This book visits the fact that, in the pre-modern world, saints and lords served structurally similar roles, acting as patrons to those beneath them on the spiritual or social ladder with the word "patron" used to designate both types of elite sponsor. Chapman argues that this elision of patron saints and patron lords remained a distinctive feature of the early modern English imagination and that it is central to some of the key works of literature in the period. Writers like Jonson, Shakespeare, Spenser, Drayton, Donne and, Milton all use medieval patron saints in order to represent and to challenge early modern ideas of patronage -- not just patronage in the narrow sense of the immediate economic relations obtaining between client and sponsor, but also patronage as a society-wide system of obligation and reward that itself crystallized a whole culture’s assumptions about order and degree. The works studied in this book -- ranging from Shakespeare’s 2 Henry VI, written early in the 1590s, to Milton’s Masque Performed at Ludlow Castle, written in 1634 -- are patronage works, either aimed at a specific patron or showing a keen awareness of the larger patronage system. This volume challenges the idea that the early modern world had shrugged off its own medieval past, instead arguing that Protestant writers in the period were actively using the medieval Catholic ideal of the saint as a means to represent contemporary systems of hierarchy and dependence. Saints had been the ideal -- and idealized -- patrons of the medieval world and remained so for early modern English recusants. As a result, their legends and iconographies provided early modern Protestant authors with the perfect tool for thinking about the urgent and complex question of who owed allegiance to whom in a rapidly changing world.

There’s a patron saint for everything. And Michael Foley has a drink for every patron saint. Have a problem with the IRS? Pray to St. Matthew and mix up a classic Income Tax cocktail to toast the tax collector apostle. Looking for a deal at a gun show? Try St. Adrian of Nicomedia, the patron of arms manufacturers, and raise a glass of craft beer from Denver’s Call to Arms in the saint’s honor. Or stir up a Gunfire, traditionally served to British soldiers on Christmas Day. Need to sell your house? Ask St. Joseph for his help and honor his patronage with a Sazerac, made with wormwood in honor of his trade as a carpenter.Drinking with Your Patron Saintsgives you a saint for every occasion. Packed with inspiring stories and delicious drink recipes for saints from Adam to Zita, this book will be a boost to your spiritual life—and your spirits.

If you're unsure of which patron saint to call on when confronting obstacles, then you need this ready reference. Arranged alphabetically by subject and by saint, it includes thousands of listings and hundreds of holy advocates. You'll discover one hundred and fifty titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary resulting in more than seven thousand invocations. You'll learn about saints from the British Isles, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Mexico, Northern Europe, South America, Spain, and elsewhere. Almost every country has a patron saint, and some have several. The saint most commonly invoked for particular needs is marked by bold script, but you'll also become acquainted with lesser-known saints that you can invoke. You'll find patrons for sinners, such as thieves; patrons for children, including by gender and type; patrons for various types of animals; patrons for different ailments; and many more. The Comprehensive Dictionary of Patron Saints is invaluable for authors, churches, libraries, and the faithful seeking to conduct research, answer questions, and overcome life's most difficult challenges.

A professor of church history, Armstrong provides rich portraits of ten people from the past who: translated the gospel for their own times; broke down barriers; ministered out of the brokenness we all share; knew what it feels like to live on the margins; believed in the power of stories to bring transformation through Christ. --from publisher description

Who was St. Genesius, and why is he the patron saint of actors? Why is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who was a cloistered nun, the patron saint of missionaries? Is there a patron saint for automobile mechanics? How about for athletes? Bestselling Catholic writer Mitch Finley answers these questions and more in this delightful book of one hundred saints and the occupations, groups, or causes they are associated with. These are listed alphabetically and cross indexed with a list of the saints featured in the book, making it easy to find either the saint or the cause. In each short selection, Finley describes the life of the saint and why he or she has been selected as a patron. Finley’s popular style makes this book fun to read. A great resource to keep on your shelf for years to come. A thoughtful gift for Confirmation or other occasions.

A bully, a wedding, and a larger-than-life family add up to a hilarious and heartfelt middle-grade novel. Mary Margaret Miller is going to be a junior bridesmaid--that is, if she isn't grounded for the rest of her life. She's feuding with school bully Brent Helzinski, and her cousin Eden, aka The Bride, is clashing with her mother about wedding plans. Mary knows it's her job as a junior bridesmaid to make the day run smoothly, but she sure could use a little help from above.