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For Catholics, saint medals are important because they represent the patron saints that guide them through life, especially during times of crisis. Wearing them honors and reveres the patron saints. They give a sense of security and protection as the image reminds of the saint’s sacrifices and victories over the temporal world. The courage those saints possessed could give courage to the wearer.

The practice became popular as Christianity spread around the world in the early Christian era. Pagans wore talismans representing their gods as a protection from the hard hits and bad luck of life. The Irish Celts especially liked them. The Catholic Church introduced Catholic saints, in the place of pagan gods, and continued the practice of wearing the amulets. Today, saint medals are the most popular form of Catholic jewelry after the cross. Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa’s images also come on medals, though not saints; they depict lives of sacrifice and good will, and are an inspiration to millions.

A few of the most popular saint medals are St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, St. Helena and St. Christopher. St. Francis is the patron saint of peace, ecology and animals. His medal is a good icon for today’s environmental pollution and war torn world. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and people that are or feel excluded, including refugees.

St. Helena is the patron saint of those who have converted to the Catholic faith and archeologists. St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers and his medals are often worn by non-Catholics as well.

There are many more patron saint medals and you can see the best selection online. Some are very elaborate and expensive with jewels set into solid gold and some are inexpensive silver, but whichever one you choose, the protection will be there. Depending on the gold or jewels, they should be between $40 and approximately $200. You will find many more online because jewelry stores don’t usually stock a full range. When you are selecting your medal be sure to consider the chain too. Some medals come with a chain in only one length. If you have the opportunity to purchase the medal and chain separately, you can choose the correct length and thickness of chain that goes will with the medal you want. Some medals have the names of the saint in a frame around the image and some simply have the image.

Saint medals have very detailed pictures of the particular saint and sometimes he or she is representing their sacrifice or success. They are like the photo of loved ones in our wallets, kept as a reminder of love and affection. These saints represent so much more and are held during times of prayer or anxiety for comfort and courage to remind you that God is always with you. They are considered the shepherds who find lost sheep and bring them back into the faith. The practice is as old as man and just as powerful as it was thousands of years ago, for the faithful.