Patrons are the Saints in Catholic religious society. Catholics honor Patron Saints  as the Heroes of Faith. We follow the examples of Saints, we pray for their intercession, and trust the Saints to present our prayers to God. Many Catholics always have one or two Patron Saints. And those Saints set an example for them to look and live a better life.

The following are five Patron Saints who were mothers. Each these women has their own way of motherhood to raise children in order to be virtuous and holy.

1. The Blessed Mother Marie: The virtuous mother

Our Lady is the perfect example of motherhood. She has always followed God’s will, and she received special graces for being chosen to be the Mother of Jesus – God’s Son. However, she has faced many difficulties yet. When Marie was a young mother, she lived in poverty and had to flee to Egypt, far away from family and friends. She also suffered the pain when watching her beloved Son to be executed. Our Lady understands the difficulties we face, and her intercession is especially effective because she is always close to Jesus.

There are many feasts of Our Lady throughout the year, but the most special is the feast of the Mother of God on January 1.

2. St. Gianna: The sacrificial mother

We often think of Saints as people who lived long ago, but St. Gianna is a modern day Saint. She is just a mother and a pediatrician, a person who works tirelessly in her community. She sacrificed her life so that her child could live. Diagnosed with a tumor in her uterus, but Gianna absolutely refused to have an abortion or a hysterectomy, she suffered the pain to give birth normally. She died after the birth of her fourth child, this person is still alive today and very active in the pro life movement.

Her feast day is celebrated on April 28th.

3. St. Monica: The persistent mother

St. Monica was the mother of St. Augustine, but she had to suffer greatly for her son. As a young man, St. Augustine lived a wild and sinful life, ignored all his mother’s admonitions to Christian values. Nevertheless, she refused to leave her son, and followed him everywhere, prayed for her son and begged him to give up the sin. Eventually, her perseverance was rewarded by God. St. Augustine returned, became a priest, then became a bishop, and wrote many valuable books.

Her feast day is celebrated on August 27th.

4. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: The patient mother

St. Elizabeth is the first saint to be born in the United States. She grew up in the Episcopal church, married a wealthy merchant and had five children. Unfortunately, her husband’s business went bankrupt, and her husband died of tuberculosis. The widow raised her children, then she joined Catholicism and opened a school in order to support her family. She endured many hardships, including the death of two daughters, but she was always happy and hopeful. Finally, Elizabeth contracted tuberculosis like her husband and died at age 46.

Her feast day is celebrated on January 4th.

5. St. Judith: The simple mother

St. Judith was born into a wealthy family in what is today Germany. She married an aristocrat and had seven children. Her husband enjoyed a lavish life, but she gently helped him to live a simple life so that they could save money to help the poor. She also taught her children to live a simple life and care for unfortunate in their community. After her husband died and her children were grown, Judith sold all her property and entered the convent, spent the rest of her life to help the poor and sick.

Her feast day is celebrated on May 5th.

You can read the legends about other Mothers in Vietnam here