Friends in High Places

(This article was written for publication in a sedqa in-house magazine more than 15 years ago)

Browsing the Net the other day, I stumbled across a curious fact.  Drug addiction, alcoholism and compulsive gambling all have at least one patron saint. In fact, there are at least seven saints who, according to traditional Catholic belief, are considered as special protectors to those afflicted with these conditions.

The patronage of Saints has been a Catholic tradition for many centuries.  Catholics have always believed that praying to Saints facilitated the journey of that supplication heavenwards, and increased the chances of it being granted. They often choose to invoke a Saint who is somehow associated (sometimes tenuously so) with whatever problem they happen to be contending with. The reasoning seems to be that a saint who has actually had personal earthly experience of whatever the individual was praying for is more likely to lend a sympathetic ear, and will therefore relay that particular request to the Lord with greater urgency. Such a saint can be counted upon to follow up the supplication more diligently than just any other saint.

While drug addicts and compulsive gamblers can rely on one particular patron saint each, alcoholics appear to be spoilt for choice. No less than five fully canonised individuals are regarded as special protectors of problem drinkers. However, on closer inspection, a couple would appear to have suspect credentials. St. Urban of Langres, for example, having once taken refuge in a vineyard when trying to elude his persecutors, is actually the patron saint of vintners, and (presumably) by association, of the whole Alcohol Industry.  We should think twice about invoking his aid in matters of alcohol policy. It would not do to take him into our confidence, disclose all our plans and strategies, asking for enlightenment and help...and then finding out he’s a secret sympathiser of the Alcohol Industry - if not its paid agent. 

St. Martin of Tours was the first non-martyr to have achieved official sainthood. He is considered to be the protector of various human activities and afflictions apart from alcoholism and reformed alcoholics. I have not been able to find out how his connection with alcohol came about, but since, like Saint Urban, the protection of vintners and wine-makers is included in his portfolio, we should perhaps seek the assistance of others, whose allegiance to our cause is less ambiguous.

Saint John of God, a remarkable man who actually spent some time in a lunatic asylum, and later devoted his energies to tending the poor and the sick, is also considered to be a special protector of alcoholics. It is not clear why, but it is known that prior to his conversion, he was quite a wild character, and may have actually like to indulge in the fruit of the grape. St. John of God is also the patron of mental illness: perhaps we should consider dedicating our Dual Diagnosis unit, if and when it ever about, to him. Also, when problems arise with the Psychiatric Services St. John could be an important ally. 

The list of protectors includes none other than St. Matthias, the man who replaced Judas Iscariot as an apostle, after the latter’s unfortunate accident with rope and tree. Again, why Saint Matthias who was stoned to death in 80 A.D., should become the protector of incontinent imbibers is not limpidly clear. However, a favourite theme in his preaching was the need for mortifying the body and resisting sensual urges, so perhaps there the connection lies. 

So far, not one of the ones listed so far can be said with certainty to have experienced problem drinking directly. But with Saint Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, the link with alcoholism is as clear as it can possibly get, for she was a reformed alcoholic herself. But, there are other aspects of her life which make her someone we could feel comfortable turning to in times of need. With dogged determination she pursued the task of converting her son for no less than seventeen years, until he achieved insight and changed. This is nothing if not inspirational to those, like us, whose work often involves the same sort of initially fruitless endeavours. 

The protector of compulsive gamblers is St. Bernardino of Siena, a Franciscan friar who went from town to Renaissance town preaching against malicious gossip and discord, often prevailing upon his listeners to forget their disputes and make up with their enemies. One of the evils he often railed against was gambling...which explains the subsequent popular devotion to him as patron of those who had this problem. 

Possibly the best known in the list to twenty-first century Christians is the protector of drug addicts, Saint Maximilian Kolbe. In Auschwitz Concentration Camp, he offered to take the place of a man condemned to die of starvation and managed to survive for 14 days, ministering to his nine other dying companions. The Nazis then finished him off with an injection of phenol - hence the connection with intravenous drug use. 

So, whenever, during our work, we feel in a spot tight enough to warrant celestial intervention, there is enough protection we can call upon. Even in this world of addiction work, where humanist values prevail, and where therapeutic approaches are as secularised as they can possibly be, the patronage of no less than seven saints is a precious resource we would perhaps do well to utilise. 

Of course, the above seven heaven-dwellers are deemed to be the protectors of our clients, rather than of those of us who toil to help them. In other words, there is no canonised lady or gentleman who has been assigned the specific duty of watching over you and me. It is a deficiency which, given the sometimes arduous tasks we have to carry out, should cause some concern. But rather than just worry, dear reader, you should realise that if you generally love God and neighbour, carry out your duties diligently and uncomplainingly, forgive all those who frustrate you, and suffer gladly even those colleagues who inflict upon you articles like this one, you could one day be declared the patron saint of addiction workers.