Loretto’s Favorite Saints

Who are your favorite saints — those who have set your heart on fire?

A few of our Loretto members happen to share the same favorite saint.

Loretto Co-member Patty Kane writes, “My favorite saint and my Confirmation name is St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She believed in the little ways of love and finding holiness in small deeds. Very simple in life.”

Loretto Sister Jeannine Gramick notes, “My favorite saint is St. Thérèse of Lisieux because her spirituality was so simple, direct and at the heart of the matter: Love. Popularly known as the Little Flower, Pope Pius X (not one of my favorite popes because of his persecution of the modernists) called her ‘the greatest saint of modern times.’ Even though she was cloistered, her autobiography, ‘The Story of a Soul,’ influenced millions of people, including me. It helped me to realize the value of kindness and that ‘small things mean a lot.’”

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, known as “The Little Flower,” is the patron saint of missions, missionaries, florists and pilots. She is also recognized as a patroness of France, people with tuberculosis/AIDS, gardeners and orphans. 

May her “little way” remind us that love in small things can change the world.

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Loretto Sister Concha De La Cruz shares, “My favorite saint is St. Teresa of Avila. I admire her wit, her way of speaking to God directly — as if God were right there with her.

“My favorite quote from her is what I go to whenever I’m in any kind of rut, situation, mood or conflict.

“‘Nada te turbe

Nada te espante

Todo se pasa

Dios no se muda

La paciencia todo lo alcanza

Quien a Dios tiene

NADA LE FALTA

SOLO, DIOS BASTA’

“I have seen various translations of this into English, but none impress me like the one in Spanish. I guess the main thought is that if you really believe that God is with you, you don’t need anything else. She says so much in just those few words!

“One of the best stories I have heard about her is that a man came to see for himself if she was very holy, very intelligent and very beautiful. Her answer was, ‘Holy, only God can say. I am not dumb, and as far as beautiful — you judge for yourself!'”

St. Teresa of Avila is the patron saint of headache sufferers, writers and lacemakers. Known for reforming the Carmelite order and her profound mystical writings, she is also a patron saint of Spain, people in need of grace and those ridiculed for their piety. 

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Loretto Co-member Beth Blissman’s favorite saint has long been Teresa of Avila, because she was able to study and practice as a doctor, as well as compose beautiful music and challenge the patriarchal Church structures of her time. 

Loretto at the UN intern Grace Broome likes St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletics, archery and plagues. He’s oftentimes depicted pierced by arrows. There’s a positive LGBTQ+ association with him because Oscar Wilde loved him.

Grace and Beth agreed that one of their absolute favorite saints is Brigid of Kildare, because they share her Irish/Celtic heritage and she was a fierce feminist who was simultaneously a cultural bridge-builder.

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Loretto Co-member Kitty Madden notes, “It was through my accompaniment of the people of Nicaragua beginning in the late ‘70s that I first came to know the life and work of Archbishop Oscar Romero. He is definitely one of my favorite saints. When Romero was named archbishop of El Salvador. He opened himself to listen to and be converted by the poor. He modeled for all church workers what it meant to accompany (walk with) the people. As he explained, ‘It is the poor who tell us what the world is and how the Church’s service to the world should be.’**

“As Romero spoke truth to power — the ruling class and military dictatorship of El Salvador in the ‘70s — he was often called ‘the voice of the voiceless.’ In the midst of a war that was killing thousands of people, he often spoke to the military through his homilies, begging them to ‘lay down your arms, my brothers.’ While offering Mass at the Carmelite sisters’ chapel March 24, 1980, he was brutally murdered by those same ‘brothers.’ He is often called the ‘prophet of the Americas’ and is called on by all those working for peace.

“St. Oscar Romero, be with all of us as we work for peace in all our world. Give us daily the courage we need to continue to speak truth to power.”

St. Oscar Romero is the patron saint of El Salvador, the Americas and persecuted Christians. Known as the “voice of the voiceless,” he is also a patron for Christian communicators and those advocating for social justice, human rights and the poor.

**Quote is from the newsletter of The Religious Task Force on Central America and Mexico, March, 1981. Excerpt taken from a speech given at the Louvain University, Feb 2, 1980.

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Loretto Co-member Barbara Hagan’s favorite saints are:

• “St. Anthony: He helps me find things
• “St. Jude: He helps me through challenges of ‘impossible causes’ — the toughest times in my life!
• “St. Christopher: He is the protector of the traveler — I have him in my car always
• “St. Joseph: He watches over my daily actions and helps send someone my way when needed. The late Sister Bernadette Mary Fischer SL years ago said, ‘When you need help, pray to St. Joseph and he’ll send someone your way.’ The sisters would tell tales of placing their intentions under his toe of the statue in the Motherhouse convent/dining room courtyard area, and St. Joseph would send someone to help with their project!”