The McNicholas Milestone

By Maggie Deller

McNicholas High School is founded on faith, and, in Catholic tradition, students are encouraged to pray during times of struggle. Many pray to the saints, asking for prayers on their behalf, especially saints related to education or a student’s life. Here are five saints and accompanying prayers for students who may need a little help.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Since a young age, St. Thomas Aquinas was encouraged to become a member of the monastery by his family. As he grew older, he was influenced into joining the Dominican Order, against his family’s wishes. St. Thomas Aquinas studied and eventually taught theology. He is the patron saint of students. Here is A Student’s Prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas to assist with studies:

“Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.”

St. John the Apostle

As Jesus lay dying, he assigned his mother’s care to St. John. John took in Mary and showed her his companionship. St. John the Apostle is the patron saint of friendships, as well as many other things. To strengthen friendships, below is St. John the Apostle’s prayer for best friends, according to the Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor

“Lord, you are our best friend and love us like none other. May my own best friend share in your goodness and love for me. Help each one of us to have a good friend who truly wants what is best for our souls. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer.”

St. Joseph of Cupertino

St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of studying, a very relevant struggle among high school students. This saint grew up with learning and social disabilities. This changed when he became a member of the Franciscan monastery, as he became more careful, attentive, and at peace. It is reported that St. Joseph hovered above the ground seventy times while saying mass. According to Catholic.org, this is a prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino relating to studying:

“O, Great St. Joseph of Cupertino, who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favour in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return, I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. I will also imitate your life of prayer and devotion. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us. Amen.”

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis’s vocation was confirmed when, after falling from a horse three different times, his sword and its scabbard fell into the shape of a cross. Francis became a priest and the head of the Diocese of Geneva. Francis went on to convert 60,000 Calvinists to Catholicism. To further spread Catholicism, he wrote of the religion on papers and slid them underneath doors of homes. St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers and journalists. According to The Catholic Mind, below is a prayer for writers:

“May the Lord guide me and all those who write. Through your prayers, St. Frances de Sales, I ask for your intercession as I attempt to bring the written word to the world. Let us pray that God takes me in the palm of His hand and inspires my creativity and inspires my success. St. Francis de Sales, you understand the dedication required. Pray for God to inspire and allow ideas to flow. In His name, let my words reflect my faith for others to read. Amen.”

St. Expeditus

St. Expeditus has a rather mysterious and unknown background. However, he is known to have been martyred for his conversion to Christianity and became the patron saint of procrastination. According to SaintExpedite.org, here is a prayer to help end procrastination:

“St. Expedite, witness of Faith to the point of martyrdom, in exercise of Good, you make tomorrow today. You live in the fast time of the last minute, always projecting yourself toward the future. Expedite and give strength to the heart of the man who doesn’t look back and who doesn’t postpone. Amen.”

Gerardo Hernandez Arias, a guest artist from Nicaragua in 2014, painted the “Care for the Lord’s Creation” mural at McNicholas in the staircase between sophomore and junior halls. There are many saints to pray to for school, such as the patron saints of students, writers, studying, and preventing procrastination.