Our 15 Favorite Saints

The late Pope John Paul II was recently beatified and is one step closer to becoming a saint. The Vatican waived the five-year period before initiating the beatification process, something that hasn’t been done since the Church did so for Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1997. There’s still a long process ahead, but to celebrate John Paul II being blessed in record time, we celebrate our 15 favorite saints.

15. St. Vincent of Saragossa
The patron saint of wine keeps the reds, whites and roses flowing by watching over vineyards every where. We’re grateful to St. Vincent and the tasty grape drink he protects.

14. St. Vincent of Manhattan
Annie Clark was a member of Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ band before blessing us with her first solo LP Marry Me in 2007 under the moniker St. Vincent.

13. Saint Barthélemy
This delightful slice of paradise makes the list for its beautiful beaches and serene setting. We also have fondness for its Caribbean brethren, Saints Lucia, Croix and John.

12. Archie Manning
There’s much to admire about Drew Brees’ 2010 Super Bowl champs, but our favorite New Orleans’ football player is still Archie—he of the amazing genetics.

11. Catherine of Bologna
The patron saint of artists, and also temptation. It seems fitting as usually artists are known to give into their vices. Catherine of Bologna helps to keep them on the right track so they can keep producing masterpieces that we love to see.

10. St. Elmo’s Fire
This classic coming-of-age tale gave us a group of friends facing the realities of life after the adventures of undergrad. A must-see for anyone and everyone, this timeless flick speaks to the heart, just like any good saint would.

9. Saint Patrick’s Day
We’ve already picked an island, a quarterback and a movie; can we pick a day? We just did. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most enjoyable holidays and it celebrates two of our other favorite saints, Arnold of Soissons and St. Bernardus.

8. Archangel Gabriel
Video may have killed the radio star, but we still have love for the radio and so does the Archangel Gabriel. All radios and radio workers are watched over by this patron saint of sorts, even Top 40 stations.

7. St. Expeditus
Writers are ruled by deadlines, and this saint is called upon often to protect us from the perils of Twitter, Facebook and other social media that we like to call “research.” Expeditus is known to be hit among college students as well.

6. St. Nick
Otherwise known as Santa Claus, this jolly old soul is a favorite to both children and adults. Sure the magic fades a bit when one discovers (spoiler alert!) that he’s as real as the Easter Bunny, he remains a symbol of selfless gift-giving.

5. Arnold of Soissons
We love beer and so does Arnold of Soissons. The patron saint of brewers watches over those who carefully craft our malty and hoppy beverages.

4. Boondock Saints
This badass duo makes the list for their commitment to justice, brotherly love and just for being awesome. The MacManus brothers gave sainthood a whole new spin with their penchant for bloody vengeance.

3. St. Cecilia
You might not know this, but here at Paste we’re pretty big fans of music. Saint Cecilia also loves music and musicians, ergo, we love her.

2. St. Francis de Sales
The patron saint of writers and journalists. Needless to say, we’re big fans.

1. St. Bernardus
Is it any surprise that our favorite saint is a beer? Or that one of our favorite beers is a saint? Not one of the seven Trappist monastic breweries, St. Bernardus nonetheless has its roots in Refuge Notre Dame de St.Bernard, established by French monks who had fled anti-clericism in their home country and settled in Belgium’s West Flanders region. We recommend the Abt. 12, unless you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a Christmas Ale.