Saints F - L

c. 1800s, France

St. Felix

St. Felix III was elected to the papacy in 483. At the time of his election, he was a widower with two children. St. Felix III is known for excommunicating the bishops who left the church after the Eastern Church split. His work would eventually lead the way to the re-union of the Eastern and Western Church in 518.

1900s, Germany 

St. Ferdinand

Ferdinand III of Castile was king of Spain in the 13th Century. He crusaded for over two decades and worked to reform Spanish law. Throughout his time as king, Ferdinand rebuilt the Cathedral of Burgos, founded the University of Salamanca, and converted the mosque in Seville into a cathedral. He also founded many monasteries, hospitals, and churches. He is the patron saint of engineers.

c. 1800s, Switzerland

St. Fridolin

Fridolin was an Irish Benedictine Abbot. He conducted missionary work in Ireland before traveling to Poitiers, France where he rebuilt the monastery of St. Hilary. He continued his work and crossed the Rhine into Germany where he built he Abbey of Sackingen.

c. 1940s, Italy

St. Gemma Galgani

Born in Italy in 1878, Gemma was a sickly child. Throughout her life she had numerous mystical experiences and spent her time working with the poor. She was miraculously healed during the intercession of then Venerable Gabriel Possenti after she contracted meningitis. Towards the end of her life she had the marks of the stigmata. She was canonized in 1940, only 37 years after her death.

c. 2000s, France

St. Genevieve

As a young girl, Genevieve was singled out by the visiting St. Germain of Auxerre. She was then taken to a church where she was consecrated to God as a Virgin. When France was threatened by barbarians, Genevieve encouraged its inhabitants to not flee, but to stay and pray. The barbarians never came. Genevieve is a patron of Paris.

c. late 1800s, Germany

St. Gertrude

St. Gertrude the Great was born in Germany in the 13th Century. At a young age she was placed in the care of the Benedictine Nuns at Helfta in Saxony. Gertrude would eventually join the religious order. She devoted her self to her studies and became known as a mystic for her many visions and writings that resulted from them.

1885, Belgium

St. Gorgonius

Gorgonius, along with a handful of other people, was martyred by Roman emperor Diocletian in 304 during his many persecutions of Christians.

1922, France

St. Gregory the Illuminator

St. Gregory the Illuminator is best known as the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is said that Gregory was converted the king of Armenia who then declared Christianity the official religion. He became a bishop of Ashtistat and organized the Church in Armenia.

1925, Italy

St. Homobonus

Born in Italy in the 12th Century, Homobonus lived a virtuous life. He is the patron saint of tailors and cloth workers.

1950s, Ireland

St. Ita

St. Ita was born in the 5th century in Ireland. She founded a communnity of women in Limerick as well as a school for boys. She has many miracles associated with her throughout her life. St. Ita is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick.

Feast Day: January 15

1890s, France

St. Jerome

St. Jerome lived in the mid 4th Century and was from the Roman province Stridonius. He is one of the most intellectual of the Fathers of the Church. Jerome was a scholar who was known for his writings and teachings of the Church. He is the patron saint of librarians.

Feast Day: September 30

1909, Italy

St. Joan of Arc

Born to a peasant family in France, Joan began to have visions from various saints at young age. One such vision told her to lead the French troops against the English so that the rightful heir, Charles VII could be crowned king of France. Joan was captured by the English and put on trial for heresy and witchcraft. She was burnt at the stake in 1431. Joan is the patron saint of soldiers and France.

c. 1900s, Germany

St. Lawrence

Lawrence was a 3rd Century martyr. He was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. When Lawrence learned of his imminent arrest, he gave all of his money to the poor.

ca. 1800s, Switzerland 

St. Leo the Great

St. Leo the Great was pope from 440 till his death in 461. He is remembered for many administrative successes as pope, for example his 445 edict establishing the primacy of the Bishop of Rome or his doctrine about the incarnation.

c. 1905, France

St. Lucy

St. Lucy was a martyr during the 4th century persecution of Christians. Her biography consists of legends, many of which describe her refusal to marry her betrothed and wanting to devote her life to Christ. There are also many stories about the removal of her eyes and their reappearance during her burial. Lucy is the patron saint of blindness.

c. mid-1800s, Belgium

St. Luke

St. Luke is one of the four evangelists and is author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. He was a Greek Gentile who was believed to be a doctor. He is a patron saint of physicians and surgeons.