Patron saint medals are symbols of Christian faith and devotion that help us stay in remembrance of our most cherished heavenly friends.

We wear a patron saint medal because we have faith that from heaven that saint is available to intercede for us in every aspect of our earthly life.

The secular world does not understand this faith, and often looks with disdain or confusion upon those who do.

However, there was a time when faith in saints and the spiritual world they inhabit was as commonly accepted as the faith in the cycles of nature.

No one doubts that the cold winter will be followed by a warm spring, or that the sun's light will dispel the deep darkness of night.

With the same assurance, much of the world in times past believed that a righteous person lived on beyond the grave in the heavenly realm, where, according to their degree of holiness on earth, they possessed special graces of intercession before the throne of God.

The secular world, mired in self-serving pursuits and insatiable pleasures, is unable to accept the fact that our lives on earth have a purpose that points to an eternal life beyond this earthly one. Such a thought is too confrontational. It suggests that just perhaps the selfish focus on one's own material sphere misses the mark of what life is really about. And it does.

Wearing patron saint medals proclaims the belief that others have indeed lived holy lives in such complete submission to God, that they are given the special grace of dynamically interacting with those of us still walking this earth who offer them honor and veneration.

Prayerfully choose a patron saint medal for yourself or someone dear to you, and keep the flame of your faith alive!

Christianity was born into a dynamic and diverse environment that included the Jewish religion, pagan philosophies and practices, and Roman political power.

A common practice among the pagans was the wearing of amulets, pieces of metal or other material that was believed to ward off evil spirits or physical disease. The Church took this practice of wearing a symbol and turned it into a way to express devotion to Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and exceptionally holy persons identified as saints. Whereas the pagans believed their amulets actually possessed magical powers, Christians valued their medals as reminders of their Christian faith and of the power of Jesus Christ in their lives.

The earliest known medal dates from the 2nd century and depicts the images of St. Peter and St. Paul. Many medals have been found from the 300s to the 700s, including one showing St. Lawrence being martyred on a grill.

Fourth century texts indicate that in some places the newly baptized were given medals to signify their entrance into the Church.

In the 1566,  Pope Pius V began the practice of the papal blessing of patron saint medals by blessing a medal depicting the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

During the Middle Ages, the intense and widespread devotion to saints and martyrs sent many of the faithful on pilgrimages to holy sites and shrines throughout Europe. At these sacred places it was customary for the pilgrims to receive medals honoring the saint being venerated.