Endorse the city of Lorain Ohio to embrace St. Michael the Archangel and St. Joan of Arc as Co-Patron Saints

Many cities in the United States and throughout the world, communities, individuals, families and even nations, have through the centuries embraced, proclaimed, and adopted “patron saints” for some particular purpose, such as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, patron of converts and immigrants; St. Christopher, patron of travelers; St. Paul, patron of writers; St. Michael the Archangel, patron of all police and military, etc.

Patronage is often evoked for the sake of protection from evil forces such as those experienced during times of war, at Pearl Harbor, on “911”, (September 11, 2001), as well as during countless recent events throughout the world and our nation: the result of terrorist bombings, the insane slaughter of innocent children in our schools, and even the innocents of Boston runners, movie goers, and public gatherings of every sort suffering at the hands of evil. Obviously, during “times of peace” for our nation, there are countless acts of violence imposed upon the innocent.
Churches have often placed themselves under the “patronage” of the Holy Savior, the Blessed Mother, or some saint such as St. Anthony, St. Agnes, St. Peter, etc. Even two of the three ships that first sailed to the “New World/the Americas” in 1492, the Nina, and the Santa Marie were under the “patronage” of the Blessed Mother and the Holy Child, Jesus. When the Spanish ships landed in the Bahamas, Columbus named the island, San Salvador, “Holy Savior”. So this idea for “protective patronage” is not at all new!

I am proposing/suggesting that the City of Lorain adopt, by way of legislation, the patron saints of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Joan of Arc as co-patrons, to protect and watch over our local community, our residents and the entire population of our city. Furthermore, I propose that we adopt the following motto for Lorain: “May the Angels and Saints Protect Us.”

You may already know, the city of Santa Fe in New Mexico embraced the patron saint, La Conquistador over 400 years ago, and if you visit the first Cathedral in the nation in Santa Fe, you will see the most revered image of the Blessed Mother bearing this title. You may also be familiar with nations in Europe such as Ireland, which have the patron saints of St. Patrick and St. Brigit, or in England, St. King George, or in France, the co-patrons, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Joan of Arc. I might easily continue to Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. but I think it unnecessary.
Even our United States has embraced the “Immaculate Conception” as our patron saint. The Basilica in Washington D.C. is more than impressive. It is rich in history, much as is the Protestant Cathedral in Washington, where the bodies of so many of our former presidents reside!