St. Michael the Archangel
His name is a question: who is like God?
Michael is not a saint the way Patrick or Rose are. He was never a person. He is an archangel, and he turns up four times in Scripture, always at the sharp end of something.
His name is Hebrew, and it is not a statement. It is a question. Mi-ka-el. Who is like God? The tradition is that he asked it in the middle of a rebellion, when someone else was claiming to be, and asking it was the whole fight.
He shares September 29 with Gabriel and Raphael, the other two archangels named in the Bible. If you have ever seen a statue of an angel standing on a dragon, that is him, and the question is what he is holding.
St. Michael the Archangel facts for kids
- His name means who is like God? and it's a question, not a boast
- One of only three angels named in Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael
- September 29 is called Michaelmas, and in England it marked the start of the school and legal year
- Patron of soldiers, police officers, paramedics, and grocers
Feast day: September 29 · Patron of soldiers, police, and paramedics
St. Michael, defend me, and keep me from pretending I'm the one in charge.