5 Catholic Saints to Inspire You for Father’s Day

When God designed the family, He had a special role for fathers. Among many things, they are to protect the family and provide spiritual leadership. Today’s culture seems to minimize the importance of a father’s role in the family.

St. Pope John Paul II promoted the importance of fathers, and in his encyclical, Familiaris Consortio, he gave guidelines for fatherhood:

• Love your wife and children.
• Take an active role in the education of your children.
• Be a father who is present, not absent, in your children’s lives.
• Seek to provide unity and stability in the care of your family.
• Be a strong Christian witness and model experiencing Christ to your family.

With these guidelines in mind, here are five saints to inspire you for Father’s Day:

1. Louis Martin

Role model for:

• The sacrament of matrimony
• Raising children in the Catholic faith
• The Domestic Church
• Parents of children with religious vocations

Louis Martin and his wife, Zelie, were canonized together in 2015. Louis sought to live a single life dedicated to God, but was inspired by the Holy Spirit to marry his wife. After living a chaste Josephite marriage, his priest instructed him and his wife to have children. Louis and his wife had nine children, but sadly only five lived lived to adulthood, one of whom was St. Therese, the Little Flower.

St. Louis and his wife made their home a true domestic church, centered on their faith. He also raised his daughters after his wife’s death and encouraged his five daughters in religious vocations. You can learn more about St. Louis at Catholic Daily Readings and about his life and marriage at Franciscan Media.

2. Thomas More

Role model for:

• Widowers
• Parents of adopted children
• Attorneys
• Statesmen and politicians

Born in the 1400’s, St. Thomas More considered becoming a monk but discerned that marriage was his vocation. He and his wife had three daughters but his wife died in childbirth with his fourth, a son. He later remarried. A goal of his was to make sure his children were well-educated.

As an employee of Henry VIII, when he was challenged in his faith, his steadfastness led to imprisonment and eventually death. St. Thomas More’s writings are still studied today, and an organization is patterned after his life and integrity. You can learn more about him at Catholic Online and the Thomas More Society.

3. Isidore the Farmer

Role model for:

• Those who seek to put God first in their lives
• Farmers and rural laborers
• Those with a love for the poor

St. Isidore was born in the 12^th century in Spain and worked for the same landowner for his entire life. Known for his dedication to his work, he also communed with God during that time. He and his wife also ministered to the poor in his area. You can learn more about him at Catholic Exchange.

4. Pio of Pietrelcina

Role model for:

• Spiritual fathers
• Healing
• Civil defense volunteers
• Adolescents

Padre Pio, as he is affectionately called, was an Italian priest born in the late 1800’s. He was known for his piety, charity, reading souls in the confessional, and healing through the power of Jesus. He also was graced with the stigmata (wounds of Christ) and suffered much while the Church investigated this miraculous phenomena.

In particular, Padre Pio was known for his devotion to his spiritual children. These included people who sought his wisdom in spiritual direction and the hundreds who wrote letters to him. Padre Pio promised that after his own death, he would aid his spiritual children at the threshold of heaven until they and their families had arrived.

There are many organizations and websites devoted to Padre Pio, but you may find Catholic Online and the National Centre for Padre Pio to be particularly helpful.

5. Joseph

Role model for:

• Fathers
• Spiritual fathers
• Foster fathers

No list of inspirational fathers would be complete without St. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Humble, devoted to Our Lady, the one entrusted by the Father to raise His Son: St. Joseph is a hidden gem in the Catholic faith whose time has come.

In recent years churches, dioceses, and even Pope Francis have asked for the powerful intercession of St. Joseph. Among his many titles, he is the patron saint of the universal church and even the terror of demons!

One of the best resources now to increase your devotion to St. Joseph is a book by Fr. Donald Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. To find more information online, go to the Consecration to St. Joseph website.

Catholic Radio Can Inspire You in Your Fatherhood

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