I. Bring your story
Reflect on the virtues you admire, the challenges you face, and the ways you care for others.
THE ORTHODOX PATRON SAINT QUIZ
Find out who your
patron saint is.
Answer 12 questions. Meet the Orthodox saint whose life resonates with yours. Discover two more saints to explore.
4 minutes · Free · Your result comes first. No email required.
12 questions 3 saints to explore
01 / The discovery
Begin with a little reflection.
No perfect answers. No personality boxes. Just a gentle introduction to lives of faith, courage, and love.
II. Meet three saints
Discover one primary suggestion and two more lives to explore, with the reasons behind each connection.
III. Take the next step
Read their stories. Notice what draws you closer to Christ. Discuss a baptismal patron with your priest.
02 / The saint library
Many paths. One faith.
Desert dwellers and devoted parents. Teachers and quiet servants. Meet the people behind the names.
Search & filter saints
Saint Nicholas of Myra
Bishop & wonderworker · Lycia · 4th century
Nicholas served as bishop of Myra in Lycia. The Church remembers his generous care for people in need and his defense of those facing injustice. His traditional life brings together public responsibility and quiet acts of mercy.
Saint Mary of Egypt
Desert ascetic · Egypt & Palestine · 5th–6th centuries
The traditional life of Mary of Egypt tells of a profound turning toward God in Jerusalem, followed by years of repentance in the desert. Her encounter with the monk Zosimas presents a life transformed through grace, prayer, and perseverance.
Saint Moses the Ethiopian
Desert father · Egypt · 4th century
Moses entered the monastic life in Egypt after a violent past. Through repentance and the discipline of community life, he became known for humility. His life offers a powerful example of refusing to define a person by earlier wrongdoing.
Saint Xenia of Petersburg
Fool-for-Christ · Russia · 18th century
After the death of her husband, Xenia embraced poverty and an unusual life of devotion in Saint Petersburg. Her traditional life describes ridicule endured with humility and help offered quietly to others, including work carried out for a church.
Saint Juliana of Lazarevo
Righteous wife & mother · Russia · 16th–17th centuries
Juliana lived her faith within the responsibilities of marriage, motherhood, and a household. She cared for the sick and shared resources with people in need. Her response to famine shows how family life and generous service can belong to the same Christian calling.
Saint Katherine of Alexandria
Great martyr · Egypt · early 4th century
The Church’s traditional account presents Katherine as a learned woman who confessed Christ before imperial authorities. Remembered for both intelligence and steadfast faith, her story brings the pursuit of truth together with the courage to bear witness.
Saint Macrina the Younger
Monastic & teacher · Cappadocia · 4th century
Macrina, the sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, helped shape her family’s spiritual life. She embraced a life of prayer and monastic community. Her example shows teaching through the conduct of a life as well as through words.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov
Monk & spiritual elder · Russia · 18th–19th centuries
Seraphim spent years in monastic discipline and solitude near Sarov. Later he received people seeking spiritual counsel. The Church remembers both the depth of his prayer and the warmth with which he welcomed those who came to him.
Saint John Chrysostom
Archbishop & teacher · Antioch & Constantinople · 4th–5th centuries
John became known for preaching and explaining Scripture, earning the name Chrysostom, or Golden-Mouthed. As archbishop of Constantinople, he called Christians to a serious life of faith. His teaching joined theological insight with concern for people in poverty.
Saint Herman of Alaska
Monk & missionary · Alaska · 18th–19th centuries
Herman was a monk who traveled to Alaska as part of an Orthodox mission. Living on Spruce Island, he cared for local people and defended them against mistreatment. His life connects prayer with the responsibility to protect vulnerable neighbors.
Saint Elizabeth the New Martyr
Nun & martyr · Russia · 19th–20th centuries
After her husband’s assassination, Grand Duchess Elizabeth devoted herself to the convent of Saints Martha and Mary in Moscow. The community united worship with service to people in poverty. She was killed in 1918 and is honored as a new martyr.
Saint Nektarios of Aegina
Bishop & wonderworker · Greece & Egypt · 19th–20th centuries
Nektarios served as a bishop and educator before helping establish a women’s monastery on Aegina. His life includes unjust accusations and difficult changes in his ministry. He is remembered for perseverance, humility, and continuing to serve through adversity.
Selected icon imagery courtesy of Legacy Icons . Portrait sources appear in saint profiles. All Saints illustration
Swipe to explore the featured saints
A curated selection of 436 researched lives. Search the full calendar directory Biographies link to Orthodox sources. Themes describe aspects of a saint’s life; they are not formal patronage assignments.
03 / A thoughtful beginningA suggestion to explore.
A suggestion to explore.
A relationship to grow.
How to use your result
A quiz can introduce you to a saint. A life of prayer, reading, and participation in the Church brings that introduction deeper.
Our suggestions connect your answers with themes in the saints’ lives. The quiz does not reveal a divinely appointed patron or replace pastoral guidance. You can learn from every saint, whatever result you receive.
Choosing a baptismal name? The Orthodox Church in America encourages considering a saint whose life inspires you and discussing the choice with your parish priest.
Read the OCA’s guidanceA few things to know.
What does this quiz tell me?
Your answers suggest one Orthodox saint and two more lives to explore, based on themes in their stories. The result is an educational introduction, not a divinely appointed patron.
Do I have to give my email?
No. Your result appears immediately. You can download a guide without sharing an email address. An emailed guide and newsletter subscription are optional.
Can I use the result to choose a baptismal name?
Use the result as a starting point for reading and reflection. Discuss choosing a baptismal patron with your parish priest.