A patron saint is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Since the time of the early Christians up to the present, a vast number of patron saints have been recorded.
The following is a list of saints who are often called upon for special purposes.
Against demons and witchcraft[]
- Ss. Cyprian & Justina (October 2)
- St. Mitrophan of Voronezh (November 23, August 7)
- St. Theodore the Sykeote (April 22)
Against drinking[]
Against the plague[]
- St. Bessarion of the Saviour, Archbishop of Larissa (September 15)
- St. Haralambos (February 10)
- St. Marina the Great Martyr (July 17)
Delivery from sudden death[]
- St. Barbara the Great Martyr (December 4)
For a good end to one's life[]
- Holy Archangel Michael (November 8)
- St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople (September 14)
For animals and livestock[]
- Holy Martyr Mamas (September 2)
- Ss. Speusippus, Eleusippus, and Meleusippus: horses (January 16)
- St. George: cattle & herds (April 23)
- St. Modestus of Jerusalem (December 18)
- St. Parthenius of Radovizlios: cattle (July 21)
- St. Tryphon: geese (February 1)
For captives and court cases[]
- St. George the Great Martyr (April 23)
- St. Onouphrios the Great (June 12)
- St. Peter of Athos (June 12)
- St. Simeon the God-Receiver (February 3)
- St. Dismas, the Good Thief (March 25)
For care and protection of infants[]
- St. Stylianos (November 26)
For chastity and help in carnal warfare[]
- Holy Martyr Ignatios of Athos (October 8)
- Holy Martyr Theodore the Byzantine (February 17)
- St. Anysia the Virgin Martyr (December 30)
- St. Basil of Mangazea (March 23)
- St. Demetrios the Great Martyr (October 26)
- St. John the Forerunner (August 29)
- St. John the Much-Suffering (July 18)
- St. Joseph the All-Comely (the Patriarch; Holy Monday)
- St. Martinian (February 13)
- St. Mary of Egypt (April 1 and the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt)
- St. Moses the Hungarian (July 26)
- St. Susanna (Old Testament; December 17)
- St. Thomais (April 13 or 14)
For children[]
- St. Nicholas of Myra (December 6)
For church chanting[]
- Ss. Leonty and Geronty, Canonarchs of Kievo-Pechersk (July 18 and April 1)
- St. John Koukouzelis (October 1)
- St. Romanos the Melodist (October 1)
- St. Theodosius of Chernigov (February 5)
For cobblers[]
- St. Eustathius the Cobbler of Georgia (July 29)
For ears[]
For eyes[]
- St. Lucia of Sicily (December 13)
- St. Paraskevi (July 26)
For finding employment[]
For finding things[]
- St. Menas the Great Martyr of Egypt (November 11)
- St. Phanourios the Great Martyr (August 27)
For guilelessness and simplicity[]
For headaches[]
- Holy New Martyr Demas of Smyrna (April 10)
For help against quick-temper and despondency[]
- St. Tikhon of Zadonsk (August 13)
For help in distress or poverty[]
- St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
- St. John the Almsgiver of Alexandria (November 12)
- St. Martin of Tours, the Merciful (November 12)
- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 6)
For help in studies[]
- St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
- St. Justin the Philosopher (June 1)
- St. Nestor the Chronicler of Kievo-Pechersk (October 27)
- St. Sergius of Radonezh (September 25)
- Three Hierarchs: St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian (January 30)
For hernias and intestinal disorders[]
- Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch (October 20)
- St. Artemius of Verkola (June 23 and October 20)
For iconographers[]
- St. Alypius of Kievo-Pechersk (August 17)
- St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist (October 18)
- St. John of Damascus (December 4)
For marital difficulties[]
- Holy Martyrs Shamuna, Guria, and Habib (November 15)
- Ss. Peter and Febronia of Muron: also for newlyweds (June 25)
For meeting a difficult situation[]
- Holy Archangel Raphael (November 8)
- Ss. Cosmas and Damian and their brothers Anthimus, Leontius, and Evropius of Arabia (October 17)
- Ss. Cosmas and Damian and their mother Theodoti of Asia Minor (November 1)
- Ss. Cosmas and Damian of Rome (July 1)
- Ss. Cyrus and John of Alexandria (January 31)
- Ss. Panteleimon and Hermolaus (July 27 and July 26)
- St. Anicetus (August 12)
- St. David the Prophet, Psalmist, and King (Sunday of the Forefathers and the Sunday following the Nativity)
- St. Diomedes the Healer (August 16)
- St. John of Kronstadt (December 20)
- St. Julian the Martyr (June 21)
- St. Mocius (May 11)
- St. Nectarios of Aegina (november 9)
- St. Thallelaus (Armenian saint)
- St. Zoticos the Orphan-Keeper (December 30 or 31)
- The Holy Unmercenaries and Healers
For mental disorders[]
- St. Anastasia (October 12)
- St. Gerasimos of Cephalonia: the possessed (August 16)
- St. Naum of Ochrid (June 20)
For patient endurance of affliction[]
- Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia: especially in freezing cold weather
- Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Amorion
- Righteous Job the Much-Suffering (May 6)
- St. Eustathius Placidas & Family (September 20)
- St. Pimen the Much-Suffering of Kievo-Pechersk (August 7)
For perfumers[]
- St. Abo the Perfumer of Georgia (January 8)
For physicians[]
- St. Panteleimon (July 27)
- The Holy Unmercenaries
- St Agapit the Physician of Kievo-Pechersk (June 1)
For protection against thieves[]
- St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Kievo-Pechersk (January 8)
For protection of crops from pests[]
- St. Gerasimos the New Ascetic (October 20)
- St. Michael of Synnada (May 23)
For protection of gardens against pests[]
- Holy Great Martyr Tryphon: also for hunters and Patron of Moscow (February 1)
For safe childbirth[]
- St. Eleutherios (August 4 and December 15)
For soldiers[]
- Holy Archangel Michael (November 8)
- St. Barbara the Great Martyr (December 4)
- St. George the Great Martyr
- St. Titus the Soldier of Kievo-Pechersk (February 27)
For spiritual help, consolation, and compunction[]
- St Alexios the Man of God (March 17)
- St Ephraim the Syrian (January 28)
- St Seraphim of Sarov (January 2)
For stone-workers[]
- Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus (August 18)
For teeth[]
- St. Antipas of Pergamum (April 11)
For the kitchen and home[]
- Ss. Spyridon and Nikodim of Kievo-Pechersk: Prosphora making (October 31)
- St. Euphrosynos the Cook (September 11)
- St. Juliana Lazarevskaya (January 2)
- St. Prochor of Kievo-Pechersk (February 10)
- St. Sergius of Radonezh: for baking (September 25)
For the throat[]
- St. Blaise of Sebaste (February 11)
For trading[]
- St. Paraskevi (July 26)
For travelers[]
- St. John the Russian: for transport, auto, buses (May 27)
- St. Nicholas: in general, and specifically for sea travel (December 6)
- St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople: for safety at sea (August 11)
For workers in hospitals[]
- Holy Unmercenaries
- St. Dositheus, Disciple of Abba Dorotheus (February 19)
For young people[]
- Holy Great Martyr Demetrios the Wonderworker (October 26)
To have a child[]
- St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos (September 9)
- St. Elizabeth, Mother of the Forerunner (September 5)
- St. Irene of Chrysovolantou (July 28)
- St. Sabbas the Sanctified of Palestine (December 5)
- St. Symeon the Myrrh-streamer, father of St. Savva of Serbia (February 13)