As Catholics, we pray for the intercession of the saints and angels in Heaven, so that they may pray for us on our behalf.

We know that saints and angels are able to intercede for us because John sees in the Book of the Revelation that the saints in Heaven offer up to God the prayers of those on Earth.

We pray to saints of a certain patronage to ask for their special intercession. Patron saints can be venerated as the Heavenly advocate and special intercessor for many things, even entire nations. If you want to ask for the special intercession on behalf of your country, do you know who to pray to?

When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. – Revelation 5:8

The list of countries and their patron saints are below:

Albania – Mary, Mother of Good Counsel
Algeria – Saint Cyprian of Carthage
Angola – The Most Pure Heart of Mary
Argentina – Our Lady of Luján
Australia – Mary, Our Lady Help of Christians, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Therese of Lisieux
Austria – Saint Coloman, Saint Florian, Saint Joseph, Saint Leopold, Saint Maurice
Belgium – Saint Joseph
Bolivia – La Virgen de Copacabana
Our Lady of Capucdana, Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Brazil – The Immaculate Conception, Saint Peter of Alcantara
Canada – Saint Anne, Saint Joseph
Chile – Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint James the Greater
China – Mary, Queen of China, Saint Joseph
Colombia – Mary, Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Saint Louis Betrand, Saint Peter Claver
Costa Rica – Mary, Our Lady of the Angels
Cuba – Our Lady of Charity
Virgin de Regla
Cyprus – Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Czech Republic – Adalbert of Prague, St Wenceslas
Denmark – Saint Anskar
Dominican Republic – Mary, Our Lady of Mercy
Ecuador – Mary, the Most Pure Heart, Sacred Heart of Jesus
Egypt – Saint Mark
El Salvador – Mary, Our Lady of Peace
England – Saint George
Finland – Saint Henry of Finland
France – Mary (on the Feast of the Assumption), Saint Denis, Bishop of Paris, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Laurent (Lawrence), Saint Thérese of Lisieux, Saint Martin of Tours
Germany – Saint Anskar, Saint Boniface, Saint Michael the Archangel
Gibraltar – Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Greece – Saint Nicholas, Saint Paul, Apostle
Haiti – Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Holland – Saint Willibrord
Honduras – Mary, Our Lady of Suyapa
Iceland – Saint Anskar, Saint Thorlac
India – Mary, Patron of India, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Thomas the Apostle
Ireland – Saint Patrick
Italy – Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Bernardino of Siena
Jamaica – Mary, on the Feast of her Assumption
Japan – Saint Peter Baptist
Luxembourg – Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, Saint Cunegund, Saint Willibrord
Madagascar – Saint Vincent de Paul
Malta – Saint Paul, Apostle
Mexico – Our Lady of Guadalupe
Saint Joseph
Mongolia – Immaculate Conception of Mary, Saint Francis Xavier
Moravia – Saint Cyril, Saint Methodius, Saint Wenceslaus
Netherlands – Saint Willibrord
New Zealand – Mary, Our Lady Help of Christians, Saint Francis Xavier
Nicaragua – Saint James the Greater
Nigeria – Mary, Queen of Nigeria
Saint Patrick
Norway – Saint Magnus of Orkney
Saint Olaf of Norway
Oceania – Saint Peter Chanel
Palestine – Mary, Queen of Palestine
Papua New Guinea – Saint Michael the Archangel
Paraguay – Our Lady of Assumption, Our Lady of Lujan
Peru – Saint Joseph, Saint Rose de Lima, Saint Martin de Porras
Philippines – Immaculate Conception of Mary, Saint Pudentiana, Saint Rose de Lima
Portugal – Immaculate Conception of Mary, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Francis Borgia, Saint Vincent of Saragossa
Puerto Rico – Mary, Our Lady of Divine Providence
Russia – Saint Andrew, Apostle, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Casimir, Saint Joseph, Saint Nicholas of Myra, Saint Therese de Lisieux
Sardinia – Saint Maurice
Scandinavia – Saint Ansgar
Scotland – Saint Andrew
Spain – Immaculate Conception of Mary, Saint James the Greater
Sri Lanka – Mary, Immaculate, Our Lady of Lanka, Saint Lawrence
Sweden – Saint Bridget, Saint Eric of Sweden
Switzerland – Saint Nicholas von Flue
Syria – Saint Barbara
Tanzania – Immaculate Conception of Mary
Turkey – Saint John, Apostle & Evangelist
United States – The Immaculate Conception
Uruguay – Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary, Our Lady of Lujan, Saint James, Apostle, Saint Philip, Apostle
Venezuela – Mary, Our Lady of Coromoto
Vietnam – Saint Joseph
Wales – Saint David
West Indies – Saint Gertrude

Photo credit: M-Production / Shutterstock.com
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28 COMMENTS

  1. Actually, saint Anskar is the patron saint of the diocese of Copenhagen, which includes all of Denmark – the patron of the country is saint Canute, king and martyr.

    • For Guatemala City, Our Lady of the Assumption is the Patronness; and St Pedro de Batancourt is the only canonized saint who lived there, but originally from Spain.
      I am not sure, if there is an official-non-Marian, patron or patroness for Guatemala.

  2. St. Brigid was the patron saint of the Republic of Florida (also known as the Republic of East Florida). Even former countries have them!

    Good article. Fun Topic!

    • “The Virgin Mary is the official patroness of Brazil under the title Our Lady of Aparecida (Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (who) Appeared). The image associated with this patronage received a canonical coronation on 8 December 1904 with approval from Pope Pius X.”

    • Thank you for info on Patron of Poland. I am polish (but in the USA) and was shocked not to see Poland listed. The one country thats almost completely Catholic!!!!! I knew it had to be an mistake.

  3. Suprised that Poland was left off this list. Especially since it is about only strong Catholic country left in Europe.

  4. Lithuania was occupated by Russia from 1945 till 1991 and Saint Casimir is the patron not of Russia, but of Lithuania. To say, that St. Casimir is patron of Russia means saying that Lithuania is Russia, that it is still occupated, but it isn’t the true.

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