| a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc. |
| patron saint n. A saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven for a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. |
A saint from whom a person or group claims special protection or prayers. Saint Christopher, for example, is considered the patron of travelers; Saint Luke, the patron of doctors; and Saint Patrick, the patron of Ireland. People who have the same name as a saint may consider the saint their patron. The honoring of patron saints is especially common in the Roman Catholic Church.
