The Saints are there to help us, so…

Arm yourselves with these wonderful holy helpers to make your summer a little more sane and safe! As the summer school holidays continue and your patience may starts to wear thin, you might be longing for the return to school and cooler days, especially if mosquitos, soaring temperatures, thunderstorms and other common summer woes are making life a little stressed!

However, as these weeks away from the usual daily routine are precious to embrace, look to these holy helpers to make the most of your summer, so you can really enjoy it with family and friends.

Bugs & Mosquito bites: St Rita is known for her ability to help with seemingly impossible situations and is the go-to saint for those relentless mosquito and midge invasions. Think of her as your celestial bug spray, keeping those pesky pests at bay.

Sunburn: For those whose skin burns at the slightest exposure to the sun, they’ll appreciate just how much it can impact your summer. St. Bartholomew, associated with skin healing, is your spiritual aloe vera, ready to soothe and protect your sun-kissed skin. Alternatively, you could seek out help from St Lawrence, who was grilled to death for his beliefs. (He was the saint who declared that his executors could turn him over as he was cooked on that side!)

Keeping kids busy: Summer breaks can mean restless kids. St John Bosco, known for his dedication to youth and education, is a great saint to call on for inspiration in keeping the kids entertained and engaged. Think of him as your divine camp counsellor with lots of support and ideas.

Extra loads of washing:  Between pool parties, BBQ’s, trips out and sleepovers, summer fun often leads to more laundry. St Clare, the patron saint of laundry workers, can help make those extra loads a bit more bearable. Consider invoking your holy laundry assistant when those piles of dirty clothes are mounting up.

Travel issues: With the recent CrowdStrike IT outage millions of people saw their travel plans go up in smoke, with many flights cancelled. It reminded us just how hard it is to rely on different means of transport. Therefore, whether you’re planning a road trip or flying to a far-off spot, St Christopher is your trusty intercessor to call on. Invoke his help for safe and smooth journeys and consider him your celestial GPS.

Let’s keep calm and invoke the saints, our celestial helpers and have a great summer.

Fr David Jones OLW