Catholics have long asked particular saints to pray for those who share their work. St. Joseph the carpenter is the patron of all workers; nurses turn to St. Camillus and St. John of God, teachers to St. John Baptist de La Salle, police officers to St. Michael. Some of these patronages were declared by popes; many grew from a detail of the saint’s life.
Below is an A-to-Z list of patron saints for professions and occupations, with feast days, short explanations and a prayer before work.
Patron saints of professions: A to Z
| Profession | Patron saint | Feast day | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and bankers | St. Matthew | September 21 | A tax collector before he followed Jesus |
| Actors | St. Genesius | August 25 | An actor converted while mocking baptism on stage |
| Architects | St. Thomas the Apostle | July 3 | Tradition says he built a palace for an Indian king |
| Artists and painters | St. Luke; Blessed Fra Angelico | October 18; February 18 | Luke is said to have painted Mary; Fra Angelico was named patron of artists by John Paul II |
| Astronauts and pilots | St. Joseph of Cupertino; Our Lady of Loreto | September 18; December 10 | Joseph’s levitations; the “flying” Holy House of Loreto |
| Bakers | St. Honoratus (Honoré) of Amiens | May 16 | Bishop of Amiens, honored by French bakers |
| Booksellers and printers | St. John of God | March 8 | He sold religious books before founding his order |
| Carpenters and workers | St. Joseph | March 19; May 1 | Jesus’ foster father, a carpenter |
| Chefs and cooks | St. Lawrence | August 10 | Martyred on a gridiron |
| Dentists | St. Apollonia | February 9 | Her teeth were broken out before her martyrdom |
| Doctors and physicians | St. Luke; Sts. Cosmas and Damian | October 18; September 26 | Luke “the beloved physician”; twin doctors who healed for free |
| Farmers | St. Isidore the Farmer | May 15 (USA) | A Spanish farm laborer of great holiness |
| Firefighters | St. Florian | May 4 | A Roman officer said to have saved a town from fire |
| Fishermen | St. Andrew; St. Peter | November 30; June 29 | Fishermen called by Jesus |
| Florists | St. Thérèse of Lisieux; St. Rose of Lima | October 1; August 23 | The “Little Flower” and the “Rose” of Lima |
| Gardeners | St. Fiacre | August 30 | An Irish hermit famous for his garden |
| Hairdressers and barbers | St. Martin de Porres | November 3 | He worked as a barber before becoming a Dominican brother |
| Homemakers | St. Martha; St. Anne | July 29; July 26 | Martha served Jesus at Bethany |
| Journalists and writers | St. Francis de Sales | January 24 | He spread leaflets under doors; declared patron by Pius XI (1923) |
| Lawyers | St. Ivo of Kermartin; St. Thomas More | May 19; June 22 | Ivo defended the poor for free; More was a great lawyer |
| Librarians | St. Lawrence; St. Jerome | August 10; September 30 | Lawrence guarded the Church’s treasures; Jerome the scholar |
| Midwives and obstetricians | St. Raymond Nonnatus | August 31 | “Not born”: delivered by caesarean after his mother died |
| Military | St. Michael; St. Sebastian; St. Martin of Tours; St. Joan of Arc | September 29; January 20; November 11; May 30 | Soldier saints and the leader of the heavenly army |
| Miners | St. Barbara | December 4 | Invoked against sudden death |
| Missionaries | St. Francis Xavier; St. Thérèse | December 3; October 1 | Named patrons of the missions by Pius XI (1927) |
| Musicians | St. Cecilia | November 22 | She “sang in her heart to the Lord” |
| Nurses | St. Camillus de Lellis; St. John of God; St. Agatha | July 14 (USA July 18); March 8; February 5 | Camillus and John of God founded nursing orders |
| Pharmacists | Sts. Cosmas and Damian | September 26 | Physicians and apothecaries |
| Police officers | St. Michael the Archangel | September 29 | Defender against evil |
| Politicians | St. Thomas More | June 22 | Declared patron of statesmen by John Paul II (2000) |
| Postal and communications workers | St. Gabriel the Archangel | September 29 | God’s messenger; named patron by Pius XII (1951) |
| Priests | St. John Vianney | August 4 | The holy Curé of Ars |
| Scientists | St. Albert the Great | November 15 | Scientist, philosopher and teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas |
| Social workers | St. Louise de Marillac | March 15 | Co-founder of the Daughters of Charity |
| Soldiers | St. Sebastian; St. Martin of Tours | January 20; November 11 | Soldier martyrs and saints |
| Students | St. Thomas Aquinas | January 28 | The greatest theologian of the Church |
| Teachers | St. John Baptist de La Salle | April 7 | Founder of the Christian Brothers; named patron by Pius XII (1950) |
| Television and media | St. Clare of Assisi | August 11 | She saw Mass on her wall when she was too ill to attend |
| Translators | St. Jerome | September 30 | He translated the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate) |
| Travelers and drivers | St. Christopher; St. Frances of Rome | July 25; March 9 | See patron saint of travelers |
| Veterinarians and farriers | St. Eligius | December 1 | A goldsmith and bishop who cared for animals |
Patron saint of nurses
The patrons of nurses are St. Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614), a soldier and gambler who, after his conversion, founded the Camillians to care for the sick and wore a red cross on his habit, and St. John of God (1495–1550), who founded the Brothers Hospitallers. In 1886 Leo XIII declared them patrons of the sick and of hospitals, and in 1930 Pius XI named them patrons of nurses. St. Agatha is also invoked by nurses.
Patron saint of teachers
St. John Baptist de La Salle (1651–1719), founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who trained teachers and opened free schools for the poor. Pius XII declared him patron of teachers in 1950. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is honored as patroness of Catholic schools in the United States.
Patron saint of doctors
St. Luke the Evangelist, called “the most dear physician” by St. Paul (Colossians 4:14), and Sts. Cosmas and Damian, twin brothers who practiced medicine without charge and were martyred around 287.
A prayer before work
Written for this page:
Lord, through the prayers of St. Joseph the worker and of (patron of my work),
bless the work of my hands and mind today.
Help me to do it well, honestly and for your glory,
to serve the people I work with and for,
and to find you in the ordinary tasks of my day. Amen.
For more, see the St. Joseph prayer for work.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of workers?
St. Joseph, whose memorial as St. Joseph the Worker is celebrated on May 1.
Who is the patron saint of police officers?
St. Michael the Archangel. See the St. Michael prayer.
Who is the patron saint of the internet?
There is no official patron. St. Isidore of Seville (April 4), who compiled an encyclopedia of the knowledge of his time, has often been proposed, and many young people invoke St. Carlo Acutis (October 12), who used the internet to spread devotion to the Eucharist.
More patron saints
- St. Luke prayer for doctors
- St. Isidore prayer for farmers
- St. Lawrence prayer for cooks
- St. Francis de Sales prayer for writers
- Prayer to St. Cajetan for a job
- St. Matthew prayer for accountants
- Prayer to St. Apollonia for dentists
- Prayer to St. Martha for cooks and homemakers
- St. Thomas More prayer for lawyers
- St. Barbara prayer for miners and firefighters
- St. Cecilia prayer for musicians
- St. Martin de Porres prayer
- Unusual patron saints
- Catholic prayer for a job
- St. Thomas Aquinas prayer
- Patron saints: the complete list
- Patron saints of countries
- Patron saints of healing
- Saint of the day
Sources
- Feast days follow the General Roman Calendar, the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States and the Roman Martyrology.
- Papal declarations: Leo XIII (1886) and Pius XI (1930) on Sts. Camillus and John of God; Pius XI, Rerum omnium perturbationem (1923); Pius XII (1950, 1951); John Paul II (1984, Fra Angelico; 2000, Thomas More).
- The prayer was written for this page.