Saints: A Research Guide
All of the world’s main religions recognize saints, holy persons who becomes religious heroes by virtuous actions and deeds. Depending on the religion, saints are revered in different ways. Patron saints represent such things as animals, occupations, diseases, and days of the year. For example, did you know that Brendan the Navigator is the patron saint of whales or that Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of libraries? Use the references below to find out who your patron saint is! This guide introduces researchers to some of the basic informational sources on the topic. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.
Reference Books
Butler’s Lives of the Saints by Alban Butler, et al. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, c1995–2000. Bibliographic information varies. ISBN: 0814623778
The 200-year-old series has undergone a thorough revision and rewriting in the most recent version and is now presented as a 12-volume set that corresponds to the months of the year—each volume contains entries on saints with feast days in that month.
Dictionary of Saints, 2nd ed. by John J. Delaney. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 2003. ISBN: 0385135947.
Includes more than five thousand biographies of the saints, including martyrs, monks, mystics, virgins, doctors, and peasants. More in-depth listings for popular saints and thumbnail sketches for those less known. Includes the newly canonized saints, a complete listing of feast days, and an index of patron saints.
Lives of the Saints: from Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa by Richard P. McBrien. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2003, 2001. ISBN: 0060653418.
An A-to-Z guide on the lives of the saints. Emphasis on sanctity, historical and theological histories of the saints.
Oxford Dictionary of Saints, 5th ed. by David Hugh Farmer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: 019860629X.
Includes accounts of the lives, cults, and artistic associations of over 1,400 saints. This edition includes a new appendix on pilgrimage sites in Europe. Includes only those saints venerated in the British Isles.
Books for Children
New Picture Book of Saints: Illustrated Lives of the Saints for Young and Old by Lawrence G. Lovasik. New York: Catholic Book, 1979. ISBN: 0899422357.
Illustrative stories of the lives of 106 popular saints. Aimed at elementary and junior high school students.
A Saint for Your Name: Saints for Boys (ISBN: 0879733306) and A Saint for Your Name: Saints for Girls (ISBN: 0879733314) by Albert J. Nevins and James McIlrath. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1980.
Includes brief information on two hundred of the most popular saints’ names for boys and girls.
Web Sites
Catholic Online Saints—Patron Saints
This site offers an index to saints arranged alphabetically or by nationality. You are given a brief biography of the saint as well as links to other biographical sites for many of these saints.
Hagiography database
Contains bio-bibliographical information about saints from the 8th–10th centuries. Divided into three sections: saints’ lists, authors’ lists, and a searchable section of citations.
Index of Saints
Use this index to locate by name the saints and beati included on this Web site. Also lists saints by their feast day.
Patron Saints Index
A collage of information representing the biographies and stories of patron saints. Researchers can access information several different ways including by time line, calendar, patron saint name, and topic.
Subject Headings
•Catholic saints
•Christian saints—biography—dictionaries
•Christian saints—biography—juvenile literature
•patron saints
•saints
•saints—biography—dictionaries