When you need a little extra help in your corner, who are you going to call? Who would have guessed that there is a patron saint for astronauts, or zookeepers, or bloggers? You know to pray to St. Blaise to protect you from a sore throat, but which saint will protect you against snake bite, or being struck by lightning? With thousands of listings of patron saints, you ll find heavenly helpers for just about every profession, every ailment, every cause, as well as many of God's creatures in the animal kingdom. Authoritative and wide-ranging, informative, entertaining, and full of surprises, Patron Saints will help make the saints part of your everyday life. It can invigorate your faith, increase your devotion to the saints, and help sustain you through any rough patch that comes your way. And it's ideal for Confirmation candidates who are trying to pick a new name. You ll meet the patron saints of stockbrokers, bakers, florists, plumbers, and highway construction crews. You ll learn which saint to invoke against headache, toothache, appendicitis, and procrastination. And you'll discover that there are patron saints to save the whales, for the right-to-life movement, environmentalists, and the Internet. And there are several patron saints for stressed wives and mothers. Each entry explains why the saint is patron of whatever he or she is patron of, includes a summary of the saint's life, and highlights unusual or little-known facts about the saint. The book includes an index for easy reference, as well as a liturgical calendar that lists the feasts days of the patron saints.