Saint Edward the Confessor

Feast of Saint Edward the Confessor, October 13. Last Saxon king of England. He built the Saint Peter's Abbey in Westminster.

Saint Egwin

Feast of Saint Egwin, December 30. Bishop of Worcester during the seventh century. He became famous for the following fish story. After problems developed within his diocese, he decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome with his feet locked in chains, the key to which he threw in the river Avon. According to the legend, later in Rome he bought a fish and found the key inside it. The same story has been applied to St Nathalan, whose feast day is on January 8.

Saint Erasmus

Feast of Saint Erasmus, June 2. St Erasmus (or Elmo), the patron saint of sailors, was a bishop who was martyred around 303 AD. Saint Elmo's Fire is an atmospheric optical phenomena in which a faint blue glow may be seen on the mastheads or rigging of a ship after a storm due to an electrical discharge. It was taken as a sign of St. Elmo's protection from danger.

Saint Eric of Sweden

Feast of Saint Eric of Sweden, May 18. Patron saint of Sweden.

Saint Frances of Rome

Feast of Saint Frances of Rome, March 9. Patron saint of motorists. Romans have their cars blessed on this day.

Saint Francis d'Assisi

Feast of Saint Francis d'Assisi, October 4. Patron saint of Italy and merchants.
Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis, September 17.

Saint Francis de Sales

Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, January 29. Patron saint of writers and journalists. He died on this day in 1662. He gave these instructions shortly before he died, "My body be given to the Theatre of Anatomy to be dissected; for it will be a comfort to me if I can be of any advantage, when dead, having been of none, whilst alive."

Saint Francis of Paola

Feast of Saint Francis of Paola, April 2. Patron saint of sailors.

Saint Francis Borgia

Feast of Saint Francis Borgia, October 10. Patron saint of Portugal.

Saint Gabriel

Feast of Saint Gabriel, March 24. Archangel of the Annunciation, and patron saint of postmen and communications workers.

Saint Geneviève

Feast of Saint Geneviève, January 3. Patron saint of Paris, secretaries, actors, and lawyers.

Saint George

Feast of Saint George, April 23. Patron saint of chivalry, England, Portugal, Germany, Genoa, and Venice. According to legend, George passed through the town of Sylene in Libya, which he found to be terrorized by a dragon. The townsfolk had been appeasing the dragon by choosing a sacrificial victim by lot. On this day it was the king's daughter who was chosen. She was dressed as a bride and chained to a rock to be given to the dragon, but the valiant George conquered the dragon and brought it back to town. He said he would slay it on condition that they convert to Christianity, and as a result fifteen thousand were baptised.
Saint George's Day, April 23. Celebrated in England and New Zealand. In Greece it is celebrated in the towns of Lemnos, Arahova, Assi, Gonia, and Cos. In eastern Europe St. George's Day is observed with ancient fertility customs. A South Slavonian woman desiring to have a child puts a new chemise on a fruitful tree on the previous evening, and examines the garment before the sun rises on St. George's Day. If a living creature has crawled in to it, superstition says she will have a baby within the year. In the Ukraine, a priets blesses the newly sprouting crops, after which young married couples roll over the soil to promote the growth of the crops.

Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of Saint Gregory the Great, March 12. Patron saint of musicians, schoolchildren, and scholars. In 601 he instructed his missionaries to Christianize the pagan festivals.

Saint Helena

Feast of Saint Helena, August 18. Discoverer of the True Cross. Mother of Emperor Constantine.
Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, May 3. Helena traveled to Palestine in search of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Three potential crosses were found, so each were put to the test by being touched to a sick woman. She was reportedly healed by one true cross on this day in 326. Same as Mexico's Holy Cross Day.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14. Saint Helena found in 326 the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Saint Hippolytus

Feast of Saint Hippolytus, August 13. Third century Roman priest, and patron saint of horses and prison officers. He denounced Pope Zephyrinus for being too lenient, and later his followers elected him antipope. The legend of St. Hippolytus being dragged to his death by horses is a confusion with the legend of his namesake, the Greek Hippolytus, son of Diana, as Sir James Frazer points out in The Golden Bough

For we can hardly doubt that the Saint Hippolytus of the Roman calendar, who was dragged by horses to death on the thirteenth of August, Diana's own day, is no other than the Greek hero of the same name, who, after dying twice over as a heathen sinner, has been happily resuscitated as a Christian saint.

Saint Hubert of Liége

Feast of Saint Hubert of Liége, November 3. Patron saint of hunters, the hunt, dogs, and victims of hydrophobia. Officially opens hunting season in Belgium.

Saint Ildephonsus

Feast of Saint Ildephonsus, January 23. Doctor of the Church, Archbishop of Toledo, celebrated in St. Ildephonsus, NM.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, July 31. Founder of the society of Jesus. Patron saint of retreats and retreatants.

Saint Isidore of Seville

Feast of Saint Isidore of Seville, April 4. Isidore (c.560-636) is a Doctor of the Church, and patron saint of the internet. When a young boy, he became discouraged with his studies and ran away from school, but he came across a steadily dripping stream of water that had worn a deep hallow in a rock, and this inspired him to return to his studies. He succeeded his brother as the bishop of Seville, but is better known for his writings. His brothers Leander, Fulgentius, and Florentian are also saints. Observed in Spain as Feast of Saint Isadore. Also celebrated in Mexican towns whose patron saint is San Isidro.