Patron Saint of Monks

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 "Monks" 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 Saints of Monks

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

Primary Patron
Saint Basil the Great

Feast Day
January 2

Saint Basil the Great is invoked as patron of monks. Basil was born about 330 into a family of saints in Cappadocia: his grandmother Macrina the Elder, his parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia, his sister Macrina the Younger, and his brothers Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste are all venerated as saints. He studied rhetoric at Caesarea, Constantinople, and Athens, where he formed his lifelong friendship with Gregory of Nazianzus.After visiting the monks of Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, Basil withdrew to Pontus to live an ascetic life. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070704.html.

Read full biography of Saint Basil the Great →

Saint Anthony of Egypt

Feast Day
January 17

Saint Anthony of Egypt is invoked as patron of monks. Anthony was born about 251 in Coma in middle Egypt to Christian Coptic parents. According to Athanasius's Life of Anthony (Vita Antonii), written shortly after the saint's death, his parents died when he was about eighteen, leaving him a substantial inheritance. Sources: https://www.usccb.org/resources/2026cal.pdf.

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Saint Benedict

Feast Day
July 11

Saint Benedict is invoked as patron of monks. Saint Benedict was born at Nursia in Umbria about 480, of a free family. The principal source for his life is Book II of the Dialogues of Pope Saint Gregory the Great (594), drawn from the testimony of four of Benedict's own disciples. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20080409.html.

Read full biography of Saint Benedict →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of monks?

Saint Basil the Great is the primary patron saint of monks. Their feast day is January 2.

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 Basil the Great's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "Basil the Great, 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.