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A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person.
The term may be applied to individuals to whom similar roles are ascribed in other .
Occupations sometimes have a patron saint who had been connected somewhat with it, although some of the connections were tenuous. Lacking such a saint, an occupation would have a patron whose acts or miracles in some way recall the profession. For example, when the previously unknown occupation of photography appeared in the 19th century, Saint Veronica was made its patron, owing to how her veil miraculously received the imprint of Jesus's face after she wiped off the blood and sweat.
The veneration or commemoration and recognition of patron saints or saints in general is found in Catholic Church (including Eastern Catholicism), Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and among some Lutheranism and Anglicanism. According to the Catholic catechism a person's patron saint, having already attained the beatific vision, is able to intercede with God for their needs.
Apart from Lutheranism and Anglicanism, it is, however, generally discouraged in other Protestantism branches, such as Calvinism, where the practice is considered a form of idolatry. (1992). 071903552X, Manchester University Press. 071903552X
However, the Wahhabism and Salafi movement movements have latterly attacked the veneration of saints (as patron or otherwise), which they claim are a form of idolatry or shirk. More mainstream Sunni clerics have critiqued this argument since Wahhabism first emerged in the 18th century.
Druze identify Elijah as "al-Khidr". Druze, like some Christians, believe that the Prophet Elijah came back as Saint John the Baptist, since they believe in reincarnation and the transmigration of the soul, Druze believe that El Khidr and Saint John the Baptist are one and the same; along with Saint George.
Due to the Christian influence on the Druze faith, two Christian saints become the Druze's favorite venerated figures: Saint George and Saint Elijah. Thus, in all the villages inhabited by Druzes and Christians in central Mount Lebanon a Christian church or Druze maqam is dedicated to either one of them. According to scholar Ray Jabre Mouawad the Druzes appreciated the two saints for their bravery: Saint George because he confronted the dragon and the Prophet Elijah because he competed with the pagan priests of Baal and won over them. In both cases the explanations provided by Christians is that Druzes were attracted to Military saint that resemble their own militarized society.
Buddhism also includes the idea of protector deities, which are called "Dharma protectors" (Dharmapala).
In Druze faith
Elijah and Jethro (Shuaib) are considered patron saints of the Druze people. In the Old Testament, Jethro was Moses' father-in-law, a Kenite shepherd and priest of Midian.Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. Muslim scholars and the Druze identify Jethro with the prophet Shuaib, also said to come from Midian. Shuaib or Jethro of Midian is considered an ancestor of the Druze who revere him as their spiritual founder and chief prophet. (2025). 9781135355616, Routledge. ISBN 9781135355616
In Eastern religions
In Hinduism, certain sects may devote themselves to the veneration of a saint, such as the Balmikism that reveres Valmiki.
See also
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