Patron Saint of Diocesan Priests

Category: Clergy & Religious Life

In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf.

The designation of a patron saint for "Diocesan Priests" reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal proclamations by popes or bishops recognizing a saint's particular connection to this intention through the circumstances of their life, death, or documented miracles.

Patron Saint of Diocesan Priests

Formally proclaimed patronage — sourced from canonized saints in the Roman Calendar.

Primary Patron
Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions

Feast Day
October 19

Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions is invoked as patron of diocesan priests. The eight North American Martyrs were six French Jesuit priests and two lay donnés (lay associates) who served the Huron and Iroquois missions of New France between 1626 and 1649. The principal figures are Saint Jean de Brébeuf, the great evangelist of the Hurons, who composed the first Huron grammar and the celebrated Huron Carol, and Saint Isaac Jogues, who labored among the Mohawks.Jogues was captured by the Mohawks in 1642 with the lay donnés Saint René Goupil (martyred 29 September 1642) and the future Saint Jean de Lalande, savagely tortured, and held as a slave for thirteen months before being rescued by Dutch traders at Fort Orange (Albany). Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/it/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19281230_rerum-orientalium.html.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of diocesan priests?

Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions is the primary patron saint of diocesan priests. Their feast day is October 19.

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is a holy man or woman canonized by the Church whose life and heavenly intercession are considered especially powerful for particular needs, groups, or situations. Catholics ask patron saints to intercede — to pray to God on their behalf — drawing on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

How do I ask for John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, pray for us." You may also light a candle, attend Mass on their feast day, or make a novena — nine days of consecutive prayer — asking for their help before a particular need.