Saints and Holy People

Find out about their lives and how they changed the world

Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444)

Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444)

Patron saint of advertising and public relations and against gambling and compulsive behavior

Feast day: May 20




Saint Bernardino was a Franciscan and a great preacher, traveling from town to town on foot, often preaching for hours to great crowds. A leader of his order, he established schools of theology for his monks. Even before Bernardino was a priest and preacher, he, with other young men in his hometown, offered to run the local hospital during the plague. Later he spent a year caring for a beloved aunt until she died.

Bernardino spent time each day in prayer and reflection to stay connected with God, the source of his energy. (From Take Ten: Daily Bible Reflections for Teens [Saint Mary’s Press]) 

(Image Jacopo Bellini, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)