In college, I traveled around Ecuador, a deeply Catholic country. I visited a chapel in the mountain town of Baños, where the walls were hung with casts and bandages and crutches and eye patches and handwritten notes of gratitude to saints. The sight made me tear up.
Cathedral and chapel in Baños. Photo courtesy Medios Públicos, via Wikimedia Commons
Many of the owners of these artifacts had prayed to the Virgin of Baños, who was said to have performed many miracles in the area. I knew Ecuadorians and other Catholics prayed to her and to God for healing. But with the help of my Ecuadorian host family and friends, I began to understand that there were all kinds of figures who could intercede with God on your behalf. Why bother the big guy, his son, or the Virgin, when you’ve got a specialist?
Desperate to heal
I have felt desperate, many times, for help from some unseen force. Something or someone into whose ears I could whisper my despair and receive healing. I have longed for the key to a cure that hangs around the neck of a loving protector, to borrow for a moment to unlock the right door.
A deep respect for believers
I am not a believer in the Christian God or any god per se. But that hasn't stopped me from longing. It hasn’t stopped me from feeling deep respect for those who do believe and ask for help. What is more holy than asking for help and showing gratitude for receiving it? Giving help, perhaps. But asking can feel harder.
Get specific with your saints
Catholics have many saints, as you know. What I didn't know before I set out on this particular research journey is how many saints there are for particular ailments. I mean, like, really particular.
The Magic Bullet list of patron saints
Here's a handy list (that barely scratches the surface of options) in case you feel like praying a Novena for what ails you. If you have prayed to one of these saints or another and found healing, please leave a note in the comments. I would love to hear about your experience.
Patron saint of diabetes, St. Josemaría Escrivá
Patron saint of cancer, St. Peregrine
Patron saint for addiction, St. Maximilian Kolbe
Patron saint for throat illnesses, St. Blaise
Patron saint for mental illness (I keep her really busy. Keep trying if you get a busy signal.), St. Dymphna
St. Dymphna, Thijs Collection (University of Antwerp), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Patron saint of infections, St. Padre Pio
Patron saint for headaches, St. Teresa Avila
Patron saint for heart disease, St. John of God
Patron saint for dropsy, St. Quentin
Patron saint for epilepsy, St. Bibiana
Patron saint for blindness, St. Lucy
Patron saint for breast cancer, St. Agatha
Patron saint for hopeless causes, St. Jude
Patron saint for stomach ailments, St. Erasmus
Patron saint for snake bites, St. Hilary
Keep trying if you get a busy signal! LOL
Equador!!!! Sounds amazing 😍 I was supposed to go there right after college graduation but chased a boyfriend instead. Wish I'd gone! How was it??