How to determine patron Saint

Find your baptismal certificate or in its absence, the entry in the journal ritual of the Church where you were baptized. People who have gone through the rite of baptism, receives the name present in the Orthodox calendar. Thus, it becomes the heavenly patron Saint of the same name, the day of remembrance which falls on the first day after the day of birth. This day in the future will be called the day of the birthday.

In determining its patron Saint miss in the calendar the names of the martyrs, as Holy shall be glorified (canonized) until the date of your baptism. If the name you received at birth, does not belong to any of the canonized saints, at baptism you will receive more, closest in meaning or sound. If analogue do not get to choose, the choice of name made by the parents or he okrashenii.

Consult your spiritual father or parish priest, who confess, if the saints name a few, and you don't know which one you should choose as your patron Saint. Clergyman can he "assign" you to a particular Saint or to name the criteria on which you will be able to make a choice.

Select the Saint, whose memory day closest to the day of your birth, or just the most "popular" among the same name. A more serious approach to the solution of this question you should read the lives of all the saints, and to choose someone who is closer to you and with whom you feel a spiritual kinship.

Make your heavenly patron Saint, the patron of your profession, to enlist his help in the work. In this case, choose the Saint, whose activities are closest to your specialty. Holy, time-honoured in your family or in the locality in which you reside, chosen as heavenly patrons, will help to achieve harmony in the home and will protect family ties.