Welcome to ThinkVail – we hope you find this article about the patron saint of the outdoors helpful in choosing a saint medal to protect you while participating in the outdoor adventures you love.
Wearing a saint medal of your chosen holy protector is a wonderful reminder of devotion to your saint and the outdoor activities you love. If your saint medal is blessed by a priest, it is believed to offer protection, divine intervention and/or guidance when you participate in these outdoor activities.
Most people take their saint medals very seriously and wear them all the time, rarely taking them off. You might wear a saint medal, the way someone would wear the locket of a loved one, with endearing devotion, remembrance and adoration. Because in a sense, by wearing a saint medal (or medals) you are encouraging a relationship with members of your heavenly family.
Here in Colorado, we actively ask the saints to watch over us as we participate in the activities that they shepard.
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Patron Saint of Skiers, Snowboarders, Backpackers, Hikers & Mountaineers
St. Bernard is an important patron saint and protector to skiers, snowboarders, hikers, backpackers, campers and mountaineers. We invoke his protection and ask him to keep us safe while pursuing these activities.
St. Bernard is known for offering shelter and protection to those in need through the building of schools, churches, and hostels in the high Alps. The hostels were located on dangerous snowy, mountain passes that travelers took to get from France and Germany to Rome. The hostels offered weary travelers, shelter, food, and drink.
In Colorado, we ask Saint Bernard to pray for us and for snow.
Saint Bernard’s Prayer
“Lord, You have given us Saint Bernard to be patron of those who live among the mountains and of those who travel across them. Protect us by his prayers and grant that we strive to climb in his footsteps, we may reach the summit, who is Christ, living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen”
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Patron Saint of Fishing
St. Andrew and his brother St. Peter were the first, original fishermen. And though they followed Christ all the days of their life, they never stopped fishing. It was St. Andrew who brought forward a boy with only five barley loaves and two fish, which Christ used to feed a crowd of 5,000. So, we invoke the prayers and protection of St. Andrew to keep us safe while in the river and for a successful day of fishing.
Prayer for Fishermen by James J. Metcalfe
“For all the fishermen on earth I say this prayer today. Be generous to them, O Lord And help them on their way As once you talked to Peter and he cast his humble net. So may their daily catch become as great as it can get. But also in my prayer I ask this miracle again. That they not only search the sea but try to fish for men. To fish for souls to do Your will and spread Your gospel true. As Your disciples on this earth to praise and honor You. I pray that every fisherman wherever he may be will turn his thoughts to You and to the Sea of Galilee”
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Patron Saint of Hunters & Sportsmen
St. Hubert is the patron saint and protector of the hunter and sportsman. In life, Hubert was a hunter himself and the story goes that one day during a hunt in the Middle ages on Good Friday, Hubert, a young aristocrat, was pursuing a deer but had been unable to shoot it or catch it. In exhaustion, the deer turned around, and the hunter noticed that the animal’s antlers were adorned with a crucifix. To the amazement of Hubert, the deer’s voice rose up and he declared to the hunter: “Hunting on a day like today? Why do not you go and pray? From that moment on, Hubert devoted his life to God.
Prayer of Saint Hubert by Fr. Mitch Pacwa
“By the intercession of St. Hubert, patron saint of hunters, may you always honor God the Creator, who set man in dominion over all the animals. May the Lord God make you an honorable hunter who respects fellow hunters, the animals, and all creation; May He keep safe you and all who share the field or the forest; May He make all hunters proud of their kill, generous with their meat, and thankful in all circumstances. May God bless you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen”
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Patron Saint of Equestrians
Almost every image of St. Martin shows him on the back of a horse so it is no wonder that he is the patron saint of equestrians and horse lovers.
According to the story, he was a Roman officer riding horseback with his army on a bitterly cold night back to camp. Despite the frigid cold he was quite warm wrapped in a magnificent red wool cloak. As Martin rode along he spied a poor man, dressed in rags, shivering violently, and begging for something warm to wear. Everyone ignored the beggar — except Martin. he brought his horse to a halt, he drew his sword, cut his beautiful cloak in half, and gave it to the half-frozen beggar. Then he spurred on his horse and continued on his way back to camp.
That night Martin awoke to find his room filled with dazzling light. At the foot of his bed, he saw Christ surrounded by angels and wrapped around the Lord’s shoulders was the same piece of cloak Martin had given the poor man freezing in the cold. “Look,” said Christ to the angels. “Martin, who is not even baptized yet, has wrapped Me in his own cloak.” Then the vision vanished.
Prayer of Saint Martin of Tours
“Blessed St. Martin of Tours, obtain for us not only forgiveness, but also a spirit of love towards neighbor enabling us to be compassionate. Obtain for us the grace to love all people as brothers and sisters with a pure and disinterested heart. May we, like you, one day enjoy the blessed vision of God forever and ever. Amen.“
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The Patron Saint of Travelers & Adventurers
Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, is by far one of the most endearing of all saints. This beloved saint is usually depicted as a tall, formidable man wading across a river with a wooden staff in hand. His face may be strained but always looking upward to the sweet-faced child resting on his shoulders.
His story tells of a small child who approached him, needing safe passage across the water. Christopher put the boy on his shoulders and, with his staff, started across the river. As the river deepened, the child grew heavier and heavier. As he reached the banks of the river, Christopher said, “Child, thou hast put me in great peril; thou weighest almost as if I had all the world upon me: I might bear no greater burden.”
“Christopher,” the little boy responded, “thou hast not only borne all the world upon thee, but thou hast borne Him that created and made all the world, upon thy shoulders.”
St. Christopher lends his grace and his ability for keeping worried travelers at peace through times of turmoil.
Prayer of St. Christopher
“Dear Saint Christopher, protect me today in all my travels along the road’s way. Give your warning sign if danger is near so that I may stop while the path is clear. Be at my window and direct me through when the vision blurs from out of the blue. Carry me safely to my destined place, like you carried Christ in your close embrace. Amen.”
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Patron Saint of Athletes
Saint Sebastian had great physical strength and endurance in overcoming the attacks on his body. Yes, he did fail, but he failed while giving it all for his faith. Athletes can relate to St. Sebastian, to endure and always go the extra mile.
Prayer of St. Sebastian
“St. Sebastian, patron saint of athletes and sports, help me to do the best that I can, aim high and always give it my best effort, and if I should fail, give me the strength to try harder. Amen.”
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Patron Saint of Mariners & Boaters
St. Brendan the Navigator, also known as St. Brendan the Voyager, is the patron saint of mariners, sailors, and the U.S. Navy. He watches over them and protects them on their journeys. Brendan was an Irish monk, abbot, sailor, ship-builder, and explorer. During times of trouble, unrest or doubt invoke the beautiful prayer of St. Brendan for strength and guidance:
Prayer of St. Brendan
“Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You. Amen.”
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For those of us in Colorado and around the world, protecting the environment and the plants and animals that surround us is a top priority. We pray to St. Francis, the patron saint of Ecologists and animals to protect us and the world we live in.
St. Francis’ love for the Earth and all its animals is the reason he was named patron of ecology in 1979.
According to one story, Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful feathers, for their independence, and for God’s care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among them, only flying off when he said they could leave
Prayer of Saint Francis
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.”
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See Also: Churches and Worship Services in Vail Colorado
Who is your favorite patron saint of the outdoors? Who do you pray to and ask for protection from? Do you have any stories about when you felt protected and saved by your saint medal? Please share, we would love to hear your thoughts and comments.
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Great article about Patron Saint medals, it was exactly what I was looking for. My wife's birthday is coming up and I was looking for a very special gift for her. Both she and I love skiing as well as hiking and some rock climbing. Although I am new to the faith, she is a lifelong Catholic and I think that a patron saint medal of St. Bernard would be so perfect for her. I am thinking I might also have our initials engraved on the back. I will give it to her along with the prayer that you have provided, as it's just lovely. I did not know that the medal should be blessed to offer protection so I will see to it that her priest also blesses it before I give it to her. I am so excited about this find, thank you so much for the suggestions.
You are so welcome and I glad to hear you found just the right patron saint of the outdoors medal for your wife. It seems like you have put a lot of thought into this gift so I am sure she will love it.