Gathering a Circle of Saints

The month of November is an ideal time to consider the role of saints in our lives.

Over the years, I’ve asked a variety of saints for their intercession. But after hearing a keynote address by Alexis Walkenstein at the 2023 Catholic Writers Guild Live Conference, I was inspired to gather a Circle of Saints to intercede specifically for my writing. (You can read a recap of Alexis’s talk on her website here.)

My Circle of Saints consists of seven saints I turn to for both intercession and inspiration:

1. St. Francis de Sales. Francis de Sales is considered the patron of writers and journalists. While other saints have also been prolific writers, Francis was especially known for being persuasive. His leaflets explaining the truths of the Catholic faith were written in clear, polished prose, and they were instrumental in bringing thousands of Calvinists back to the Church. I strive to follow his example of writing clearly so that I may inspire readers of both my fiction and nonfiction to grow closer to God.

   
   

2. St. Teresa of Avila. Like Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila is also a patron of writers. I turned to her while working on my young-adult novel, Playing by Heart, which is based on the life of Italian composer Maria Teresa Agnesi. Agnesi was born on October 17, 1720—only two days after St. Teresa’s feast day. I mentioned in my last blog post here that the Blessed Mother plays an important role in my novel. But I consider St. Teresa the book’s patron, and I continue to ask her intercession that Playing by Heart will reach those who would most benefit from reading it.

   
   

3. St. Anthony of Padua. I grew up praying to St. Anthony for help finding lost things, and I still do. But earlier this year, I learned that Anthony practiced and advocated complete surrender to God, encouraging people to be true to God’s plan for their lives. At times, I’ve been tempted to give up writing. But I now strive to follow St. Anthony’s example and stick with it because I believe writing is part of God’s plan for me.  

   
   

4. St. Thomas the Apostle. Even though I’m a cradle Catholic, I’ve sometimes struggled with my faith and with trusting in God, so I’ve always had an affinity for “doubting Thomas.” I often turn to St. Thomas for support, and I remind myself that, although he initially doubted, Thomas was the only one in the New Testament to call Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

   
   

5. St. Methodius I of Constantinople. I actually chose St. Methodius as a patron because of his feast day, June 14. On that date in 2023, I was responding to an agent who had asked to see more of my work. I had queried agents for years without success. This time, before responding, I researched the saint of the day. After reading that St. Methodius had been a prolific writer, I asked his intercession for my submission to be successful. And it was! I’m now represented by that agent. I later learned that Methodius played a role in the final defeat of iconoclasm–the movement that rejected the use of icons and other sacred imagery. Interestingly, some of the iconoclasts were also opposed to asking saints to intercede on our behalf. So, it feels especially fitting to include St. Methodius in my Circle of Saints.

6. St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Thérèse is probably best known for her autobiography, Story of a Soul, but she also wrote letters to encourage missionaries in their work, and she wrote and performed eight plays for her convent. St. Thérèse served God by writing in a variety of forms. I’m inspired to do the same by writing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

   
   

7. St. Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard excelled in so many different creative arts that some consider her the patron saint of creativity. In addition to being an abbess, mystic, theologian, preacher, herbalist, and scientist, she was a writer, poet, artist, musician, and composer. Despite her many talents, St. Hildegard was very humble. For many years, she kept her mystical visions secret out of fear and self-doubt. When, at age 42, Hildegard heard God tell her to “write what you see and hear,” she didn’t immediately obey. She’d been plagued by sickness since childhood. Now she became so ill she couldn’t get out of bed. The only remedy was to write as she’d been called to do. As Hildegard carried out God’s call, her health improved. Her example reminds me that it is unhealthy, both physically and emotionally, to resist what God asks of me.

At this year’s Catholic Writers Guild Live Conference, I gave a presentation where I shared even more about my Circle of Saints, including quotes from several of them. You can find those quotes along with a prayer by St. Teresa of Avila on this page of my website.

Whenever I sit down to write, I recite that prayer, and I ask God to help me be open to the Spirit’s guidance as I seek to serve Him. Then I ask my Circle of Saints to join in my prayers, that all who read my work will be blessed by it and grow closer to God. 

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About the author:

Carmela A. Martino is an author, speaker, and writing teacher who holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her articles, poetry, and short stories have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and anthologies. She is also the author of two novels: Playing by Heart, winner of the 2018 Catholic Arts and Letters Award (CALA) for Children’s/Young Adult Fiction, and Rosa, Sola, a Catholic Press Association Book Award recipient. She is a member of CatholicTeenBooks.com and the Catholic Writers Guild. To learn more or to subscribe to her Creativity Newsletter, see www.carmelamartino.com.

Photo of Notre Dame of Paris Rose Window by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

used under Creative Commons license.