Winning money can seem like a game of chance. For many people of faith, asking for divine help or blessing when trying to increase one’s wealth is seen as a sensible spiritual practice. Saints and holy figures often become the focus of such petitions. But is there really a singular Catholic saint who can be called upon as the patron of winning money or good fortune? The answer is more nuanced than it may first appear.
St. Matthew, Patron Saint of Bankers and Tax Collectors
St. Matthew is one potential patron saint of winning money due to his former profession as a tax collector. As one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. Matthew worked as a tax collector in Capernaum before being called by Christ to become one of his disciples. His experience handling money and finance led to him being associated with wealth and abundance.
For this reason, St. Matthew is considered the patron saint of bankers and tax collectors. He is symbolic of ethical business practices and using one’s financial blessings to do good works. Those hoping to come into money may pray to St. Matthew for divine assistance. However, his area of influence has more to do with being wise and virtuous in monetary matters than gambling or games of chance.
Feast Day and Symbols
The feast day of St. Matthew is September 21. Common symbols associated with this saint are three money bags which represent his former career, and an angel representing his service to God.
St. Expeditus, Patron Saint of Urgent Causes
St. Expeditus is said to help those who require fast solutions and wish for their prayers to be answered without delay. For this reason, he has become associated with granting quick blessings regarding money and success. But how did this saint become linked to such swift assistance?
According to legend, St. Expeditus was a Roman centurion who was martyred for converting to Christianity in the late 3rd century. His tomb included a wreath with the word “hodie” or “today.” This led to the belief that Expeditus helps prayers get answered the same day they are made.
Due to his reputation for haste, praying to St. Expeditus is a common folk tradition for trying to win at gambling or games of chance where results are revealed quickly. Whether or not he directly intervenes is up for debate, but his iconography makes him a popular saint for those seeking good fortune in a hurry.
Feast Day and Symbols
The feast day of St. Expeditus is April 19. He is usually depicted as a Roman soldier holding a cross with the word “hodie” and stepping on a crow which represents distractions or waiting.
St. Benilde, Patron Saint of Good Fortune
St. Benilde was a Spanish martyr and a member of the Brotherhood of the Christian Schools. Originally from Zamora, Spain, he taught in Barcelona before being killed during anti-clerical riots in 1822 at the age of 27. Following his martyrdom, many miracles and answered prayers were attributed to his intercession.
Due to his connection with inexplicable blessings and instant miracles after his death, St. Benilde became informally associated with receiving unexpected good luck. Gamblers began considering him a patron saint for games of chance, especially lotteries, bingo, and raffles. Praying to St. Benilde is seen as a spiritual hedge to increase one’s odds of winning big prizes or windfalls.
Feast Day and Symbols
The feast of St. Benilde is celebrated on August 13. He is usually depicted in the educational robes of the teaching order he belonged to. Stories of his life often focus on his devotion to education and piety rather than any special gifts with finances.
St. Cajetan, Patron Saint of Gamblers and the Unemployed
St. Cajetan, sometimes spelled St. Caietano or Gaetano, is an Italian Catholic saint from the 16th century. He was a co-founder of the Theatines religious order and helped establish hospitals and banks for the poor. But St. Cajetan’s informal patronage extends to gamblers and the unemployed who see him as a benevolent figure that can intercede with luck or blessings related to money and work.
The origin of his patronage over gambling and games of chance is uncertain. Some stories claim he helped convert compulsive gamblers during his ministry. Others posit that healings among unemployed gamblers were attributed to him after his death. In any case, St. Cajetan is invoked by those taking a chance on hitting it big to bring wealth or success.
Feast Day and Symbols
St. Cajetan’s feast day is August 7. His usual iconography includes priestly robes, a halo, and divine rays as a sign of his sainthood. He may also hold a monstrance, which housed the Eucharist for adoration.
St. Camillus de Lellis, Patron Saint of Luck and Losing Causes
St. Camillus de Lellis was an Italian priest and founder of the Camillians religious order dedicated to caring for the sick. His work revolutionized the treatment of ill patients in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Over the centuries, St. Camillus became associated with miraculous cures and conversions.
Due to the belief in his powerful intercession, St. Camillus’ patronage extended to desperate causes and cases of bad luck. Gamblers began praying to him for intervention, citing his aid to unlikely recoveries as proof he could help change a person’s fortune. Saint Camillus’ history of ministering to those in need made him seem like a sympathetic figure for those down on their luck.
Feast Day and Symbols
St. Camillus’ feast day is July 18. Typical iconography includes a red cross on his religious habit, a walking stick, and an ailing patient to represent his ministry to the sick. While not officially the patron of gambling, his reputation for changing misfortune led to his unofficial role as a saint for luck.
St. Joseph, Patron Saint of House Hunters and Workers
St. Joseph is revered as the earthly father and protector of Jesus Christ in Catholic tradition. He is also the patron saint of home buyers and sellers, families, fathers, travelers, immigrants, and workers. Due to his guardianship of the Holy Family, St. Joseph is associated with family provision and financial stability.
Praying to St. Joseph for career success and real estate blessings is common. Some extend his patronage to gambling winnings to provide for their families. However, St. Joseph is more connected to ethical hard work than games of chance. Still, he is an approachable saint for anyone seeking his quiet spiritual guidance in finding provision and security.
Feast Day and Symbols
St. Joseph’s Feast day is March 19. He is often depicted in robes, with a walking stick, tools representing his carpentry work, and the Christ child.
St. Nicholas, Patron Saint of Pawnbrokers
St. Nicholas is one of the most beloved saints due to his charitable works and generosity. As the inspiration for Santa Claus, he is associated with gift-giving and spreading good fortune. In Catholic tradition, St. Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers and moneylenders. This connects him to financial security and redemption.
According to legend, St. Nicholas anonymously provided money to help a poor man’s daughters avoid being sold into slavery. For this act of secret charity, pawnbrokers and lenders adopted St. Nicholas as their saintly protector. Those down on their luck sometimes pray to St. Nicholas for help getting loans or gifts to change their circumstances.
Feast Day and Symbols
The feast of St. Nicholas is December 6. He is often depicted in bishop robes and hat, holding gold balls or bags representing his aid to the poor girls in need.
St. Anthony of Padua, Finder of Lost Things
St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most invoked Catholic saints due to his reputation for locating lost objects. Famously, he was prayed to when a novice dropped and then couldn’t find St. Anthony’s own prayerbook. The book was said to be miraculously found due to his intercession.
For this reason, St. Anthony is associated with finding not just physical objects, but even lost opportunities, solutions, or luck. Those who feel they have lost their way financially sometimes pray to St. Anthony to find the path back to prosperity. However, his aid is more broadly associated with lost items than specifically winning money.
Feast Day and Symbols
The Feast day of St. Anthony of Padua is June 13. He is typically depicted wearing Franciscan robes and holding the baby Jesus. Roses and lilies may reference his purity, while a book represents his skill as a great preacher and teacher.
How the Church Views Gambling
While some saints have an informal association with gambling, the Catholic church takes a nuanced stance on betting and games of chance. While completely skill-based recreation like sports or bridge is acceptable in moderation, excessive gambling for money is viewed as immoral due to greed or desperation.
However, responsible, legal gambling solely for entertainment is not inherently sinful according to the Catholic catechism. As in all human conduct, motivation matters. Gambling becomes problematic when the players have addictive tendencies, greedy motives, or harm their families due to their behavior.
The saints associated with gambling may intercede for blessings but not enable immoral conduct. Those who pray for gambling winnings should examine if it is wise stewardship or an unhealthy attachment to money.
Can Saintly Devotion Increase Luck in Gambling?
No saint has definitive power to make someone win more money gambling. However, prayer and devotion to saints reputed to assist in games of chance may bring a sense of comfort or hope. The additional confidence could improve a person’s perspective and morale, helping them make wise choices. But direct intervention would be unlikely.
By their very nature, games of chance are random. Dice, slot machines, bingo cages, and shuffled cards have no memory or preferential treatment. And for sports wagers, athletic performance follows the skills, preparation, and fitness of the participants. Outside intervention for gambling would go against the natural laws of probability.
While the psychology of increased devotion could potentially affect a gambler’s attitude and performance, no holy figure can supernaturally alter chance outcomes on demand. Winning dependent significantly on practical skills and rational choices instead of divine favor.
Signs of Gambling Addiction
Gambling only becomes a detriment when practiced irresponsibly. For most, it is harmless entertainment. However, for some, it morphs into a damaging addiction. Signs of compulsive gambling include:
- Needing to gamble with larger amounts or take greater risks to feel excitement
- Lying to conceal gambling activities from loved ones
- Spending increasing time gambling despite disruptions to obligations
- Chasing losses and borrowing money to try to win back money already lost
- Feeling restless or irritable when not gambling
- Jeopardizing relationships or career opportunities due to gambling
Those exhibiting these tendencies should seek help from counseling resources or support groups. Gambling addiction can be overcome with proper treatment and lifestyle changes.
Healthy Financial Stewardship
For faithful Catholics, praying to saints associated with prosperity should be paired with pragmatically building wealth and serving community needs. Work, wise investments, charity, and avoiding greed are key to righteous financial stewardship.
Saints linked to monetary blessings can intercede for help and opportunities. But providence should be responsibly managed, not squandered on detrimental vices. Striving for ethical business practices and generously supporting charitable causes brings one closer to a saintly ideal of putting resources to godly use.
Tips for Healthy Finances
- Live within your means and save for the future
- Invest and diversify instead of risky speculation
- Donate regularly to worthwhile causes
- Limit gambling solely for entertainment
- Avoid get-rich quick schemes that compromise ethics
- Work diligently and develop useful skills
- Manage money wisely for provision, not greed
Conclusion
In summary, saints associated with prosperity like St. Matthew, St. Cajetan, and St. Joseph do not have miraculous power to make someone win money gambling. Financial blessings from providence are not designed for detrimental addictions. While certain holy figures can be invoked in the quest for luck, true righteousness comes from prudently building wealth, working diligently, giving generously, and avoiding greed-driven speculation.
Responsible gambling for entertainment is permissible, but obsessive gambling to get rich quick is viewed as a vice. Trusting in heavenly favor should inspire one to make wise choices, not enable detrimental habits. Seeking miraculous lottery wins or casino jackpots through devotion is unwise. Ethical stewardship of finances and provision for needs bears more spiritual virtue.
Anyone hoping saints will enable addictive gambling to solve money problems needs to re-examine their relationship with wealth and moral responsibility. Providence should guide people to make sensible decisions, not provide an escape from consequences. With faith and wisdom guiding one’s financial choices, good fortune flows from righteousness instead of risk.