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Patron Saints of Social Service
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While most of us are familiar with the heroes of charitable works such as St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Vincent de Paul, here are some lesser-known but inspiring saints of social justice and social service:
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Patron Saint of The Homeless
St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Benedict Joseph Labre, born in France as the eldest of 18 children, struggled to enter religious life due to poor health and lack of preparation. At 16, he abandoned his studies and priesthood aspirations, becoming a pilgrim who lived on alms and shared with the poor. Devoted to the Blessed Mother and the Blessed Sacrament, he was known in Rome as “the beggar of Rome.” On April 16, 1783, he collapsed in a church and died peacefully. Proclaimed a saint by the people, he was canonized in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. His feast day is April 16.
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Patron Saint of Almsgiving
St. Thomas of Villanova (Saint Thomas of Villanova: A Life Dedicated to God and the Poor)
Born in the Spanish village of Fuentellana in 1486, Thomas joined the Augustinian order at the age of 17, was ordained a priest in 1516, and was appointed archbishop of Valencia in 1546. He was known for his deep devotion to God and for his compassion for the poor, and he would often give away his own food and clothes to those in need. He was heard saying "I am a poor friar, and I have nothing of my own." Villanova University in Pennsylvania is named after St. Thomas of Villanova, and his feast day is September 22.
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Patron Saint of Recovery From Substance Abuse & Addictions
Venerable Matt Talbot
Born in Dublin in the late 1800s and one of twelve children, Matt started working at a wine bottling plant when he was 12 where he began to abuse alcohol. When he was almost 30, he decided to make a pledge to stop drinking for 3 months. He went to confession and paid back some of the people he’d stolen from to pay for his addiction. Though the first seven years of abstaining from alcohol were very challenging, Matt found strength through daily Mass, prayer, working hard at his job, and performing acts of penance. He died of heart failure in 1925 and was officially declared venerable in 1975.
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Patron Saint of Human Trafficking Survivors
St. Josephine Bakhita
Born in Sudan in 1869, Josephine was kidnapped and forced into slavery at the age of 9, where she was subjected to beatings and torture. After 12 years of slavery, she was freed and soon after was baptized, joining the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Italy, serving as a cook and doorkeeper. Known for her gentleness, calm voice, and steadfast smile, Josephine died in 1947 and is venerated as a modern African sa
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Patron Saint of Social Workers
St. Louise de Marillac
Born in France in 1591, Louise lost both parents by the age of 15 and was advised to marry. After her husband’s death, she met St. Vincent de Paul and devoted the rest of her life to assisting him in caring for the sick, the poor, and the neglected. She became the first superior of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and spent the rest of her life establishing hospitals, orphanages, and other agencies to aid the needy.
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Patron Saint of Prisoners & Drug Addicts
St.Maximillan Kolbe
Born in 1894 in Poland, Maximillan was devoted to Jesus and had a vision of Mary at the age of 12 which changed his life. After being ordained a priest, he founded a monastery and a religious publishing company. During World War II, he provided shelter in his monastery to over 2,000 Jewish people and used his publishing house to issue many anti-Nazi German publications. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941 and was imprisoned at Auschwitz. During a random selection of men who were called to go to the starvation chamber to warn against escapes, Kolbe offered to take the place of a gentleman who would be leaving behind his family. The guards accepted Kolbe’s offer, and he joined the group sentenced to death. He calmly encouraged and prayed for his prison mates during their two weeks of starvation and dehydration until all the other men succumbed to death. To finally end his life, Maximillan was given a lethal injection of carbolic acid. He is often depicted in a prison uniform with a needle being injected into his arm.
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