A Survey of Saints: A Dating Game Quiz

Answer: Saint Jude

Saint Jude was a member of the Twelve Disciples of Christ and is identified with the name Thaddeus. Saint Jude is often viewed as providing hope for those who are forlorn, dejected, downhearted and in despair. Jude travelled far and wide preaching the virtues of Christianity, and was martyred in the Persian Empire (quite possibly in Beirut, Lebanon) along with Simon the Zealot, another apostle.

Saint Jude is indeed the patron saint of lost causes. When a miracle is needed, Jude is often invoked.

Contributed by christopherm, definitely not a lost cause.

Answer: Saint Andrew

Born near the Sea of Galilee, Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, also a saint in his own right, and one of the Twelve Disciples of Christ. Andrew was crucified for his beliefs and preaching, but legend has him being tied (not nailed) to an X-shaped cross, or a "saltire" cross. This was allegedly done at his own request, because he said he was not worthy of being crucified on the same kind of cross as Jesus. This has become known as Saint Andrew's Cross and can be seen on many flags, including the flag of Scotland, which is a white St. Andrew's cross on a blue field. There is some discrepancy as to the validity of this story.

He is the patron saint of many countries including, among others, Scotland, Russia, Greece and the Philippines.

Skunkee honours her Scottish heritage with this question.

Answer: Saint George

One of the most highly celebrated saints in the world, Saint George is most commonly known as the patron saint of England. This was likely due to Shakespeare's inclusion of the line: "God for Harry, England and St George!" - "Henry V" Act 3 Scene 1.

In addition to England, the countries of Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Iraq, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia and Russia all have George as their patron saint. His feast day is on April 23rd. He was likely born in Lod, Israel, in the third century AD, and met the dragon on his travels as a soldier. According to the legend, George protected himself with the sign of the cross and slew the dragon prompting a mass baptism for all the citizens of Silene.

LeoDaVinci honours his fiancée's English roots with that question.

Answer: Saint Honoré

Saint Honoré (Honoratus) was the seventh Bishop of Amiens. Our venerable St. Honoré, a.k.a. St. Honoratus or St. Honorious, was a humble man. He was born into a relatively wealthy family. Upon being elevated to an esteemed status, one of his attendants was skeptical about his prowess or ability to perform miracles. The attendant decided to provide a test. She declared that if the baking utensil she used could be converted into a living thing, then she would believe in St. Honoré. The story goes that the utensil was buried beneath the ground and subsequently produced a blackberry tree.

If you happen to be in Paris, France on May 16th, you may delight in the wonderful pastries and confections prepared for the celebration of St. Honoré.

Contributed by our own delectable LadyC.

Answer: Saint Teresa

St. Teresa of Ávila was a 16th-century Carmelite nun who authored several books on religious development through prayer and meditation, beginning with her autobiography "The Life of Teresa of Jesus". In one well-known account, she described having a vision in which a seraph appeared before her and drove the tip of a golden spear repeatedly into her heart, which left her "on fire with a great love of God". This episode was immortalised by Bernini in his sculpture "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa", which depicts an angel holding a pointed lance over the swooning figure of Teresa, who is portrayed as being in a state of divine joy. The sculpture stands in the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, and was featured prominently in both the novel and film adaptation of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons".

This question was meditated upon by jmorrow.

Answer: Saint Valentine

St. Valentine was a priest who was martyred, circa 270 AD, during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II. Valentine was imprisoned for aiding Christians in general and more specifically for marrying Christian couples (hence his association as the patron saint of love). He actually got along quite well while in prison, and even became a favourite of Claudius, until he tried to convert the Emperor to Christianity. His death was not a pleasant one as he was beaten and stoned and eventually beheaded. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on February 14th (Valentine's Day to those of us who observe it) but the Eastern Orthodox Church observes his feast day on July 30th.

Skunkee would like to dedicate this question to her husband of 25 years!

Answer: Saint Mary of the Cross

All the answers are real saints, however, the only one which fits the description is Saint Mary of the Cross, more commonly known as Mother Mary MacKillop. She was truly Australian, being born in Fitzroy, Victoria, on 15 January 1842. Some sources say her birth name was Mary Helen MacKillop, others say Maria Ellen MacKillop. In 1867, she co-founded the order of the Sisters of St Joseph, becoming the first sister and mother superior of the order. The Josephite sisters are commonly known as "brown joeys". During her lifetime she had to endure considerable opposition from priests and bishops, resulting in her excommunication in 1871. On 17 October, 2010, Mother Mary MacKillop was officially declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming Australia's first saint, and is now known as Saint Mary of the Cross.

This question was submitted by lovable Australian MotherGoose.

Answer: Saint Cecilia

Cecilia, who is also patron saint of Omaha in Nebraska, was sentenced to die by suffocation in a steam room, but did not succumb. The Romans then tried to lop off her head with a sword, but it took three days for her to die. When she was disinterred in 1599, her body was found to be intact.

St. Genevieve was a French nun who died in 510. She is the patron saint of Paris. Joan of Arc died more than 1200 years later than Cecilia, and St. Lucy Yi Zhenmei was a Chinese Christian saint, canonised in October, 2000.

This question comes from ozzz2002, a truly musical fellow.

Answer: Saint Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born circa 1412 in Domrémy, France. In her early adolescence, she began hearing "voices" and seeing visions from God. She proclaimed that these mystical manifestations urged her to aid Charles VII of France against foreign enemies. With persistence, she was able to convince Sir Robert de Baudricourt, a member of the royal military, to help her. In 1429, she met Charles VII, and was eventually allowed to lead an army. Though she experienced success on the battlefield, she ultimately had to stand trial (for heresy) in 1431. She was burned to death in May of that year. Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV on May 16, 1920.

Question contributed by Pagiedamon, who has never admitted nor denied hearing voices in her head.

Answer: Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick is a fifth-century saint and is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. He's credited with banishing all the snakes off of the Emerald Isle. As the legend has it, the snakes represented the sins of the inhabitants of the island. Other beliefs have the snakes as the symbol of Druid worship, or perhaps even Pelagianism. Whatever the case, all snakes on Ireland nowadays have been imported.

Patrick's symbol is the shamrock, a commonly-occurring plant in Ireland. The shamrock was used by Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. In the movie "Nuns on the Run", God is like the shamrock because He's "small, green, and split three ways".

Going out on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, is always an occasion that you can find green beer (more likely than not in North American pubs). Interestingly enough, Patrick's colour was originally blue, not green! The day is often a celebration of Irish culture, cuisine and beverages, and many places host St. Patrick's Day parades.

LeoDaVinci couldn't resist a question on this well-known saint. Cheers!