OUR MINISTRY PATRONS
'Transforming hearts; changing lives with the power of Holy Spirit'
Catholic patrons are often chosen by ministries to be special intercessors with God on behalf of the ministry, the team and the mission. Our beautiful advocates below have been chosen and appointed from the cloud of witnesses because of the connection these saints have to us. We will explain more below.
Our Lady of Walsingham
Feast Day: 24th September
Patron of: England
Transform Ministries is a ministry rooted in Marian tradition. As a ministry with a heart for the evangelisation of the British Isles, we turn to Our Lady, especially as 'Our Lady of Walsingham'. However, we also turn to Our Lady with her many other beautiful titles. For us, the following titles are held very dear to us: Our Lady Undoer of Knots; Our Lady of Good Counsel; Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception; Our Lady of Grace; Our Lady, Mother of Mercy and Our Lady of Good Health.
Dearest Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Queen of Peace, we cry out to you begging you to intercede on our behalf before your precious Son, Jesus Christ.
Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us!
St Michael Archangel
Feast Day: 29th September
Patron of: grocers, soldiers, doctors, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness
Transform Ministries was formally established on 29th September (2023) - the feast of the Archangels - so St Michael has a special place in our hearts.
St. Michael (also known as Saint Michael the Archangel or simply Archangel Michael) is associated with courage, protection and divine intervention.
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He is a spiritual warrior in the battle of good versus evil. He is considered a champion of justice, a healer of the sick and the guardian of the Church. In art, St. Michael is depicted with a sword, a banner or scales and is often shown vanquishing Satan in the form of a dragon.
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At Transform Ministries, we could not call on a more relevant or powerful intercessor and defender than this special patron.
Pray for us St Michael!
St Mary Magdalene
Feast Day: 22nd July
Patron of: Converts, repentant sinners, perfume makers and is associated with prostitutes.
St. Mary Magdalene, also called Mary of Magdala, is one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples. She was present at Christ's Crucifixion and burial and is famous, according to the gospels of Mark and John, for being the first person to see the resurrected Christ.
She is also associated with the sinful woman who repented and anointed Christ's feet with perfumed oil.
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St Mary Magdalene is a legendary example of God's mercy and grace of which we are all, without exception, in dire need. There, by the grace of God, go I!
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St Mary Magdalene pray for us!
St Faustina (Maria Faustyna Kowalska)
Feast Day: 5th October
Patron of: Mercy
St Faustina, also known as Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, was a Polish Catholic religious sister of the 'Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy'. She is referred to as a great mystic of the Church. Faustyna, popularly spelled "Faustina", had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of "Secretary of Divine Mercy".
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Throughout her life, Kowalska reported having visions of Jesus and conversations with him, which she noted in her diary, later published as "The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul".
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St Faustina was the first saint canonised in the new millennium by St Pope John Paul II.
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We are all in need of God's great mercy and as the 'Secretary of Divine Mercy', we call upon this great saint to intercede before the throne of heaven for us.
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St Faustina pray for us!
St Padre Pio
Feast Day: 23rd September
Patron of: Healing, Civil defence volunteers, Adolescents, Stress relief & 'January blues'
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more commonly known as “Padre Pio,” is one of the most extraordinary and fascinating saints of modern times. With an incredible amount of miracles attributed to him, we look to Padre Pio as the patron saint of healing.
When we consider St. Pio’s life, we cannot help but be inspired by his endless humility and piety. On the day of Pio's canonisation, St John Paul II suggested three ways to emulate the saint and reasons for us to seek his intercession: to bear the yoke of Christ, to be a person of prayer, and to love others mercifully.
St Pio is well known for meditating on the following prayer:
"Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen."
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We ask for St Pio's intercession that we may all remain faithful to the Lord's mission for each of our commissions.
St Pio pray for us!
Jornal O Bom Católico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
St Charbel
Feast Day: 24th July
Patron of: Those who suffer in body and soul
St. Charbel, born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf, spent most of his life as a hermit at the St Maron monastery in Annaya, Lebanon in the Maronite Order, carrying the name Charbel. He was a typical hermit, spending his time praying and worshipping. St. Charbel was extremely devoted to the Eucharist.
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Following his death, for several months, dazzling lights were seen around his grave. His corpse, which had been secreting sweat and blood, was transferred into a special coffin. His body was exhumed multiple times and Church authorities found him completely incorrupt.
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Many visiting pilgrims, through this intercession, were blessed with healing and spiritual graces. Alleged healings through St. Charbel’s intercession include healings from cancer, stroke, cysts and the healing of a premature baby.
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In this time of such great need for healing of our wounded souls, we implore the intercession of this saint.
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St Charbel pray for us!
St Rita of Cascia
Feast Day: 22nd May
Patron of: Impossible causes, heartbroken women (especially infertility), abuse victims, loneliness, marriage difficulties, parenthood, widows and bodily ills
Saint Rita, born Margherita Lotti, became a wife and mother at only twelve years old to a man of violent temper. He often mistreated Rita and was a womaniser.
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Following the death of her husband her two sons, Rita entered the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene in Cascia. Whilst there, Rita was devoted to the Passion of Christ and one day asked, "Please let me suffer like you, Divine Saviour." After her request, a wound appeared on her forehead, as if a thorn from Christ's crown had pierced her. It caused her to suffer until the day she died. It is said that as she neared her death, Rita asked for a rose from the garden. Despite it being January, there was a single rose in bloom which was given to Rita. Following her death, she was later discovered to be incorrupt.
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St Rita, you experienced the vocations of both marriage and religious life. You bore many pains and burdens in both vocations. Be with us, as we bare both the wonders but also the wounds of our vocations. Help us to be brave and courageous.
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St Rita pray for us!
St Monica
Feast Day: 27th August
Patron of: Homemakers, married women, mothers, abuse victims, alcoholics and widows. Invoked against difficult marriages and difficult children
St. Monica, also known as Monica of Hippo, is St. Augustine of Hippo's mother. Monica married very young to a man with a violent temper. They had three children: Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. For years Monica prayed for her husband and mother-in-law, until finally, one year before Patricius' death, she successfully converted them.
Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life but Augustine lived a lazy, crude life style. At 17, Augustine was sent to Carthage for schooling where he wondered further from his faith. Shortly after his return home, he left for Rome and then Milan where he worked as a lawyer. Monica persistently pursued him to no avail until she came upon St. Ambrose who helped her convert Augustine to Christianity. Shortly after Augustine was baptised Monica passed away.
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In 1430, Pope Martin V ordered her relics to be brought to Rome and many miracles were reported to have occurred along the way.
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St Monica, you never gave up! You are an amazing example to us of persistence and perseverance. We ask that you intercede for us that we may, with courage and determination, never give up on our pursuit of the Lord.
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St Monica, pray for us!
St Augustine of Hippo
Feast Day: 28th August
Patron of: Theologians and brewers
St Augustine of Hippo is the famous son of St. Monica. He is the patron saint of brewers because of his miraculous conversion from his wicked living and false beliefs. His conversion is an inspiration to many struggling with vices or habits they long to break.
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Though highly intelligent and brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride blinded him from seeing the Divine Truth. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the Truth. Yet he still did not become a Christian because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, Augustine cried out to God and just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the Letters of St. Paul and read the first passage he saw describing the putting away of all impurity and instead live in imitation of Jesus. Augustine immediately began a new life! He was baptised, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty, preached very often and prayed with great fervor right up until his death.
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When we feel we do not have the strength to change our lives, we call upon you St Augustine to intercede for us.
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St Augustine of Hippo pray for us!
