This is a supplement to Terry Modica's book Daily Prayers with the Saints for the New Millennium. The saints whose feast days are blank or in ( ) are extras for this site but are not included in the book. |
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| Feast Day | Name | Meaning | Saint & Patronage |
| July 13 | Harriet Henrietta, Henriette, Hally, Harietta, Harriette |
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. |
| Aug. 18 | Helen Helena, Eleanor, Leanore, Lenore, Lenora, Lee, Leora, Nell, Nellie, Nelly |
light | The great emperor Constantine gave his mother, Saint Helena, the authority to promote Christianity by building churches throughout the empire and on the holy sites in Israel. She is the patron saint of difficult marriages and divorced people because her husband divorced her for someone with better political connections. |
| (Nov. 17) | Hilda Hildegarde |
battle maiden | Saint Hilda lived the wealthy life of nobility until age 33 when she decided to join the monastery where her sister was a nun. Eventually, she became abbess of a double monastery. She was well known for her spiritual wisdom, and her monasteries excelled in their learning and nuns. |
| (Aug. 1) | Hope | hope | According to legend, there was a Roman widow, Saint Wisdom (or Sofia), who had three daughters, Saint Faith, Saint Hope, and Saint Charity, and they all suffered for Jesus. Faith, age 12, miraculously survived being scourged and thrown into boiling pitch, and was finally beheaded; Hope, age 10, and Charity, age 9, were unharmed when tossed into a furnace, so they also were beheaded; their mother suffered while praying over the bodies of her children. |
| (Sept. 4) | Ida | happy | Saint Ida grew up in Charlemagne's court and was married to Lord Egbert by arrangement of the emperor. Her son became a monk. She was widowed very young, so she is the patron of widows and brides. She founded a church and a nunnery. |
| July 31
Oct. 17 |
Ignatia | 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.
Saint 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. |
| (May 12) | Imelda | Blessed Imelda Lambertini is the patron saint of first communicants. On May 12, 1333, she miraculously received her First Communion, and immediately after died in an ecstasy of love and joy. | |
| (Dec. 8) | Immaculata | spotless | From the moment of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception, Jesus gave her the benefit of His future death on the cross. He granted her the fullness of grace and a life free of the stain of original sin. He sanctified her womb so that she could carry His divine presence within her body. |
| (April 3) | Irene Irena, Renata, Renee |
peace | Saint Irene was caught with texts of the Scriptures when this was punishable by death. When she refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, she was sent to a house of prostitution. There, when she was unmolested after being exposed naked and chained, she was put to death. |
| (Dec. 24) | Irma Irmina, Irmine, Erma |
strong | Saint Irmina was betrothed to a count, but a jealous suitor lured her fiancée to his death over a cliff. Irmina became a nun at a monastery and helped Saint Willibrord in his missionary work. |
| Feb. 26 | Isabel | Saint Isabel of France was the daughter of a king, but this did not make her haughty. Since early childhood, she had an extraordinary desire for piety, modesty, and other virtues. She persisted in remaining solely dedicated to God, despite the opinions and advice of others. | |
| Feb. 4
Mar. 29 |
Jane Janet, Janice, Jean, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeanne, Jessica, JoAnn, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, June (fem. of John) |
God has mercy | Saint Jane of Valois was born with deformities and she suffered from illnesses throughout her life. Yet she refused to give into discouragement, and at a very young age she became devoted to the Blessed Mother. Later, she helped found a religious order whose chief rule was to imitate the virtues of Mary as revealed in the Bible.
Saint Jeanne Marie de Maille is the patron for abuse victims. |
| (Oct. 12) | Jennifer (fem. of Wilfrid) |
firm peace | Saint Wilfrid worked hard as a bishop and founded many monasteries of the Benedictine Order. During the time he was forced into exile, he evangelized the heathen around him. Through his ministry, he had limitless courage and remained firm in his convictions despite problems with civil and ecclesiastical authorities. |
| Feb. 4 | Jessica (fem. of John) |
God has mercy | See Saint Jane above. |
| Feb. 12 | Jill Julia, Juliana, Julie, Juliet, Juliette |
downy | 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. |
| Mar. 19
|
Josephine Josefa, Josepha, Josette, Josianne |
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.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino endured much rejection—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 Christ in ecstasies. |
| (June 29) | Judith Judy |
praised | Saint Judith was sent by the king to find her niece, who had become an anchorite (a woman who lives in seclusion for religious purposes), living in a cell attached to a monastery. When Judith found her, she decided to join her and devote her own life to God. |
| Feb. 12 | Julia Juliana, Julie, Juliet, Juliette, Jill |
downy | 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. |
| June 1 | Justina Justa, Justine |
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. |
| Nov. 28
April 29
|
Karen Katherine Kate, Kateri, Kathleen, Kathryn, Katrina, Kay, Kit, Kitty, Trina |
pure | Jesus gave Saint Catherine Labouré a vision of the Blessed Mother revealing an image that was to be made into the Miraculous Medal. He commissioned her to spread its devotion. It included the prayer: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." He promised that those who wear it as a sign of devotion will receive the graces needed for holy living.
Saint Catherine of Siena took her faith out into the world to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. She served as a spiritual guide to many, she affected politics, and she convinced the pope to return the Church’s leadership to Rome. By word and deed, she taught that Christians should influence the world with their spiritual values. Saint Catherine of Sweden, with her mother Saint Bridget, organized pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other places to stimulate people’s spiritual growth. In between pilgrimages, they spent their time in prayer and meditation, ministering to the poor and instructing them in religion. |
| Aug. 10 | Laura Lorraine, Loretta, Laurette, Laureen, Laraine, Lara, Laraine (feminine of Lawrence) |
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, Lawrence presented to him the poor and the sick, announcing, "This is the Church's treasure!" When he was martyred, he was roasted on fire. Keeping God's joy and good humor to the end, he told his torturers: "Turn me over, I'm done on this side!" |
| Aug. 18 | Lenore Eleanor, Helen, Helena, Eleanor, Leanore, Lenora, Lee, Leora, Nell, Nellie, Nelly |
light | The great emperor Constantine gave his mother, Saint Helena, the authority to promote Christianity by building churches throughout the empire and on the holy sites in Israel. She is the patron saint of difficult marriages and divorced people because her husband divorced her for someone with better political connections. |
| Nov. 10 | Leona Lee, Leonie, Leonita |
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. |
| (July 27) | Lilian Lila, Lily, Lillian |
lily | Saint Lillian was laywoman in an area controlled by the Moors. At first, she hid her Christianity so that her Muslim neighbors would not find out. But stories of fearless Christians being persecuted shamed her into living her faith openly. She was happy to be martyred with her husband. |
| (Sept. 15) | Lola Lolita, Dolores Dolor, Dolorita |
sorrows | The Blessed Mother’s passionate love for her Son Jesus caused her to suffer when she watched His enemies inflict their tortures upon Him and slowly kill Him. She offered up the piercing of her heart as if her life were an altar, sacrificing her beloved Son for the salvation of the world. Through it all, she did not feel sorry for herself nor did she complain, because she accepted her pain for our sakes, in passionate love for us. |
| Mar. 15 | Louise | famous warrior | Saint Louise de Marillac devoted her life to helping Saint Vincent de Paul serve the needs of the poor. She often taught: "Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, as you would honor Christ Himself." |
| Dec. 13 | Lucy Lucette, Luce, Lucia, Lucie, Lucien, Lucienne, Lucille, Lucina, Lucinda, Luz (fem. of Luke) |
light | Saint Lucy vowed to marry only Jesus and revealed this secret after her mother arranged a wedding to a nobleman. When he found out, he had her arrested and tried as a Christian. The judge sent her to a house of prostitution to desecrate her virginity, but God kept her purity intact. God also gave her the grace to joyfully endure her tortures until she died. |
| (Aug. 3) | Lydia | purple seller | Saint Lydia was the Apostle Paul's first convert at Philippi. She was baptized with her household, and Saint Paul stayed at her home. |
| (July 22) | Madeline Marlene Magdalene, Madeline, Maddalena, Magda |
person from Magdala | Saint Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' closest friends. She anointed Christ by washing his feet with expensive perfume and drying them with her hair. She was present at the foot of Our Lords' cross, and she was the first to see the resurrected Jesus at his empty tomb. |
| (Dec. 25) | Manuela (from Emmanuel) |
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. |
| April 25
(Jan. 31) |
Marcia Marsha, Marcella, Marcelina, Marcelle (fem. of Mark) |
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.
Saint Marcella was widowed after nine months of marriage and refused to marry the Roman consul. She formed a small community of noble ladies who lived a life of austerity and asceticism. She gave her wealth to the poor. She corresponded with Saint Jerome for his help in understanding spiritual matters. |
| July 20
Jan. 19 |
Margaret Greta, Gretchen, Madge, Maggie, Maisie, Marge, Margery, Margo, Margot, Marina, Margarita, Marguerite, Marjorie, Pearl, Pegeen, Peggy, Rita |
pearl | Saint Margaret of Antioch’s father was a pagan priest. Her escape from his false beliefs was depicted in a story of being swallowed by a dragon representing paganism, and then escaping from its belly as if being born anew. Because of this tale, she has become the patron saint of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.
Saint Marguerite Bourgeous gave away her inheritance to family members and departed for Canada, where she founded the Congregation of Notre Dame. She helped people survive when food was scarce, opened a vocational school, and taught young people how to run a home and farm. |
| (July 29) | Martha Marta, Marthe |
lady | Jesus was a close friend of Saint Martha and He enjoyed often stayed at her home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem, where she lived with her sister, Mary, and brother, Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Martha greatly valued her gift of hospitality. She is the patron of cooks, dieticians, homemakers, hotel-keepers, laundry workers, servants, single laywomen, and travelers. |
| Nov. 3
|
Martina Martine |
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.
Saint 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, Jesus 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. |
| Jan. 1
July 6 |
Mary Maria, Mara, Mae, Maime, Marian, Marianne, Maribel, Marie, Marietta, Mariette, Marilyn, Maureen, May, Mirell, Miriam, Moira, Molly, Polly |
rebellion | The obvious Saint for this name is the Blessed Mother.
Saint Maria Goretti was a young girl when a farmhand tried to rape her. As she warned him that he was sinning, he stabbed her repeatedly. Before she died, she forgave him. Later, while in jail for his crime, the perpetrator had a vision in which Maria led him to conversion. She is the patron of teen girls, rape victims, and chastity. |
| Mar. 14 | Matilda Maude, Maud, Tilda, Tillie |
battle maiden | Though Saint Matilda married a king, she did not lord it over others. She often visited the sick and imprisoned. Her husband learned much from her holiness, taking greater interest in the needs of his people and using his power to ease their suffering. |
| Sept. 22 | Maura | 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 gods, they were martyred. |
| (Dec. 31) | Melanie Melinda, Melania |
dark- skinned |
Saint Melania was born to wealthy Christians. When two of her children died soon after childbirth, her husband agreed to a life of abstinence and religious dedication. With her father's inheritance, she supported monasteries in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, and she aided churches and monasteries in Europe. When she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with her mother and husband, they settled at Jerusalem. Melania became a friend of Saint Jerome. |
| Melissa Mildred, Millie, Milly |
mild strength | See Saint Mildred below. | |
| Mercedes Merced, Mercy |
mercy | Jesus told Blessed Faustina Kowalska in a vision, "I am Love and Mercy itself." Mercy is love that seeks to forgive, console, assist, and care for others in time of need. Mercy is an act of love done without regard to the consequences to oneself, without expecting affirmation, or anything else in return; it is done for love itself. | |
| May 8 | Michelle Michaela, Micaela (fem. of Michael) |
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." |
| Mildred Melissa, Millie, Milly |
mild strength | Saint Mildred was an abbess with a reputation for great holiness and generosity and compassion for the poor and rejected. She chose this life over marrying into nobility and wealth. Her detachment from this world's comforts strengthened her firm commitment to Jesus and His poor. | |
| Aug. 31 | Mona Ramona, Raimunda (feminine of Raymond) |
protector | 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. |
| Aug. 27 | Monica Monique |
counselor | Saint Monica was the mother of Saint Augustine, and for many years prayed and cried and did penances for her son. As a result, he became a Doctor of the Church and one of her greatest theologians. She is the patron of alcoholics and children who disappoint their parents. |
