I consider Constantine the Great to be one of the most important saints in all of Christianity (even though he's only recognized by the Eastern Orthodox and not the Roman Catholic Church). It was his conversion to the faith, that brought an end to the persecution and beginning of the official spread. Thanks to leaders such as Constantine, Christianity transformed instantly from a heretical religion to the one true religion. However Constantine was by no means a saint and waged many wars as was the norm in these days. Other examples of great leaders were Olaf and Vladimir the Great who also lived similar violent lives prior to converting to Christianity.
That being said there were also royal leaders who lived peaceful lives of pure devotion, charity, and piety. They were revered as saints because they set the example for how a Christian should be. Saints such as Margaret of Scotland, Edward the Confessor, and King Louis IX of France. I believe these royal saints are venerated because they understood that with great power comes great responsibility. They used their authoritative power as a means to promote and strengthen the Catholic faith for the betterment of society. Worth mentioning some of the big royal saints are not in this post because I have included them in the martyr category such as Wenceslaus of Bohemia and Olaf II of Norway.
Saint Helena
Saint Constantine the Great
Saint Vladimir the Great
Saint Edward the Confessor
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Saint Helena
- Years: 246-330 (82 years)
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- Nationality: Bithynia, Roman Empire (Modern day Turkey)
- Life: She was the mother of Constantine the Great who helped change the course of Christian history. She was a devout Christian of low social status, and had a child with the Roman officer Constantius which would become Constantine the royal heir. However since she was not of noble birth she was set aside for some time. When Constantine became emperor he brought his lowly mother back into the royal court life. Despite being in her 70s at this point she took an administrative role in her son's empire promoting charitable policies towards the poor. Her true claim to fame was her pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where according to tradition she found the True Cross of Jesus Christ. She had many of the sites explored and excavated near the site of Calvary where a Roman temple stood. It was under this temple she found the crosses buried and knew it was the true cross when it miraculously healed a child. She went on to build churches on the sacred sites across the Holy Land which included the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, Church of Nativity, and Church of the Ascension. She played a crucial role in convincing her powerful son to convert and make Christianity acceptable as well as glorying the Holy Land with churches.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Archeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorcees, empresses, new discoveries
- Symbols: crown, cross, nails
- Feast Day: Aug 18
- Famous Churches:
- The Church and Mausoleum of St. Helena (Rome, Italy)- 326-330- Primary church dedicated to St. Helena with her burial site.
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Jerusalem, Israel)- 326-335- Helena disovered the true cross at this location, and had the Roman temple destroyed and replaced with this famous church
- Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem, Israel)- 327-333- She also had a church built in the location of Christ's birth
- Chapel of the Ascension (Mount of Olives, Israel)- 390- She also played a role in developing this shrine on the location of Christ's ascension
- Trier Cathedral (Trier, Germany)- 1235-1270- Allegedly has her skull on display in the church's crypt
- Basilica of Saint Mary of the Altar in Heaven- (Rome, Italy)- 12th century- Also has some of her relics
- Saint-Leu-Gilles-de-Paris (Paris, France)- 1235-1780- Although it is dedicated to Saint Giles, it contains many of her relics
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Saint Constantine the Great
- Years: 272-337
- Nationality: Nicomedia, Roman Empire (modern day Turkey)
- Life: He was a game changer of world history, who made Christianity legal and ended the 300 years of persecution. Although his mother Helena, was a devout Christian, Constantine did not convert until later in his reign. According to legend Constantine received a vision from Jesus Christ prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In the vision he saw a cross of light, which made him order all his soldiers to put the cross on their shields. The Romans then went on to win the battle and Constantine became converted overnight. He quickly began to repeal some of the harsh laws against Christianity, most notably by making it legal in the 313 Edict of Milan. He eventually began a new campaign of Christian advocacy, locating relics and building churches. In 325 he took part in the Council of Nicaea, the first time an emperor sat in on a church council. He was officially baptized right before his death in 337. He is only recognized a saint by the Eastern Orthodox and not the Western Roman church. The case against his sainthood is his involvement in war, however I think he was a crucial figure in the acceptance of the religion.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Rulers, statesmen
- Symbols: The Chi-Rho, Roman military banner, crown and imperial robes
- Feast Day: May 21
- Famous Churches:
- Church of the Holy Apostles (Constantinople, Byzantine Empire)- 4th century- 1453- Central church of Christianity in Constantinople that was destroyed in the Ottoman sack of 1453. The church was the mausoleum of Constantine with relics of Constantine, St. Luke, St. Timothy, and St. John Chrysostom.
- Hagia Eirene (Istanbul, Turkey)- 330
- Church of Saints Constantine and Helena (Jerusalem, Israel)- 4th- 6th century
- Church of St. Constantine and Helena (Rome, Italy)
Saint Clovis
- Years: 466-511
- Nationality: Tournai, Belgium (Frankish Kingdom)
- Life: He was a pagan ruler who became the first Christian king of the Franks. He was convinced by his wife Clotide, that Jesus was the true God, after he prayed and achieved victory at the Battle of Tolbiac. Clovis was later baptized in 496 by the Bishop of Reims and encouraged his army to also convert. This was a huge historical event as it essentially aligned the powerful Frankish Kingdom with the Roman Church (instead of the Arianism movement that was supported by many of the Germanic pagan lords). Despite his earlier years of war and violence he is considered a saint because he laid the groundwork for the church in France and Germany. War was the norm in those days and in most cases would not lead to veneration. However for a pagan king to lead his people to Christianity took true immense courage and worthy of canonization, such as Constantine, Olaf, and Vladimir the Great. Clovis later worked with his wife to build churches, monasteries, and established a Frankish-Christian society. This conversion could be seen as laying the groundwork for Charlamagne's Holy Roman Empire which became the stronghold of the Catholic Church.
- Cause of Death: Illness
- Patronage: France, Christian kings, converts, Unity between church and state
- Symbols: Baptismal font, crown, armor, Bishop Remigius beside him, dove with Chrism
- Feast Day: Nov 27
- Famous Churches:
- Churches of Saint Peter and Paul (Paris, France)- 508-511- Burial place of Clotide and Clovis
- Abbey of Saint Genevieve (Paris, France)- 502- Monastery founded by Clotide and Clovis that was later destroyed during the French Revolution
- Basilica of Saint Reims (Reims, France)- 1005- Near the site of Clovis' baptism, honors him thru statues and stained-glass windows
- Basilica of Saint Denis (Paris, France)- 1135- Contains a shrine dedicated to Saint Clovis
Saint Clotide
- Years: 474-545 (70 years)
- Nationality: Lyon, Burgundy (France)
- Life: She was a princess from Burgundy who married the Frank/Germanic pagan chief Clovis I. She was a devout Christian and when she married Clovis she chose not to force her religion on her husband, yet rather let him witness her devotion. Years later at the Battle of Tolbiac, Clovis promised he would worship the God of Clotide if he was victorious. Once the Franks won the battle, Clovis accept Christianity. He was baptized by Saint Remigius (Bishop of Reims) along with many of his soldiers. Clotide played a key role in laying the Christian foundation for the Frankish kingdom which her husband carried on thru law. She spent much of her time building churches, spreading the faith, and living a humble life of quiet prayer to Saint Martin of Tours.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Brides, adopted children, parents, exiles, notaries, widows, the lame
- Symbols: Praying queen, nun, crown
- Feast Day: June 3
- Famous Churches:
- Churches of Saint Peter and Paul (Paris, France)- 508-511- Burial place of Clotide and Clovis
- Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours (Tours, France)- 4th century- She spent her final years as a widow praying at this church to Saint Martin
- Basilica Sainte-Clotide (Paris, France)- 1846-1857- Dedicated to her for the role she played in spreading Christianity to France
- Abbey of Saint Genevieve (Paris, France)- 502- Monastery founded by Clotide and Clovis that was later destroyed during the French Revolution
Saint Olga of Kyiv
- Years: 890-969
- Nationality: Kiev (Ukraine/Russia)
- Life: She was the first Christian monarch of Kiev Rus (Ukraine/Russia) and the grandmother of Saint Vladimir the Great. However prior to her conversion she committed terrible acts of vengeance on the pagan Drevlian tribe that killed her husband Igor. She had their envoys buried alive, then burned another delegation, then massacred the nobles, and then burnt their capital city of Iskorosten. Despite these cruel acts it was considered the norm for strong leaders at the time to put down enemy forces. In 950 she completely changed when she visited the city of Constantinople and accepted Christianity as the one true faith. She was convinced by the Byzantine emperor who had her baptized. She returned to her home country with a new found mission to convert her people. Her son prince Sviatoslav was resistant to Christianity, however she still had many churches built to lay the groundwork for Christianity in the region. Her grandson Vladimir would later carry on her mission to make Christianity the official religion by 988 AD. As the first Christian rule, she is considered the foundation of Christianity in Russia/Ukraine.
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- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Ukraine, Russia, Widows, converts
- Symbols: Cross and church
- Feast Day: July 11
- Famous Churches:
- Church of the Tithes (Kyiv, Ukraine)- 989-996- Her original burial location. It was ruined however by the Mongols in the Seige of Kiev in 1240 AD. It was rebuilt in the 1920s but destroyed again by the Soviet regime
- Saint Olga Cathedral (Kyiv, Ukraine)- 1994-2013- Modern chuch dedicated to Saint Olga
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- Years: 958-1015
- Nationality: Kiev, Ukraine (Russia)
- Life: He was the Grand Price of Kyiv who played a crucial role in converting the Slavic region of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia to Christianity. His early life as a pagan ruler was of course violent as was the norm in those days, however in 988 he accepted Christianity and was baptized in Crimea. He then made Christianity the new state religion and had many of the pagan idols and temples destroyed. He completely changed after his baptism and set a new example of moral discipline for his people to follow. He established many churches across the Slavic region, encouraged literacy, marriage, and took care of the poor. He is considered the key confessor of the eastern European region, celebrated in both Roman and Eastern Orthodox traditions.
- Cause of Death: Sickness
- Patronage: Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Baptism, Conversion
- Symbols: Crown, cross, thorn
- Feast Day: July 15
- Famous Churches:
- St. Vladimir's Cathedral (Kyiv, Ukraine)- 1862-1896- One of the most important churches in Eastern Europe
- St. Vladimir's Cathedral (St. Petersburg, Russia)- 1708-1789
- Church of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles (Moscow, Russia)- 17th century
Saint Henry II Holy Roman Emperor
- Years: 973-1024
- Nationality: Bavaria, Germany (Holy Roman Empire)
- Life: He is the only Holy Roman Emperor who is a saint, as he ruled as a servant of the church instead of thru war mongering. He saw himself as the moral authority of keeping his people in tune with the laws of the church. He served as an example himself by practicing celibacy with his wife St. Cunigunde sharing constant devotion and prayer. He partook in the reform of churches, clergy, and building many new churches and dioceses across the empire. Even though there were still wars fought under his reign he was an example of religious piety. He tended to fight defensive wars against rebellions rather then campaigns of conquest or civil brutality. For his constant devotion and contributions to the church he was canonized a saint.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Benedictine orders, disabled people
- Symbols: Crown, scepter, orb, church model, emperor robes
- Feast Day: July 13
- Famous Churches:
- Bamberg Cathedral (Bamberg, Germany)- 13th century- St. Henry II built this church and it's diocese. It is considered his primary church and holds his tomb and relics along with his wife, St. Cunigunde.
Saint Stephen of Hungary
- Years: 975-1038 (62)
- Nationality: Esztergom, Hungary
- Life: He was born as Vajk prince of the ruling pagan people known as the Magyars, and later was baptized with the new name of Stephen. When he became king he aligned his kingdom with the Roman Church which marked the beginning of the Kingdom of Hungary. During his reign he crushed rebellions that sought to fight against the statehood of Christianity. He established churches, dioceses, and appointed clergy members across the kingdom. He worked closely with the Papacy seeking to establish a counter balance between church and state. While he had to use violence to fight against his enemies he also was known for his almsgiving and protection of the poor. Towards the ends of this death, he dedicated the Kingdom of Hungary to the Virgin Mary. He was canonized as a confessor saint he worked to convert his pagan people and spread the faith across the nation.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Hungary, kings, masons, stonecutters, protector against sick children
- Symbols: Crown, scepter, globe
- Feast Day: Aug 20
- Famous Churches:
- St. Stephen's Basilica (Budapest, Hungary)- 1851-1905- Dedicated to St. Stephen of Hungary; displays the relics of his holy right hand
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Stephen the King (Szekesfehervar, Hungary)- 1758-1768- Dedicated to St. Stephen
Saint Edward the Confessor
- Years: 1003-1066 (63 years)
- Nationality: Oxfordshire, England
- Life: He was the last Anglo Saxon king and a very devout Christian. He faced continuous Viking raids, however ultimately he sought peace and prayer over war and violence. There are many claims that he preferred the monastic life over his royal duties, and even remained celibate in his marriage. His greatest achievement was establishing the iconic Westminster Abbey in 1065 (which still stands today as one of England's great landmarks). He did not
- have any children, which led to a succession crisis, that became the precursor to the Normandy Conquest of 1066. He was canonized as a saint for his great humility and temperance towards Christ, choosing prayer over violence.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Monarchy, United Kingdom, difficult marriages
- Symbols: Royal garments, crown, a ring, scepter and cross,
- Feast Day: Oct 13
- Famous Churches:
- Westminster Abbey (London, England)- 1040-1065- Built by King Edward the Confessor originally dedicated to St. Peter but considered Edward's primary church where he is buried.
- St. Edward the Confessor Church (Essex, England)- 1400
- St. Edwards Church (Cambridge, England)- 13th century
Saint Margaret of Scotland
- Years: 1045-1093 (47 years)
- Nationality: Edinburg, Scotland
- Life: She is the patron mother saint of Scotland, who used her position as queen consort to set an example of being a pious Christian. She took in active role in reforming the church and state law, with daily prayer, fasting, church services, and updating the liturgy. She also took care of the poor, captives, and slaves. She taught her husband King Malcolm III how to show justice, thru the comp
assion of Christ. She raised her children to be devout Christians, which included three future Scottish kings, such as David I. She played a pivotal role in spreading and establishing the Christian practice across Scotland. - Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Scotland, queens, widows
- Symbols: Crown, books, black rood, bowl
- Feast Day: Nov 16
- Famous Churches:
- St. Margaret's Chapel (Edinburgh, Scotland)- 1130- Oldest standing building in Edinburgh
- Dunfermline Abbey (Fife, Scotland)- 1070- Founded by Maragaret, that is her burial site and other famous Scottish kings
Saint Ferdinand III of Castile
- Years: 1201-1252
- Nationality: Kingdom of Leon (Spain)
- Life: He was the pivotal leader of re-establishing Christianity throughout Spain during their Reconquista from the Muslim occupancy. He reunified Castile and Leon thru peace talks, ending a long civil war. He restored the central authority of the church throughout Cordoba, Jaen and Seville. He ruled with humility and Christian devotion instead of thru violence and war. He fought against corrupt, and worked closely with the church to establish a balanced relation with the church-and-state. The church celebrated him as a person of justice, piety, and responsible use of power.
- Cause of Death: Sickness (Dropsy)
- Patronage: Cities, Seville, engineers
- Symbols: Crown, royal robes, sword, cross bearer, kneeling in prayer
- Feast Day: May 30
- Famous Churches:
- Royal Chapel (Seville, Spain)- 1401-1506- Burial place of St. Ferdinand III
- San Fernando Cathedral (San Antonio, Texas)- 1738-1750- Dedicated to Saint Ferdinand and is one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States.
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
- Years: 1207-1231 (24 years)
- Nationality: Kingdom of Hungary (modern day Bratislava, Slovakia)
- Life: She has a very intriguing story at the height of the Medieval ages. She was born a princes
s, however had a strong calling to the faith. Nonetheless she was married off, and genuinely loved her husband alongside Christ (a rare example of a married female saint). She put much of her effort and resources into caring for the poor and sick. During the Sixth Crusade her husband was killed and she became a widow and quickly loss favor with the nobles. She eventually gave away all her wealth and possessions to live among the poor. She died at the young age of 24 likely due to the harsh reality of poverty. - Cause of Death: Poverty (exhaustion, malnutrition, illness)
- Patronage: Hospitals, nurses, bakers, brides, homeless people, widows
- Symbols: Roses, crown, food basket
- Feast Day: November 17
- Famous Churches:
- Church of St. Elizabeth (Marburg, Germany)- 1235-1283- One of the earliest Gothic churches. It is dedicated to Elizabeth and contains her tomb and many of her relics
Saint Louis IX of France
- Years: 1214-1270 (56 years)
- Nationality: Poissy, France
- Life: He was a very pious Christian king, who to enforce every aspect of Christianity upon his kingdom. He was a king for justice, who restricted the wealthy power elite and opened up more privileges for the common people and the poor. He practiced his devotion every day thru prayer, fasting, and works of charity. He was also a warrior king, who led several crusades against heretics, most notably the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. He also led the Seventh and Eighth Crusade of which he was briefly captured and later died of sickness. He was canonized by the church no
t for his crusades but for his dedication to the church and protecting the poor. - Cause of Death: Sickness
- Patronage: France, New Orleans, Saint Louis, MO
- Symbols: Crown of thorns, crown, sceptre, sword, fleur-de-lis, mantle
- Feast Day: Aug 25
- Famous Churches:
- Cathedrale Saint-Louis de Versailles (Versailles, France)- 1743-1754- Primary shrine dedicated to St. Louis IX
- Cathedrale Saint-Louis de Blois (Blois, France)- 1699-1704
- La Rochelle Cathedrale (La Rochelle, France)- 1742-1784
- Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (Saint Louis, MO)- 1834
- Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (New Orleans, LA)- 1855-1923
- Saint-Chapelle (Paris, France)- 1241-1248- Incredible royal chapel commissioned by King Louis IX which was to house the crown of thorns and other important relics
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
- Years: 1271-1336 (65 years)
- Nationality: Kingdom of Portugal
- Life: She was Queen of Portugal thru her marriage to King Denis and played a crucial role in the kingdom thru her faithful devotion. Despite being married to a cruel husband, Queen Elizabeth displayed piety and charitable works throughout her life. She also played a significant role in establishing peace by riding out in the midst of a battlefield to lead the negotiations and avoid a deadly civil war. Her most famous story is the Miracle of Roses, when her husband caught her smuggling food and money to the poor. When she lied and told him it was roses, the money miraculously turned to roses to convince the husband. Towards the latter part of her life after King Denis died, she gave away much of her wealth and possessions to the poor. She lived her final years in silent prayer, devotion and humility towards God.
- Cause of Death: Old age
- Patronage: Peacemakers, disrespected wives
- Symbols: Olive branch, dove, holding roses
- Feast Day: July 5
- Famous Churches:
- Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova (Coimbra, Portugal)- 17th- 18th century- Her burial place that was built just for her
- Igreja de Santa Isabel (Lisbon, Portugal)- 18th century
Saint Jadwiga of Poland
- Years: 1373-1399 (25 years)
- Nationality: Buda, Hungary
- Life: She was the first female ruler of the Kingdom of Poland at age 10 (not queen consort but queen by total authority). She made a famous political alliance by marrying the Duke of Lithuania, Jogaila with one condition; that he convert to Christianity. This not only established a powerful union of Poland-Lithuania, but also spread Christianity across the final pagan pockets in the Baltics. Even after the marriage she continued to rule with authority, but also with Christian humility and piety. She built churches, established theological schools (such as the Jagiellonian University in Krakow), she cared for the poor, and served as peacemaker between waring nations. She even famously gave away her precious jewels to support the theological university of Krakow. She died at the young age of 25 due to childbirth complications, but was immediately revered by her people as a holy person (however she was not made an official saint until 1997).
- Cause of Death: Childbirth
- Patronage: Poland, queens, united Europe, students, mothers
- Symbols: Royal dress, shoes, apron, full of roses
- Feast Day: July 17
- Famous Churches:
- Wawel Cathedral (Krakow, Poland)- 11th century- Contains many of Saint Jadwiga's relics and her sarcophagus in the Black Crucifix Shrine
- Church of St. Jadwiga the Queen (Inowroclaw, Poland)- 1980-1990- Modern church dedicated to Queen Jadwiga
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