Saint of the Year: How to Discover Your Patron Saint for the New Year
Whatever the Lord has in store for you, there is a patron saint for that.
It’s the start of a New Year and whether you love setting resolutions or not, you’re probably looking forward with wonder and anticipation for what the next year holds.
Whatever the Lord has in store for you, there is a patron saint for that.
Catholics are known for their love of the saints.
We understand that the Church on earth is only a part of the Body of Christ, and that through our baptism we are welcomed in the Communion of Saints.
We look to the holy men and women who have gone before us as examples, but as we believe Christ when He says that “...whoever believes in [the Son of God] shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), we also know that the Saints in Heaven are more alive than we are.
Therefore, we can approach them, ask for their prayers, and grow in friendship with them throughout our whole lives.
With the rise of social media, a new tradition has emerged among Catholics to choose a “Saint of the Year” as someone they can look to for inspiration and guidance, particularly during the upcoming year.
Picking a Saint for the New Year
There’s a few ways you can go about picking a patron saint for the year, but however you choose to do it, begin with a prayer to the Holy Spirit to guide the process. Trust the Lord to pick the right saint for you.
Check your Heart
The first method for choosing a Saint of the Year is picking a saint by considering what you’ve already been praying about.
Have any saints been on your heart and mind recently? Is there a particular area of your life for which you need prayers? Read up on the saints and pick the patron you think you need. Again, trust that God has (or will) make it clear to you.
If you need a place to start, check out these saint-related blog posts from our archive:
- Patron Saints for Your Workout
- Inspirational Quotes from Catholic Saints to Motivate Your Workout
- The Saints of Holy Week: Walking with Those Who Walked with Jesus
- Simple Liturgical Living Ideas to Honor Our Lady of Lourdes on Her Feast Day
- Celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph
Saint of the Year Generator
This seems to be the most popular method for choosing a Saint of the Year. The Saint’s Name Generator created by Jennifer Fulwiler randomly chooses one for you.
You can pick the first saint you get but there is no shame in generating more than one name! Use the generator to brainstorm saints, learn about new ones, and bring the idea to prayer.
Pick from a Hat
This method is good if you are hoping to help others choose their saint of the year. Put the names of several saints into a hat and pull one out. We’ve even created a free printable PDF with 150 names from which you can choose!
This is a great resource for you to use in your parish or Bible study.
Picking a “Saint of the Year” allows you to grow in friendship with our heavenly brothers and sisters, engage in the rich tradition of our faith, and grow in holiness.
May your New Year be filled with God’s light and blessings.
All you holy men and women pray for us!
