Patron Saint

This idea is perhaps best seen in the notion of a “patron saint” – that is, a heavenly intercessor or advocate in heaven on behalf of a nation, place, or profession. Some examples of this development may be noted.

1. A place. During the Middle Ages, it was common for a city which grew to prominence to acquire the remains of a famous saint who had lived and was buried elsewhere, and transfer them to its cathedral. This was seen as conferring considerable prestige on the city. The best-known example of this is the city of Venice, which is traditionally held to have secured the remains of Saint Mark from Egypt in the ninth century. The iconic St. Mark’s Basilica was built to house these relics. The patron saint of Venice had origi- nally been the martyr Theodore of Amasea; once the relics of Mark arrived, however, the city decided to upgrade its patron saint.

2. A profession. Luke – the author of both the gospel bearing his name and the Acts of the Apostles – was a physician, often leading to his being spoken of as a “physician of the soul” in Christian spiritual and devotional writings. It was natural that he would be adopted as the patron saint of the medical profession. Hospital chapels were often dedicated to Luke for this reason.

The notion of an “indulgence” also came to be linked with the cult of the saints. Strictly speaking, an “indulgence” was understood as the relaxation or remission of any penance required of sinners. They were not understood as the cause of the forgiveness of sins, which was seen as God’s prerogative. The medieval church, building on established customs of the early church, imposed penances on those who confessed their sins, partly as a sign of genuine contrition or repentance. In the early thirteenth century, this notion was devel- oped further. The Dominican theologian Hugh of St. Cher argued that there was a “treasury” of grace at the church’s disposal, as a result of the merits of Christ and the saints.