2020 Patron Saint of the Year Devotion

December 29th at 2:40 PM: The drawing is complete and the results are below. Merry Christmas! May all of the saints intercede for us! For anyone looking for a prayer to your saint, you may always use the Prayer to Venerate Any Saint. I have been selected by St. Bede the Venerable. May he intercede for me this year in a special way.

January 2nd at 1:00 PM: For any additional requests, I will be performing another drawing on the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. So please feel free to continue to add names in the comments box below.

January 6th at 12:30 PM: Thank you for all who have wished to participate in this devotion. The final drawing has taken place and the results are below. Please use this year to get to know your saint. Pray to him/her. Make some true Catholic resolutions for yourself for this year. Ask your saint to intercede for you so you can conquer any of your sinful inclinations and grow in grace. Have the strength to do what you need to do the most in your spiritual life. Avoid bad company. Keep the Commandments. Pray the Rosary daily. Observe the First Fridays and First Saturdays. Ask your saint to help you.  

I am very pleased to again be a facilitator for the Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.  I have been part of this annual tradition since 2006 and have helped coordinate devotions for hundreds of families.  It is my pleasure to now be part of the 2020 Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.

If you find this devotion helpful and would like to support A Catholic Life in the next year, please submit a donation.  Your donation is especially important since I am not currently working professionally aside from my writing/speaking/catechesis work so the donation is quite helpful to me and to this blog. This devotion takes a significant amount of time to facilitate as I cut hundreds of saints' names on paper to draw them, and I pull them out after a prayer for each and every name submitted in the comments box.

SPONSOR: This Devotion is being sponsored again this year by CatechismClass.com.  Whether you are looking for godparent preparation courses, Sacramental preparation for your children, or just to better learn the Faith as an adult, CatechismClass.com has courses for all ages and walks of life.  Check out CatechismClass.com's affordable programs and make it a New Year's resolution to learn and live the Faith better than ever before.

You can read about the past devotions at the following posts:

• 2006 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2007 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2008 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2010 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2011 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2012 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2013 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2014 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2015 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2016 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2017 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2018 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2019 Saint for the Year Devotion

Again, I would like to take a few minutes to explain the devotion.

When will the saints be drawn?  This year I will start the drawing of saints on December 27th. Drawings will occur as the Litany of Saints are again recited.  That means results will likely be posted in the late afternoon (US Central Time) on Sunday, December 29, 2019.

How do I enter?  Just add the names of everyone (you and your family) that you want to be included in the drawing in the comment box below.  DO NOT also email them to me. Emailed entries will not be accepted. Please leave all entries in the comment box to this post.

This year, saints will be posted here after the drawing is complete.

What is the Saint for the Year Devotion? Here is my post on this from years past to clarify the matter. This is from the person that draws all of the saints. I don't draw the saints. I will merely pass on your name or screen name to her so that she will draw a saint for you. Also, I will pass on the name of any of your family or friends that would like to participate. This isn't superstition. St. Faustina did the same thing!

Last year hundreds of people received saints to be their special patron, and there were miraculous connections. It was truly amazing. We pray that this year the Holy Ghost will again work so that all participants receive a saint that they will be able to pray to for aid throughout the entire year:

Saint for the Year

I want to tell you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though. The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,” is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul. The excerpt is below.

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the  Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”Excerpt from Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina"

I have a container full of names ... I will be glad to pick out the name for you and send you the name if you prefer. I am so excited by my saint(s) ... I already picked mine. Well, I should say that they picked me ... I have Saints Marcus and Marcellianus ... they are twin brothers who were sent to prison before their death. St. Sebastian visited them continually in prison and helped keep their faith alive. They are buried near St. Felix and are specifically honored in Spain.

OK now ... here are a couple of immediate ironies in regard to these saints ... I have a SPECIAL place in my heart for twins! As a child, I LOVED reading the story about St. Sebastian. I had a children's book of saints and I think I wore out the pages on St. Sebastian! Felix is my grandfather's name! Silvia, our exchange student, is from Spain! I am so excited to have these two saints to walk through 2006 with me! I'm looking forward as to where and how they will intercede for me.

Please pass this message on through your blogs and/or email distribution lists, letting all of the Catholic Blogsphere have the chance to participate.

So, please leave it below in the comment box when you ask to participate. If you wish to remain anonymous, please leave your initials instead of your name.  Anonymous requests without names or initials will NOT be part of the drawing.  Do not add the same request more than once.  If your comment is posted below, it will count.

Note: DO NOT email me your entries. Emailed entries will not be accepted.  Leave all submissions here in the comments box to this blog post.

So, comment below and pass this message on throughout the entire Catholic Blogsphere!

Results of the Drawing

Name	Saint
Matthew	Blessed Margaret Ebner
Anna	St. Jerome
Maksim	St. Anne
Eric Peters	St. Francis de Sales
Fran T.	St. Martha
Dorothy C	Blessed James of Voragine
Cathleen W	St. Clare
Harry T	St. Richard of Vaucelles
Isabella T	St. Salvius of Amiens
Diane	St. John Bosco
K.J.	Blessed Jane of Orvieto
Shannon	St. Berno of Cluny
Tina M.	St. Austrebertha of Pavilly
Joe M.	St. Anne
Rina M.	Blessed Alponsus and Companions
John M.	St. Kevoca of Kyle
Julie T.	Pope St. Hyginus
Blake T.	St. Gotteschalk
Bella T.	St. Sebastian
Christine Mac	Blessed James of Voragine
Robert Mac	St. William of Aebelholt
Casey Mac	St. Noel Chabanel
Colin Mac	St. Emilie de Villeneuve
Grace M.	St. Basil the Great
Ron Forrester	St. Germana
Joan Forrester	Pope St. Pius I
Ben	Blessed Simon
Jeannie	St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Felicity	St. Sebastian of Aparicio
Sarah	Blessed Basil Hopko
Veronica	St. Charles Garnier
Joseph	St. Berno of Cluny
Augustine	St. William of Breteuil
Mark Angelo	St. Vaast of Arras
LPA	St. Rigobert of Rheims
TKH	St. Padre Pio
CG	St. Cecilia
Joey V	St. Marie of the Incarnation
Laura L	St. Peter Damien
LD	St. Augustin Schoeffler
BN	St. Rafael Guizar Valencia
AD	Blessed Aimo
TD	St. Bede the Venerable
GS	St. Pretextatus
MS	St. Anselm of Canterbury
IS	St. Leudwinus
MC	St. Apollinaris of Ravenna
Kathy Rossi	St. John Chrysostom
IreneK	St. Goswin
Olindo V	St. Leudadd of Bardsey
Valerie V	St. Helladius
Katie V	St. Paulinus of Trier
Tim W	St. Justin Martyr
Max D	St. Andrew
Jimmy D	Blessed Albert of Bergamo
Jeffrey D	St. Gordian
Michael D	Blessed James Salomonio
Francis D	Pope St. Hyginus
Nicholas D	St. Stanislaus Kostka
Dominic D	Pope St. Martin I
Xavier D	St. Benildus Romancon
Johnny D	St. Henry II
Peter D	Blessed Maria
Andrew D	Blessed Basil Hopko
Jacob D	St. Peter Faber
Griffin C	Blessed Sibyllina
Elijah C	St. Filippo Smaldone
Isaac C	St. Bruno
Douglas T	St. Sindeulphus
Mallory H	The Martyrs of Constantinope (Feast 7/8)
Landyn H	St. Agathangelus
Savanna H	St. Julio Alvarez Mendoza
Susan M	St. Leontius
Rich M	Blessed John of Salerno
Greg M	St. Martin of Tours
Fred M	St. Jeanne-Marie de Maille
Chad M	Blessed Stephen Bellesini
Douglas	Blessed Villana
Michelle	St. Polycarp
Shaun	Blessed Raymond of Capua
Cristina	St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Stephanie	St. Norbert
Gianna	St. Catherine Laboure
Leilani G.	St. Chrysanthus
Dominic	St. Paul of the Cross
Bryan	St. George
Zachary	St. Philip Benizi
Steven	St. Peter Fourier
Linda	St. Joachim
Michael	St. Faustinus
jmr1979	St. Ennodius
Nathan B	St. Aventinus of Tours
Dominic B	St. John of Parma
Josemaria	St. John of God
Tony	St. Tironensian Order
Haydee	St. Romana of Capua
Mike	Blessed John Dominic
Cherie	St. Gracilian
Rolly	Blessed Bezela of Goda
Boy	St. Gaugericus
Mary Ann	St. Anthony Zaccaria
Kristine	St. Marcellus I
Andy	St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi
Jenna S	Blessed Jose Vega Riano
Anna BG	Blessed Pier Giorgio
JL G	St. Andeolus of Smyrna
Jaime L	St. Noel Chabanel
Auliya G	St. Ambrose
Julio L	St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Roman L	St. Marcellus I
Janine D	St. Floribert of Liege
Kyle D	St. Francis Borgia
Nicole H	Pope St. Pius I
James Hargett	Blessed Josefa Navval Girbes
Joanna Hargett	St. Hilary of Poiters
Arwen Hargett	St. Louise de Marillac
Christian Hargett	Blessed Anthony della Chiesa
Cindy	St. Anastasius
Dustin	St. Judoc
Hailey	St. William of Breteuil
Lila	Blessed Crescencio Graacia Pobo
Elizabeth B.	St. Edward the Confessor
Mckenna R.	St. Chrysanthus
Baby R.	St. Joseph of Leonissa
Sonny R.	Pope St. Sixtus I
Levi R.	St. Lawrence
Jeanne R.	Saint Honoratus of Arles
Richard R.	St. Bernardine of Siena
Katie M.	Blessed Julia Rodzinska
Jana M.	St. Vaast of Arras
Kenneth M.	St. Julian the Hospitaller
Ramona R.	St. Stephen of Mar Saba
Arnold R.	St. Cosmas
Earlene R.	St. Florentius of Carracedo
Francesca R.	Blessed Bartholomew of Vincenza
Ehvalina R.	Blessed Henry
Hollie S.	St. Joan Antidea Thouret
Andres S.	Blessed Giles
Lorenzo S.	Blessed Dominic Spadafora
Andrew C.	St. Romana of Capua
Helen Margaret	Blessed Basil Hopko
Kevin B	St. Wistremundus of Cordoba
IJ	Blessed Ann of the Angles
Ryan	St. Edward the Confessor
Jeremy	St. Isidore of Alexandria
Debbie	Blessed Gonsalvo
Elaine	St. Francis de Sales
Fred	St. Florian of Lorch
Sandy	St. Mary Magdalene
Brandon	St. Matthew the Apostle
Sydnie	St. Edwin of Northumbria
Rachel	St. John of Capistrano
Kalab	St. Sebastian
Dick	St. Cosmas
Trey	St. Stephen
Kierra	St. Peter Canisius
Dave	St. Francis de Sales
Austin	St. Isaac Jogues
Autumn	Our Lady of Guadalupe
Abbie	St. Albert of Sicily
Caelin	St. Margaret of Hungary
Taiyler	St. Dymphna
Robert	St. John Bosco
Robin	St. Nicholas of Tolentino
Brandon	St. Damien of Molokai
Ally	St. Ivo of Kermartin
Jocelyn	St. Vladimir I of Kiev
Kasen	St. Tillo
Hadley	St. John of Parma
Eric	St. Helena
Tim	St. Lutgardis
Sue	Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro
Liam	St. Mary Clopas
Lincoln	St. Hedwig
Lilly	St. Basil the Great
Leah	St. Leonidas of Alexandria
Debbie	St. Pius V
Joe	St. Teresa Margaret Redi
Thomas	St. Sebastian
David	St. Dorothy of Montau
Stephanie	St. Barnabas
Matt W	St. Braulio of Saragossa
Jennie W	St. Joachim
Diego PL.	St. Peter the Apostle
Kelly	St. Angela Merici
Emily	St. Damian
Kyla	St. Ferdinand III of Castille
Jay	St. Mary Clopas
Sue	St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Suzanne	St. Leonard of Port Maurice
Josh	St. Andre Bessette
Joe	St. Raymond Nonnatus
Jen	St. Teresa of Avila
John	St. Paul Miki
Missy	St. Clotilde
Joan	St. Thomas the Apostle
Matt	Bl. Anne Marie Taigi
Mason C	St. Catherine of Siena
Alex M.	Bl. Marie Rose Durocher
Melody R.	St. Damien of Molokai
Elizabeth Lisa B.	St. Benedict
Marian E.	St. Gabriel the Archangel
James A. B.	Bl. Margaret of Castello

Support

I handle the planning, marketing, and drawing for this devotion each year without any cost. Please take a minute and if you are a supporter of this devotion, please consider leaving us a free will donation. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps me continue working on this devotion and spreading it further and it helps keep A Catholic Life online.