The patron saint most often invoked by athletes is St. Sebastian, the Roman soldier-martyr whose strength and endurance made him a model for sportsmen. In recent years many young athletes have adopted St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, the joyful Italian mountaineer canonized in 2025. Cyclists have their own patroness, skiers and climbers theirs, and many hobbies have a saint whose story connects to them.
Below is a list of Catholic patron saints of sports, athletes and hobbies, with feast days, and a prayer before a game or race.
Patron saints of sports and athletes
| Sport or activity | Patron saint | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| Athletes (in general) | St. Sebastian | January 20 |
| Young athletes, hikers and mountaineers | St. Pier Giorgio Frassati | July 4 |
| Mountain climbers and skiers | St. Bernard of Menthon | May 28 |
| Cyclists | Our Lady of Ghisallo (Madonna del Ghisallo) | — |
| Ice skaters | St. Lidwina | April 14 |
| Horseback riders and equestrians | St. George; St. Martin of Tours | April 23; November 11 |
| Hunters | St. Hubert | November 3 |
| Anglers and fishermen | St. Peter; St. Andrew | June 29; November 30 |
| Golfers | St. Andrew | November 30 |
| Sailors and boaters | St. Nicholas; St. Brendan the Navigator | December 6; May 16 |
| Scouts | St. George | April 23 |
| Motorists and racers | St. Christopher; St. Frances of Rome | July 25; March 9 |
| Pilots and parachutists | Our Lady of Loreto; St. Michael | December 10; September 29 |
Patron saints of hobbies and the arts
| Hobby | Patron saint | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| Music and singing | St. Cecilia | November 22 |
| Dancing | St. Vitus | June 15 |
| Painting and art | St. Luke; Blessed Fra Angelico | October 18; February 18 |
| Writing | St. Francis de Sales | January 24 |
| Reading and study | St. Thomas Aquinas; St. Jerome | January 28; September 30 |
| Gardening | St. Fiacre | August 30 |
| Cooking and grilling | St. Lawrence | August 10 |
| Photography | St. Veronica | July 12 |
| Chess | St. Teresa of Ávila (by popular devotion) | October 15 |
| Beekeeping | St. Ambrose | December 7 |
| Animals and pets | St. Francis of Assisi | October 4 |
| Travel | St. Christopher; St. Raphael | July 25; September 29 |
St. Sebastian, patron of athletes
Sebastian was an officer of the imperial guard in Rome who secretly encouraged Christians in prison. When he was discovered under Diocletian, he was shot with arrows and left for dead; nursed back to health, he confronted the emperor and was martyred around 288. His physical endurance, and the arrows that could not kill him, made him the patron of athletes and soldiers. His feast is January 20.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, the athlete saint
Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), a young man from Turin, loved mountain climbing, skiing, riding and sailing, and spent his free time serving the poor in secret. He died of polio at twenty-four. John Paul II called him “the man of the eight beatitudes.” He was canonized in 2025, and his motto Verso l’alto, “To the heights,” is beloved by young Catholics, especially hikers and athletes.
A prayer before a game or race
Written for this page:
Lord, thank you for the gift of my body and the joy of sport.
Help me to play (race) with all my strength,
with honesty, respect for my opponents and for the rules,
and to accept victory with humility and defeat with grace.
Keep all the players safe.
St. Sebastian and St. Pier Giorgio, pray for us. Amen.
A shorter team prayer: Lord, bless our team; help us to give our best for your glory. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of soccer (football)?
St. Luigi Scrosoppi, an Italian priest who cared for orphans, was proclaimed patron of footballers by an Austrian bishop in 2010, at the request of soccer fans; it is not a universal decree. Many players also invoke St. Sebastian, patron of athletes. See patron saint of soccer.
Who is the patron saint of runners?
St. Sebastian is most often named. St. Paul, who compared the Christian life to running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24), is also invoked. See patron saint of runners.
Is it all right to pray for victory?
You may ask God for anything good, but Christian athletes pray above all to play well, fairly and safely, and to glorify God whether they win or lose.
More patron saints
- Patron saint of weightlifting
- Patron saint of reading
- Patron saint of gamers
- Patron saint of baseball
- Patron saint of math
- Patron saint of beer
- St. Genesius, patron saint of actors and comedians
- Patron saint of artists
- St. Honoré, patron saint of bakers
- Patron saint of the internet
- St. Sebastian prayer for athletes
- St. Cecilia prayer for musicians
- Unusual patron saints
- St. Carlo Acutis prayer
- Patron saints: the complete list
- Patron saints of professions
- Patron saint of travelers
- Patron saint of animals
Sources
- Feast days follow the General Roman Calendar and the Roman Martyrology.
- Pius XI, apostolic letter of August 20, 1923 (St. Bernard of Menthon, patron of mountaineers); Pius XII, 1949 (Our Lady of Ghisallo, patroness of cyclists).
- John Paul II, homily for the beatification of Pier Giorgio Frassati (May 20, 1990).
- The prayers were written for this page.