Saints That Every Dad Needs

Every father has a big job to do. From diaper changes to baseball practice, from driving lessons to the first dance, moms and kids rely on dads for so many things. Thankfully, many saints can provide inspiration, encouragement, and guidance to every dad for these tasks.

Saint Joseph

A discussion of saintly fatherhood cannot be held without reference to St. Joseph. The foster-father of Jesus, and husband of Mary, St. Joseph is the patron of fathers, families, and workers. He is an apt saint for all fathers to call on in a variety of situations. Dads, go to St. Joseph when you need help with your job, when you desire to grow in virtue, when the kids don’t sleep (he’s also the patron of sleep), when you need to learn patience and listening (St. Joseph is known for his silence in the Bible), or when you need to fix something around the house (St. Joseph was a carpenter). 

Most importantly of all, St. Joseph is a model of love. Think of how he lived his vocation as father and husband in the Holy Family – and of trusting in God. When Mary told him the extraordinary news of her pregnancy, Joseph did not flee but instead listened to the message of the angel. The rest is history.

Interested to know more about St. Joseph? Pray the Litany of St. Joseph and learn about all his appellations, including my favorite, “Terror of Demons.”

St. Louis Martin

St. Louis Martin Guérin was the husband of St. Zélie Guérin and the father of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. But did you know that all five of his daughters entered religious life? St. Louis was a father and husband, as well as a craftsman trained in watchmaking and managing the family lacemaking business. He is a particularly strong saint for fathers in the midst of professional obligations looking how to lead their families to grow in faith and virtue. St. Louis also had to carry the cross of being a single father after Zélie died of breast cancer when their youngest, the future St. Thérèse, was only four years old. His is an example of familial sacrifice and devotion. 

Saint John Bosco

Saint John Bosco was not a father in the biological sense, yet many children looked to him as a father figure. This Italian saint, born in 1815, is known for dedicating his life to teaching poor children, particularly street urchins and abandoned boys. He called his system “preventive,” focusing on reason, religion, and loving-kindness, as opposed to corporal punishment. He believed in educating the whole person and in teaching the young people under his care to unite their spiritual life with their work and play. His fatherly way is a model for today’s dad who, along with mom, is tasked with educating the whole person of each their children.

St. Thomas More

Perhaps one of the most challenging tasks parents face is helping to teach their children to keep God first in their lives. For his witness – that is, martyrdom – St. Thomas More is a beautiful example for fathers everywhere. He was a dad but also served as an advisor to King Henry VIII. Henry VIII famously had Thomas imprisoned and executed when Thomas would not give his blessing to Henry’s annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and disapproved of Henry’s declaring himself the head of the church. St. Thomas More’s last words were, “I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” Understandably, his decision to stay firm in his beliefs troubled his children, including his daughter Margaret. He wrote to her: “…my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best.” St. Thomas More’s sacrifice, done with full faith in God’s will, was a sign for his children and for all the faithful since.

Let us pray for dads everywhere, that they may follow the example of the saints while living out their fatherly vocation.