Musculoskeletal Saint Patronage

In Christian faith, a patron saint is regarded as the heavenly protector of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person. They are also viewed as advocates for the church. They may be recognized in Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Lutheranism.

You can see page to learn the origin of patronage in Western Christianity here and most widespread during the High Middle Ages. Many towns were named after a patron and nearly every institution or circumstance of life had a heavenly protector. This tradition was especially popular among guilds of artisans and craftsmen, who were linked to their heavenly protectors by an attribute or legend associated with the saint’s name that made it easy for them to identify the saint with their chosen trade.

See page to learn about the wide variety of patron saint medals, all with different characteristics. They might be a particular saint who was martyred for a cause that was close to their hearts, or they might be the patron of a specific disease or injury.

Often, the patron saint of a specific disease or illness is named for a miracle that took place. For example, a priest who was healed of leukemia was a patron saint of cancer patients, and a late-comer to soccer is now the patron saint of athletes in general.

These saints were systematically reviewed and their patronage of injuries, musculoskeletal complaints and orthopaedic pathology was investigated in an attempt to understand the earliest sources of this association. A systematic search was performed in multiple reference texts and online academic databases, alongside biographic research of primary and secondary archives and documents.

The study included over 300 canonised and recognised saints with documented patronage of a musculoskeletal complaint, injury or other orthopaedic condition. They were selected for inclusion based on the criteria that they were canonised or recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, had a known musculoskeletal ailment and were accompanied by at least one recognised source of their enigmatic connection.

Saintly patronage of musculoskeletal conditions dates back to the Middle Ages and continues in practice today, with numerous sacramentals and relics being associated with a particular ailment. The earliest recorded example of the association is believed to be the saintly patronage of St. Acutis, a devout Roman Catholic who died of leukemia in 2006.

As time went by, the list of saintly patrons continued to expand. For instance, many guilds of artisan and craftsmen adopted a heavenly protector, typically a saint who had suffered some type of injury or was linked to an attribute that appealed to their members. Eventually, these patrons became a part of the social life of the guild and were celebrated in the liturgy and cultural practices of the group.

The saint patronage medal is a powerful spiritual tool, and it can be a source of comfort and strength in the face of trials or challenges. It is especially useful for those who are suffering from a specific ailment or concern and for children and adolescents, as their heavenly protectors can be particularly helpful in encouraging them to pray and ask for help. Having a relationship with these heavenly intercessors can help you to draw closer to the Lord and develop a personal devotion to Christ. Check out this post that has expounded on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_necklace.