Mother Xavier Cabrini and emigrants) and sometimes bizarre (St. Frances of Rome and motorists) but always interesting. Patron saints 'protect' countries, cities, trades, various groups and classes of persons. They are also invoked against ills, so St. Stephen, the first martyr stoned to death, is invoked against headaches." Those presented here are, with one or two exceptions, chosen for good reason stemming from lives of heroic virtue and considerable achievement. Even the exceptions, such as Valentine and George, have a genuine historical core underlying the legends. This is a book about real people, heroes and heroines of twenty-centuries - as we can be of ours. The illustrations generally draw on traditional images and emblems.