Saints–we have one for everything! Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers. There’s patrons saints for widows, doctor, lawyers, and gravediggers. Anything you can imagine, there’s a patron saint for it! Our summer Catholic dating endeavors are no different. While there’s not a specific saint for Catholic dating in the summertime, there are plenty of patron saints you’ll want to get to know as you have fun in the sun.
Here are eight saints to get to know better this summer.
Saint Christopher
The patron saint of travelers seems pretty on the nose for summer, right? Whether you’re traveling for work, fun, or love, St. Christopher will be a great companion to you! Legend says he carried the baby Jesus on his shoulders across a river and that’s how he got this patronage. If he’s good enough for baby Jesus, he’s good enough for you! The name Christopher means “bearer of Christ” too, and have no doubt, he’ll bear Christ right into your life if you’ll let him.
St. Dwynwen
St. Dwynwen is the patron saint of lovers. Lovers in Wales, we should say. But that’s okay! Even if you’re not in Wales, she’ll be a great companion for the summer dating months.
She’s credited with saying, “Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness.” If that’s not the summer sunshine in a nutshell, I don’t know what is. Also summery, her name means “wave”. She seems like the perfect Catholic saint to get to know if your summer plans include beaches and sunshine.
Blessed Elisabeth Leseur
Blessed Elisabeth is a great saint to turn to for help with communication in a relationship. She ended up converting her husband Felix, who was an atheist and part of the anti-clerical movement in France. The conversion came after her death through a letter she had written to him. He eventually became a priest and published her diary and letters. Venerable Fulton Sheen went on retreats with Fr. Leseur and Felix told him all about his wife.
Blessed James Alberione
Blessed James was the founder of the Society of Saint Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul. He had a special appreciation for the use of modern media in evangelization and communication. This makes Blessed James Alberione a perfect saint to turn to when you’re considering how to use and consume media and how to use it to communicate–something very important for dating couples, especially as they travel! If you’re putting together your online dating profile for the first time this summer, turn to Blessed James Alberione for help!
Saint John the Beloved
St. John was the disciple who rested his head on Jesus’s chest. He was called “the beloved” and was a great friend to Jesus. John was also the only disciple (aside from the Marys) to stand at the foot of the cross. For this reason, he’s the patron saint of friendships. A friend is someone who will walk beside you in times of joy and sorrow and will help lead you to heaven.
My middle school teacher once told our class that you can’t have a successful relationship that’s not built on a friendship. How true this is! So whether you’re communicating with your significant other or with your friends, turn to St. John to guide you.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin
Sts. Louis and Zelie both had successful businesses. Louis had a watchmaking business and Zelie had a lacemaking business. When Zelie’s business proved to be more fruitful than Louis’s, he sold the watch business to join Zelie in her lacemaking business full time. Among being great patrons for dating relationships (and marriages!) for so many reasons, working together and communicating well is on the list, too.
You and your significant other don’t have to work at the same company or in the same business for the Martins to be great patrons. Anytime you volunteer together, do things together, or even raise children together (Catholic Singles success stories!), you are working together. Perhaps no married saints understand this great gift more than these two.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Among so many things, St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of unmarried girls. Okay, so maybe that doesn’t sound like someone who could guide you down a great path of summer dating in the Catholic dating pool, but there’s a reason why she has this patronage.
Though she was very young (around seventeen years old), she had such a profound love of Jesus that she refused marriage to the emperor by declaring that she was married to Jesus. Of course, this enraged the emperor and he had her put to death.
What does this mean for you as a Catholic single today? Before you can enter a deep relationship with another person, you must have a deep relationship with Jesus or be actively seeking him out. The stronger your relationship with Jesus, the stronger your dating relationship will be. The point of Catholic dating is to grow closer to Christ as you discern a dating relationship with men or women in your life.
St. Catherine will definitely be able to lead you closer in relationship with Jesus and she’ll help you never lose sight of him. Pretty good deal, right?
As you’re out in the Catholic dating world this summer, don’t forget these eight saints. They’ll lead you to the ultimate light and love, and that’s where we all want to end up anyway.
