ANSWER TO QUIZ
St. Michael the Archangel
is patron of all military, but is particularly honored by the Air Force and ground troops' airborne divisions.
Army paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, NC,
ARMY
St. Sebastian, a Roman soldier, was particularly
courageous, tough, and hard to kill.
This Christian became a captain in the
Praetorian Guard, the emperor’s personal bodyguard.
Discovering Sebastian’s faith, Emperor Diocletian
ordered he be pierced with arrows, but incredibly, this didn’t kill him!
Sebastian returned to challenge the Emperor for his cruelty
to the Christians, at which point he was cudgeled to death.
St. Maurice, particularly honored by infantry units,
was also a Roman soldier from Egypt who eventually
led the entire Theban Legion.
He and his men, all Christians, were martyred together
for refusing to worship the Roman gods.
Servant of God Emil Kapaun gave his life in the service of his fellow-soldiers as a U.S. Army chaplain during the Korean War.
Captured by Chinese forces, he died in a prison camp in 1951
and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
His body was identified just this year
and returned to his home state of Kansas.
Other soldier saints include
St. Martin of Tours * St. Joan of Arc
xSt. Ignatius of Loyola * St. Georgexxxxx
St. John of Capistrano
MARINE CORPS
Virgin-martyr St. Barbara is the patroness
of both Army and Marine artillerymen.
Martyred by her own father out of hatred for her Christian faith,
legend says that lightning struck him as divine punishment
—hence the connection to artillery.
Another Medal of Honor recipient,
Servant of God Vincent Capodanno, a Marine chaplain
was killed in action during the Vietnam War.
AIR FORCE
St. Joseph of Cupertino is a patron saint of aviators
because he frequently levitated during prayer!
Our Lady of Loreto is also the patroness of aviation and air travelers,
because legend, and evidence, says
the Holy House of Loreto
—the Holy Family’s home—
was carried by angels to Italy.
NAVY
St. Brendan the Navigator was a 5th-6th century Irish monk
who sailed to spread the Faith and monasticism in other lands.
Hero of the early medieval legend The Voyage of St. Brendan,
he and his companions experience an epic sea adventure
to find a promised land of the saints.
