Here are some patron saints of alcoholism/ or for the reform of alcoholics -
they all pre-date the antebellum years though, so I am not sure if they are
helpful to you.
John of God
Martin of Tours
Matthias the Apostle
Monica (mother of St. Augustine of Hippo)
Urban of Langres

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Fahey" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 9:11 PM
Subject: Re: patron saint "of sobriety" or "for inebriates" ?


> There are plenty of such RC patron saints, for instance, St. Monica.
>
> At 05:28 PM 1/23/2004 -0500, you wrote:
> >Patron saints I can't speak to, (it seems to me there must have been one)
> >but Talbot is a 20th century figure.  Antebellum, the big figure would
> >still have been Father Mathew (no saint, but campaigns to have him made
> >one were underway at the time.)  His campaign in Ireland (and he visited
> >America for several years in the late 1840's and early 50's)was
remarkably
> >devoid of "traditional" devotions and prayers and the rest of it--it was
> >consciously secular/ecumenical, in theory if not in practice.  Since
there
> >wasn't much of a tradition of Catholic temperance before he came along, I
> >wonder about the prevalence of the things you ask about...
> >
> >His temperance medals served as religious emblems/tokens for some of his
> >Catholic followers, I know (plenty of Protestants condemned them as
> >"superstitious tokens" at the time)
> >
> >Since you are in Maryland you might look into the variation of Mathew's
> >society that was gotten up by Bishop Kenrick, who was a big booster of
> >temperance.  Mathew didn't like him because he seemed to want to tie the
> >temperance cause more closely to Catholic ritual and tradition, so
perhaps
> >his society had a patron saint.  A place to check would be the Catholic
> >directory for the Diocese of Baltimore from the late 1840's--there may be
> >a page or two dedicated to the society he established.
> >
> >Paul Townend
> >
> >Assistant Professor of British and Irish History
> >University of North Carolina at Wilmington
> >(910) 962-7542
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Alcohol and Temperance History Group
> >[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dick B
> >Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 4:14 PM
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: patron saint "of sobriety" or "for inebriates" ?
> >
> >
> >Roman Catholicism and "Saints" are not my bag. But I assume you have
> >thought of Matt Talbott - whenever he was holding forth. Dick B.
> >
> >Jon Miller wrote:
> >
> > > from H-Shear ...
> > >
> > >> Subject: Antebellum Patron Saints and Devotions
> > >> Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 08:11:38 -0500
> > >> From: "Patricia Anderson" <[log in to unmask]>
> > >>
> > >> Good Morning H-Shear,
> > >>
> > >> Does anyone know if there was a patron saint "of sobriety" or "for
> > >> inebriates" in the antebellum years? Or perhaps specific devotions?
> > >> Fielding Lucas's Catholic almanacs list the feast days but not each
> > >> saint's particular "cause." Many thanks.
> > >>
> > >> Pat Anderson
> > >>
> > >> Patricia Dockman Anderson
> > >> Managing Editor
> > >> Maryland Historical Magazine &
> > >> The Press at the Maryland Historical Society
> > >> 410-685-3750 x317
> > >
> > >
>