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Outside in my garden is a
statue of St. Francis, patron
saint of animals and the
environment. I also have a
few items depicting St. Fiacre, the
patron of gardeners. But if you were to
ask me who the real patron saint of
my garden is, I would have to say that
it’s my Aunt Ellie.
Now mind you, I have no delusions
that my Aunt Ellie will ever be canonized
a saint. Nor will most of the people
I so dearly love. But when I’m looking
for inspiration, consolation,
answers or support, those are the people
to whom I most often turn.
My Aunt Ellie had the greenest
thumb I’ve ever seen. Before she passed
away from cancer, we would spend
time both working in the garden and
talking about plants. So it only seems
logical to me that each spring as I gently
place my plants in the ground, I do
so with a little prayer to my own personal
gardening patron.
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At the end of this month, many people
will be celebrating Halloween. The
word “Hallow” actually means “holy”
and “e’en” is a shortened form of “the
evening before.” So what does that
have to do with saints? Well, Halloween
is the celebration of “All Hallow’s Eve,”
or the evening before All Saints Day. On
All Saints Day, we as a Church celebrate
and recognize all of our saints—
both formally canonized and not
canonized.
That’s one of the things I love about
being Catholic. I can have some heavy
hitters in my corner, such as St. Francis,
but also have my own personal communion
of saints. In fact, according to
the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
“The communion of saints is the
Church” (#946).
And just as in my everyday life,
when I may seek advice from a variety
of different people based on the situation
I’m facing, the communion of
saints also offers me a virtual address
book of saints from which to choose.
For instance, currently pregnant with
my third child, I’m spending a good
deal of time praying to St. Anne, patron
saint of pregnant women. Over the
past few years as I have undergone testing
for multiple sclerosis, I have leaned
on St. Dymphna, patron of those suffering
from neurological or nerve diseases.
Ghouls, Goblins—and Saints?
While for many this month may be a
time of ghouls and goblins, for me it is
also a reminder that I am surrounded
by saintly people—both on earth and
those who have passed on. Here are
some other things to reflect on or try
out this month:
Reflect on who is in your communion
of saints—both canonized and
not—and why you hold them so dear.
Think about the ways in which they
lead you to a closer relationship with
God, which is the ultimate goal of the
saints.
Try to focus on the religious aspects of
Halloween. Emphasize for your kids
the connection of the holiday with the
communion of saints. And if you don’t
feel comfortable with the traditional
Halloween custom of walking door-todoor
collecting candy, many parishes
are now holding special events on Halloween
to redirect attention to the holiday’s
religious aspects. Check to see if
your parish or a neighboring parish is
hosting such an event.
Pass on the message of the communion
of saints. For instance, for a wedding
shower gift, include something
about St. Monica, the patron of married
women. You could also include some
bit of advice from a married woman
you hold in great esteem. It could be a
prayer card, a medal, a small statue or
a simple note. Browse a local religious
goods store.
Check your local library or video store
for the movie Millions, in which the
communion of saints helps a young
boy decide what to do with a large
amount of money that he found.
(Check our review at www.American
Catholic.org/Messenger/Apr2005/Eye_on_Entertainment.asp.)
¦Want to know more about saints?
Visit www.AmericanCatholic.org/features/
saints/faqs.asp, where you can
find information about patron saints,
sign up for the daily Saint of the Day
feature or send a saint e-greeting. You
can also visit the site’s Halloween feature
at www.AmericanCatholic.org/
features/halloween.
Next Month: What’s With All the
Numbers?
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