Top saints Archives

John the Evangelist: Beloved Disciple of Jesus — and maybe his lover

by Kittredge Cherry | | Dec. 16-31, Saints, Top saints

John the Evangelist and Apostle is commonly considered to be Jesus’ “Beloved Disciple” — and possibly his lover. His feast day is Dec. 27 in Catholic and Protestant churches. He has two feast days, May 8 and Sept. 26, in the Orthodox tradition. Shrouded in both...

Sergius and Bacchus: Paired male saints loved each other in ancient Roman army

by Kittredge Cherry | | Oct 1-15, Saints, Top saints

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were third-century Roman soldiers, Christian martyrs and men who loved each other. Their story is told here in words and images for their feast day on Oct. 7. They are by far the best documented, most widely worshiped and most influential...

Francis of Assisi: Queer side revealed for saint who loved creation, peace and the poor

by Kittredge Cherry | | Oct 1-15, Saints, Top saints

Historical records reveal a queer side to Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved religious figures of all time. The 13th-century friar is celebrated for loving animals, hugging lepers, embracing poverty and praying for peace, but few know about his love for...

Mychal Judge, gay saint of 9/11 and chaplain to New York firefighters

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 1-15, Saints, Sept 1-15, Top saints

Mychal Judge, chaplain to New York firefighters and unofficial “gay saint,” died helping others in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He was the first recorded victim of 9/11. A popular Franciscan priest during his lifetime, he rose to...

Pauli Murray: Queer saint who stood for racial and gender equality

by Kittredge Cherry | | July 1-15, Nov 16-30, Saints, Top saints

Human rights champion and queer African American saint Pauli Murray is a civil rights pioneer, women’s rights advocate, author, Episcopal priest and lawyer whose legal arguments were used in landmark Supreme Court decisions outlawing discrimination. The gender...

Joan of Arc: Cross-dressing warrior-saint and LGBTQ role model

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 15-31, Saints, Top saints

Joan of Arc was a tough cross-dressing teenage peasant who led the medieval French army to victory at age 17. Joan is a queer icon, girl-power hero and patron saint of France. Her belief that God was the source of her — or their or his — gender-bending...

Saint Sebastian: History’s first gay icon?

by Kittredge Cherry | | Jan 16-31, Saints, Top saints

Saint Sebastian has been called history’s first gay icon and the patron saint of homosexuality. Sebastian was an early Christian martyr killed in 288 in Rome on orders from the Roman emperor Diocletian. His feast day is Jan. 20. He is the subject of countless artworks...