Book Reviews and More: Patron Saints A Feast of Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Friday, 28 March 2025

Patron Saints A Feast of Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Patron Saints: A Feast of Holy Cards

Barbara Calamari

Sandra DiPasqua

Abrams

ISBN 9780810994027

ASIN

Patron Saints A Feast of Holy Cards - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

I stumbled upon another volume by this writing team and have since reading that first one tracked down all but 1 in digital format. Because of a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks. The first volume I read was all about Holy Cards, and it was a fascinating read. This is the seventh and final volume I have read by this writing duo and I can easily state they are all been great. I do sincerely wish that they had more in the works. But back to this specific volume, the description of this book states:

“An introduction to Catholic patron saints is illustrated by color photographs of holy cards depicting the saint and includes information about the saint's life and feast day, other patronages and what they may be invoked for.”

The chapters and sections in this volume are:

Introduction

Saints of Health

Saints of Nations

Saints of Nature

Saints of Occupations

Saints of States of Life

The dustjacket states:

“From the birth of Christianity, saints have inspired the classic works of Western art. They are human representatives of divine grace, and their stories of faith and suffering, trials and transcendence have fascinated the secular and comforted, consoled, and encouraged believers. One of the most important and endearing traditions of Catholic iconography is the holy card. Offering images of the saints, these portable objects of daily ritual are carried for protection, given as remembrances at communions, confirmations, and funerals, and collected and traded.

In Holy Cards, authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua offer the first book to survey this rich and varied art form. Featuring both a pantheon of major religious figures in Catholicism and many little-known saints—such as St. Clare, patron saint of television, and St. Monica, patron saint of disappointing children—this book is sure to inform and inspire. Beautifully reproduced, the holy cards are arranged thematically and each is accompanied by a brief biography of the subject, including attributes and powers. A glowing compendium of jewel-like images, Holy Cards can be treasured for both its spiritual and artistic qualities. Indeed, it is the perfect gift for all those interested in Catholicism and devotional art.

110 illustrations in full color.”

As the final volume I read by this writing duo it packs a lot of punch. From the introduction we are informed:

“There are more than ten thousand saints in the Catholic calendar. They hail from all corners of the world, as well as every social class and ethnic group. They have all suffered from human faults, made terrible mistakes, endured illnesses, and borne disappointments both large and small. Some were great rulers and leaders, traveling the world; many never left the towns and cities where they were born, toiling in dull, quiet lives.”

“Since holiness is an energy that transcends all boundaries and does not weaken and disappear as material things do, Catholics believe that the saints exist on a spiritual plane and have a very real presence in the world today. In life, saints served as human examples of what one could achieve by using Christ’s precepts of universal love, and they continue to guide and aid the living in the afterlife by praying with and for them upon request. Every Catholic has a patron saint who functions as a guide or mentor throughout their earthly existence.”

“The word “patron” derives from the Latin word patronus, which means “protector of clients” or “defender.” The intercession of a patron saint is thought to help speed the efficacy of one’s prayers before God. There are many ways to find one’s patron saint, although the most common way is through one’s name. Children are often named in honor of a relative, who in turn was named for a saint. In this way, the saint serves as an ancestral guide through life, connecting several generations of a family. Others claim their patron saint by matching their own day of birth with a saint’s feast day, which commemorates the day of a saint’s death.”

“Representing an immense range of human experience, the stories of holy people related in this book span over two thousand years of history. Because it is common practice for Catholics to carry images of their patron in holy card form, we have chosen to illustrate this book solely with these images. We have divided the patronages of these saints into five basic categories: Health, Nations, Nature, Occupations, and States of Life. In the instances where a saint has multiple patronages that span across these categories, we list all their other areas of support.”

“Saints can enjoy both local and global popularity. Some are well-known in particular regions of the world and totally unknown in others. Their traditional patronages are derived from details about their lives, birthplaces, occupations, or visual iconography. There is no official or comprehensive index of saints; rather, there is a myriad of sources listing saints and their patronages.”

The saints by chapters are:

Saints of Health:

St Louis de Gonzague

Martin of Tours

Anthony of Padua

Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Agatha

John the Apostle

Peregrine Laziosi

Margaret of Antioch

Saint Placid

Saint Maurus

Camillus of Lellis

Saint Roch

Saint Willibrord

Saint Blaise

Francis de Sales

Margaret of Cortona

Joseph

Lucy of Syracuse

Genevieve

Gregory the Great

Margaret of Castello

Teresa of Ávila

John of God

Bernadine of Siena

Vitus

Gerard Majella

James the Greater

Anthony the Abbot

Casilda of Toledo

Andrew Avellino

Rita of Cascia

Saints of Nations:

Cyprian of Carthage

Francis Solano

Francis Xavier

Colman of Stockerau

Cyril and Methodius

Louis Bertran

Wenceslaus

Ansgar

Dominic de Guzman

George

Thérèse of Lisieux

Boniface

Andrew the Apostle

Stephen of Hungary

Thomas the Apostle

Patrick

Catherine of Siena

Vincent de Paul

Paul the Apostle

Adalbert of Prague

Ephrem of Syria

Josaphat

Gertrude the Great

Saint of Nature:

Gerlac of Valkenburg

Ambrose of Milan

Perpetua and Felicity

Columba of Rieti

Gregory Thaumaturgus

Margaret of Hungary

Barnabas the Apostle

Hippolytus of Rome

Martin de Porres

Wendelin

Magnus of Füssen

Januarius

Edmund of East Anglia

Saints of Occupations:

Pelagia the Penitent

Helena

Blessed Fra Angelico

Cosmas and Damian

Augustine of Hippo

Stephen the Martyr

Vincent Ferrer

Hilda

Fiacre

Catherine of Alexandria

Brigid of Ireland

Apollonia

Conrad of Parzham

Francis of Assisi

Dorothy of Caesarea

John Gualbert

Mary Magdalene

Elizabeth of Hungary

Eligius

Ivo of Kermartin

Isidore the Farmer

Saint Anne

Ignatius of Loyola

Rupert

Peter Claver

Cecilia

Raymond Nonnatus

Hildegard of Bingen

Justin Martyr

Christina the Astonishing

Albert the Great

Blessed Lydwina of Schiedam

John Regis

John Baptist de La Salle

Clare of Assisi

Saints of States of Life:

Germaine Cousin

Clotilde

Zeno of Verona

Martina

Adelaide

Julian the Hospitaller

Afra

Julitta and Cyriacus of Iconium

Philomena

Catherine of Genoa

Blandina

Joachim

Benedict Joseph Labre

Nicholas of Tolentino

Monica

John Damascene

Norbert

Godelieve

Edward the Confessor

Leopold III

Denis

Benedict

Frances of Rome

A few samples of saints I was unfamiliar with:

“Cancer / Peregrine Laziosi,

1260–1345,

Feast Day: May 1

An antipapist political leader, Peregrine converted to Catholicism after his violence against the papal legate was rebuffed with kindness. He eventually became a popular preacher, dedicating himself to working with the hopelessly ill. He himself was diagnosed with cancer. The night before he was to have his leg amputated, Christ came to him and healed him in his cell.

Other patronages: incurable illnesses, running sores

Invoked: for medical breakthroughs”

“Austria / Colman of Stockerau,

d. 1012,

Feast Day: October 13

A monk from the British Isles, Colman was making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land when he was stopped in Austria under suspicion of spying for their enemy, Moravia. Unable to speak German, he could not defend himself and was tortured and hanged. His body was left to dangle as a warning, and for eighteen months, it did not decompose and no animal touched it. The Austrians recognized this as a sign of his sanctity and made him their patron.

Other patronages: horned cattle, horses; hanged men

Invoked: against hanging, plague.”

“Pastures / Wendelin,

554–617,

Feast Day: October 21

The pious son of a Scottish king, Wendelin made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he was advised to follow his heart. He toured religious sites in Europe and settled in Germany, where he tended sheep, which enabled him to pray most of the day. Eventually he founded a community of religious hermits that became the Benedictine Abbey of Thole.

Other patronages: farmers, shepherds.”

“Dentists / Apollonia,

d. 249,

Feast Day: February 9

During festivities celebrating the Roman occupation of Egypt, a violent mob began attacking Christians. Apollonia, a revered deaconess, was repeatedly hit in the face until her teeth were broken. Confronted with a raging bonfire if she did not denounce her faith, she voluntarily threw herself into the flames. Another version of this story says that she was tortured by having her teeth pulled with pincers before being burned.

Invoked: against toothache.”

“Childless People / Julian the Hospitaller,

dates unknown,

Feast Day: February 12

A noble layman, Julian was out hunting when a stag warned him that one day he would kill his own parents. To avoid this fate, he moved far away and married. After years of searching, his parents located him and went to surprise him. Returning to his house, he saw two figures in bed. Thinking his wife was with another man, he killed them. Turning back the covers, he saw it was his parents. He and his wife then gave up everything and went on a pilgrimage. Julian did penance, helping the poor and opening a sanctuary for lepers, until he earned divine forgiveness.

Other patronages: hospitality; boatmen, circus workers, clowns, fiddlers, innkeepers, jugglers, murderers, pilgrims, shepherds

Invoked: to find lodging while traveling.”

I must admit there were numerous saints I was unfamiliar with in this volume. It was wonderful to read through. The layout is a picture of a holy card then the information about that saint, and if applicable ‘other patronages’ and ‘what they are invoked for.

This is another excellent volume from the team who created it. It ties in well with the books the duo have written on Holy Cards, Mary, and Saints. This is a stunning volume and I look forward to the release of the eBook edition. I greatly enjoyed working through it and plan on rereading it again. It is a wonderful book I can easily recommend for home, school, or church library!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!