A 'saint' in the Catholic Church is a person who led a life of heroic virtue and holiness, is now in heaven, and is held up by the Church as a model for us on earth. To inspire and strengthen the faith of you and your future spouse, here are some saints whose lives and virtues are particularly relevant and exemplary with regard to marriage and marriage preparation.
Saint Agnes of Rome, the patron of engaged couples
Saint Agnes, also known as Ines, was born into a noble Roman family in around 291 A.D., at a time when the Roman Emperor Diocletian was persecuting Christians. In her childhood, Agnes, who was very beautiful, had dedicated herself to God, and did not wish to marry. A rejected, powerful suitor reported Agnes to the authorities for being a Christian, and she was sentenced to death at the age of 13. After she was miraculously saved from attempts to harm her purity and kill her, she was finally slain by the sword. Agnes was buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome. It is said that her execution shocked many Romans and helped bring an end to the persecutions.The church of Sant'Agnese Fuore le Mura (Saint Agnes Outside the Walls) stands over her tomb.
St. Agnes is a great example for engaged couples, inspiring us to remain faithful to our religious beliefs and purity of heart and cling closely to the love of God.
Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine was a bishop in Italy who was imprisoned for his faith. According to legend, he used to marry Christian couples and aid Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius in Rome, both of which were considered serious crimes. When he attempted to convert Claudius, he was sentenced to death. Saint Valentine was martyred in the second half of the 3rd century A.D. in three stages of torture: stoning, beating and beheading. He was buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome. Although there is very little reliable information about his live, Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine.
What we can learn from St. Valentine is that you may have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe and God's grace can give us the courage to do even that. For married couples there may come a time where you're going to have to suffer. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Again, in such a situation, we need to ask for strength from God.
Saint Dymphna, patron of anxious people
Saint Dymphna was the daughter of an Irish ruler, Damon. When she was fourteen, she consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity. After Dymphna's mother, the queen died, Damon, who had deeply loved his wife, became mentally ill. In his disturbed mental state, he began making advances on Dymphna, his own daughter. St. Dymphna fled Ireland to Gheel in Belgium. However, Damon tracked her down and beheaded her himself when she refused to yield to him. Dymphna was just fifteen. Many people were delivered from mental disorders through the intercession of St. Dymphna, and she came to be the patron of people suffering from anxiety and mental ailments.
The time before a wedding can be quite stressful, particularly the last few days leading up to the wedding, and many people become very anxious at this time. One can ask for the intercession of Saint Dymphna to bear the mental and emotional strain that sometimes occurs in the run-up to the wedding.
Saint Adelaide of Burgundy, patron of second marriages
Saint Adelaide was a princess whose first husband, Lothair II, the king of Italy, died of poisoning. She married Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor and they reigned together for 20 years. Later, she ruled as the regent for her infant grandson, Otto III. She used her position and power to help the poor, to evangelize, and to build and restore monasteries and churches. When Otto III reached adulthood and ascended the throne, this great empress retired to a convent, where she spent her remaining days leading a life of prayer.
Saint Joseph, the protector of families
The Bible tells us that St. Joseph was a righteous man. He was also a compassionate and caring man, and did not abandon Mary when he came to know that she was pregnant. He showed faith and courage when he fled to a strange land to protect the wife and child entrusted to his care. Even though Jesus was his foster son, he loved him dearly. He was obedient to God's will and was a humble and hardworking man.
Saint Joseph is a great role model for husbands and fathers, and we can count on his protection over our families as he protected the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Saint Priscilla and Saint Aquila
Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a husband and wife pair who were friends and collaborators of Saint Paul. Like St. Paul, they were tent-makers by profession and missionaries. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul says that they had risked their lives to help him. St. Paul stayed with them for some time and their home was the gathering place of the local church. They died side-by-side as martyrs for their beliefs. They are mentioned six times in the New Testament, and their names are always mentioned together; such was the unity of their marriage and ministry.
Sts. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of how married couples can live out their faith and Christian calling and be of service to the church. For this reason, they are patron saints of married couples.
Saints Zelie and Louis Martin
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin are the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. They both wished to enter the religious life, but were unable to do so. Louis became a watchmaker, and Zelie learnt the art of lacemaking. Louis and Zelie first met on a bridge and Zelie heard a voice in her heart say to her that Louis was the man chosen for her. They had nine children, but four died in childhood. Louis and Zelie led the family in a life of prayer, attending mass daily, and going out of their way to help the poor, hungry, destitute and needy. They would bring hungry and poor persons from the street, give them a nice warm meal, new clothes and shoes, and encouragement and support to make a new start in life. They were generous in almsgiving. Eventually, Zelie's lacemaking business became so successful, that Louis left watchmaking to help her. However, tragedy would strike the family again as Zelie developed breast cancer and died at the age of 45, leaving Louis to raise the five daughters. Therese, the youngest, was only 4 at the time. When the daughters grew up, they joined the convent, one by one. Louis suffered much from strokes and dementia, and died after a few years in a sanatorium. Of the five daughters, all of whom became nuns, Therese is a saint and doctor of the church, while, as of 2017, another, Leonie is a candidate for sainthood.
Louis and Zelie Martin are remarkable not for doing something extraordinary, but rather for doing the ordinary in an extraordinary manner. They were a couple who had to face the pressures of work, children, illness and loss in their lives. While living a normal and happy life, Louis and Zelie showed their children the path to holiness. They did not transmit faith as a well-worn tradition, something sketchy and abstract, but as something alive. Louis and Zelie Martin, who are the first married couple to be canonised together, are a great example for modern families.
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
Saint Gianna was an Italian paediatrician. She married Pietro Molla, an engineer, and they had three children. When Gianna was carrying her fourth child, she began experiencing severe pain. Doctors discovered that she had developed a tumour in her uterus. Gianna was faced with the decision to choose whether to undergo an operation that would lead to the death of the child but save her own life; or to remove only the tumour and continue the pregnancy, which could save the child's life, but with the risk of complications that could result in her own death. Gianna, wanting to save the baby, opted to remove only the tumour. She successfully delivered the child, but died on 28 April 1962, a week after the child was born. The miracle recognized by the church to canonize Gianna Molla involved a mother, Elizabeth Comparini, who was 16 weeks pregnant in 2003 and sustained a tear in her placenta that drained her womb of all amniotic fluid. Because a normal term of pregnancy is 40 weeks, Comparini was told by her doctors that the baby's chance of survival was nil. Comparini prayed to Gianna Molla asking for her intercession, and was able to deliver a healthy baby despite the lack of amniotic fluid.
Saint Gianna is a superlative example of the heroic and sacrificial love of a mother and wife, who lived her Catholic faith all her life, and unto death.
Saint Agnes of Rome, the patron of engaged couples
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| St. Agnes of Rome |
Saint Agnes, also known as Ines, was born into a noble Roman family in around 291 A.D., at a time when the Roman Emperor Diocletian was persecuting Christians. In her childhood, Agnes, who was very beautiful, had dedicated herself to God, and did not wish to marry. A rejected, powerful suitor reported Agnes to the authorities for being a Christian, and she was sentenced to death at the age of 13. After she was miraculously saved from attempts to harm her purity and kill her, she was finally slain by the sword. Agnes was buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome. It is said that her execution shocked many Romans and helped bring an end to the persecutions.The church of Sant'Agnese Fuore le Mura (Saint Agnes Outside the Walls) stands over her tomb.
St. Agnes is a great example for engaged couples, inspiring us to remain faithful to our religious beliefs and purity of heart and cling closely to the love of God.
Saint Valentine
 |
| Shrine of St. Valentine in a church in Ireland |
Saint Valentine was a bishop in Italy who was imprisoned for his faith. According to legend, he used to marry Christian couples and aid Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius in Rome, both of which were considered serious crimes. When he attempted to convert Claudius, he was sentenced to death. Saint Valentine was martyred in the second half of the 3rd century A.D. in three stages of torture: stoning, beating and beheading. He was buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome. Although there is very little reliable information about his live, Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine.
What we can learn from St. Valentine is that you may have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe and God's grace can give us the courage to do even that. For married couples there may come a time where you're going to have to suffer. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Again, in such a situation, we need to ask for strength from God.
Saint Dymphna, patron of anxious people
 |
| Statue of St. Dymphna in a hospital in the Philippines |
Saint Dymphna was the daughter of an Irish ruler, Damon. When she was fourteen, she consecrated herself to Christ and took a vow of chastity. After Dymphna's mother, the queen died, Damon, who had deeply loved his wife, became mentally ill. In his disturbed mental state, he began making advances on Dymphna, his own daughter. St. Dymphna fled Ireland to Gheel in Belgium. However, Damon tracked her down and beheaded her himself when she refused to yield to him. Dymphna was just fifteen. Many people were delivered from mental disorders through the intercession of St. Dymphna, and she came to be the patron of people suffering from anxiety and mental ailments.
The time before a wedding can be quite stressful, particularly the last few days leading up to the wedding, and many people become very anxious at this time. One can ask for the intercession of Saint Dymphna to bear the mental and emotional strain that sometimes occurs in the run-up to the wedding.
Saint Adelaide of Burgundy, patron of second marriages
 |
| Saint Adelaide |
Saint Adelaide was a princess whose first husband, Lothair II, the king of Italy, died of poisoning. She married Otto I, the Holy Roman Emperor and they reigned together for 20 years. Later, she ruled as the regent for her infant grandson, Otto III. She used her position and power to help the poor, to evangelize, and to build and restore monasteries and churches. When Otto III reached adulthood and ascended the throne, this great empress retired to a convent, where she spent her remaining days leading a life of prayer.
Saint Joseph, the protector of families
 |
| St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family |
The Bible tells us that St. Joseph was a righteous man. He was also a compassionate and caring man, and did not abandon Mary when he came to know that she was pregnant. He showed faith and courage when he fled to a strange land to protect the wife and child entrusted to his care. Even though Jesus was his foster son, he loved him dearly. He was obedient to God's will and was a humble and hardworking man.
Saint Joseph is a great role model for husbands and fathers, and we can count on his protection over our families as he protected the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Saint Priscilla and Saint Aquila
 |
| St. Paul at the home of Aquila and Priscilla |
Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a husband and wife pair who were friends and collaborators of Saint Paul. Like St. Paul, they were tent-makers by profession and missionaries. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul says that they had risked their lives to help him. St. Paul stayed with them for some time and their home was the gathering place of the local church. They died side-by-side as martyrs for their beliefs. They are mentioned six times in the New Testament, and their names are always mentioned together; such was the unity of their marriage and ministry.
Sts. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of how married couples can live out their faith and Christian calling and be of service to the church. For this reason, they are patron saints of married couples.
Saints Zelie and Louis Martin
 |
| Tapestry of Zelie and Louis Martin |
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin are the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. They both wished to enter the religious life, but were unable to do so. Louis became a watchmaker, and Zelie learnt the art of lacemaking. Louis and Zelie first met on a bridge and Zelie heard a voice in her heart say to her that Louis was the man chosen for her. They had nine children, but four died in childhood. Louis and Zelie led the family in a life of prayer, attending mass daily, and going out of their way to help the poor, hungry, destitute and needy. They would bring hungry and poor persons from the street, give them a nice warm meal, new clothes and shoes, and encouragement and support to make a new start in life. They were generous in almsgiving. Eventually, Zelie's lacemaking business became so successful, that Louis left watchmaking to help her. However, tragedy would strike the family again as Zelie developed breast cancer and died at the age of 45, leaving Louis to raise the five daughters. Therese, the youngest, was only 4 at the time. When the daughters grew up, they joined the convent, one by one. Louis suffered much from strokes and dementia, and died after a few years in a sanatorium. Of the five daughters, all of whom became nuns, Therese is a saint and doctor of the church, while, as of 2017, another, Leonie is a candidate for sainthood.
Louis and Zelie Martin are remarkable not for doing something extraordinary, but rather for doing the ordinary in an extraordinary manner. They were a couple who had to face the pressures of work, children, illness and loss in their lives. While living a normal and happy life, Louis and Zelie showed their children the path to holiness. They did not transmit faith as a well-worn tradition, something sketchy and abstract, but as something alive. Louis and Zelie Martin, who are the first married couple to be canonised together, are a great example for modern families.
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
 |
| St. Gianna Molla |
Saint Gianna was an Italian paediatrician. She married Pietro Molla, an engineer, and they had three children. When Gianna was carrying her fourth child, she began experiencing severe pain. Doctors discovered that she had developed a tumour in her uterus. Gianna was faced with the decision to choose whether to undergo an operation that would lead to the death of the child but save her own life; or to remove only the tumour and continue the pregnancy, which could save the child's life, but with the risk of complications that could result in her own death. Gianna, wanting to save the baby, opted to remove only the tumour. She successfully delivered the child, but died on 28 April 1962, a week after the child was born. The miracle recognized by the church to canonize Gianna Molla involved a mother, Elizabeth Comparini, who was 16 weeks pregnant in 2003 and sustained a tear in her placenta that drained her womb of all amniotic fluid. Because a normal term of pregnancy is 40 weeks, Comparini was told by her doctors that the baby's chance of survival was nil. Comparini prayed to Gianna Molla asking for her intercession, and was able to deliver a healthy baby despite the lack of amniotic fluid.
Saint Gianna is a superlative example of the heroic and sacrificial love of a mother and wife, who lived her Catholic faith all her life, and unto death.
Updated: 19 October 2021
