Saints' Names (girls S-Z) & Their Meanings - Good News Ministries Online

Note: Those with unlisted or ( ) Feast Days are not in the book
Daily Prayers with the Saints for the New Millennium

Feast Day	Name	Meaning	Saint & Patronage
Oct. 11	Sandra Alessandra, Alex, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Alexis, Cassandra	people helper	Saint Alexander Sauli became a bishop in a diocese where faith had died. Clergy and laity knew little about scripture and Church teachings. With the help of three friends, he inspired the people to new faith, corrected abuses, rebuilt broken down churches, and founded colleges and seminaries.
	Sarah Sally, Sara, Sarai, Shari	princess	Sarah was the wife of Abraham, the father of the Jewish religion. Her original name was Sarai until God renamed her when He made His covenant with them. She had been barren until a very old age, and when she was long past her biological time to have children, God gave her a son, Isaac.
April 21	Selma (fem. of Anselm)	divine helmet	Saint Anselm of Canterbury actively fought against slavery in England, even getting politically involved and obtaining legislation that made it illegal to sell human beings.
Mar. 12	Seraphina Serafina, Seraphia, Fina	burning	Saint Seraphina was the victim of disease and neglect, and suffered continuously. She is patron of the handicapped.
	Sharon	His plain or field	Sharon is the name given to various places in Israel known for their beauty. In the Song of Songs 2:1, God is metaphorically alluded to as a lover saying, "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys."
Oct. 28 May 24	Simone Simona, Mona (fem. of Simon)	obedient	Saint Simon was one of the 12 Apostles (not to be confused with Simon/Peter). He was zealous about preaching the Good News. Because of the great holiness of the prayer life of Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger, and because of his growing reputation as a healer and miracle worker, the place where he lived as a hermit became a site for many pilgrimages.
(Sept. 30)	Sophia Sonia, Sonya, Sophie, Sofia	wisdom	According to legend, there was a Roman widow, Saint Wisdom (or Sofia), who had three daughters, Saint Faith, Saint Hope, and Saint Charity, and they all suffered for Jesus. Faith, age 12, miraculously survived being scourged and thrown into boiling pitch, and was finally beheaded; Hope, age 10, and Charity, age 9, were unharmed when tossed into a furnace, so they also were beheaded; their mother suffered while praying over the bodies of her children.
(Dec. 25)	Stacey Anastasia, Stasia	who will rise again	Saint Anastasia's father was a pagan nobleman, but her mother was Christian and secretly raised her in Christian beliefs and ways of holiness. Anastasia's husband was also pagan, and after he discovered she was a Christian, he stopped loving her and became a cruel tyrant, confining her to the house and treating her like a slave. Anastasia rejoiced that she could suffer for the love of Jesus Christ.
	Stella Estelle, Estella, Estrella, Esther	star	Saint Esther was an Old Testament Jewess who became, by marriage to Xerxes, Queen of Persia. She prevented the king from massacring all the Jews in the kingdom.
Dec. 26 April 17	Stephanie Stefanie	crowned	Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons in the Church. His holiness was so evident that when he preached to his enemies, his face glowed brightly like an angel's. He became the first martyr. Saint Stephen Harding found great joy in imitating Jesus through a life of poverty, praying, fasting, and working hard. When the other monks got tired of such a difficult life, Stephen formed a new community, the Cistercians.
(Aug. 11)	Susanna Susan, Suzanne, Suzette	lily	Saint Susanna was the beautiful daughter of a priest in Rome. She refused to marry the emperor's son-in-law, and when the ruler sent two of her uncles, who were court officers, to make her change her mind, she converted them to Christianity. The emperor was so mad, he martyred them.
Nov. 5	Sylvia Sylva, Sylvette, Sylvie, Silvia	of the forest	Saint Sylvia was the mother of Saint Gregory the Great, who became a pope. She and her husband raised their children to live a sanctified life filled with acts of kindness toward others.
June 13 Oct. 24	Tanya Antonia, Antoinette, Antonina, Toni, Tonia	priceless	Saint Anthony of Padua was always a ready helper in time of need. Living as a hermit, he left his cave only to attend Mass and sweep the nearby monastery. When he filled in for a scheduled speaker who failed to keep his commitment, his reputation as a great preacher spread widely. Patron saint for finding lost articles. Saint Anthony Claret was convinced that the Church should use the power of the printed word to evangelize the world.
Oct. 15 Oct. 1	Teresa Theresa, Terese, Therese, Terry, Tracy	reaper	Saint Teresa of Avila realized with shock and sorrow that her love for Jesus was almost nil compared to His great love for her. She decided to devote herself to prayer and sacrifice, and in so doing, she became a mystical contemplative. She wrote that if we fully yield our lives, "I am convinced that He never ceases bestowing His graces until He has brought us to a very high state of prayer." Saint Thérèse of Lisieux described her path to holiness as a journey of every-increasing intimacy with Christ through prayer. She said, "For me, prayer is a surge of the heart … a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."
April 22 Nov. 9	Theodora Dolly, Dora, Dorothy, Doris	God's gift	Saint Theodore of Sykeon was a monk and a bishop who worked amazing miracles, including healings. He put an end to a plague of insects by praying, confidently putting the matter into God's hands. Saint Theodore Tyro was a young soldier in the Roman army when he converted to Christianity. Though he was ordered to fight enemies of the empire, he believed that the devil was the only true enemy. Soon, he was killed for being a Christian, thus winning the battle against the demons who wanted to keep him out of Heaven.
July 3 Jan. 28	Thomasina Tomasa, Tomasina, Tomasine	twin	Saint Thomas the Apostle doubted Jesus' resurrection until he touched His wounds. After Pentecost, God called him to become a missionary in India, but he doubted again and said no. He changed his mind only after being taken into slavery by a merchant who happened to be going to India. Once he was cured of his doubt, God freed him and he began the work he had called him to do. He is the patron saint against doubt. Saint Thomas Aquinas’ family misunderstood his devotion to studying the Faith. Because of their disapproval, he had to join the Dominicans secretly. His family kidnapped him, intent on changing his mind, but his trust in God kept his hope alive. A year later, God freed him to rejoin the friars. He became a great theologian and Doctor of the Church.
Mar. 14	Tillie Tilda, Matilda, Maude, Maud	battle maiden	Though Saint Matilda married a king, she did not lord it over others. She often visited the sick and imprisoned. Her husband learned much from her holiness, taking greater interest in the needs of his people and using his power to ease their suffering.
Nov. 28 April 29 Mar. 24	Trina Katherine, Kathryn, Katrina, Kay, Kit, Kitty, Catherine	pure	Jesus gave Saint Catherine Labour� a vision of the Blessed Mother revealing an image that was to be made into the Miraculous Medal. He commissioned her to spread its devotion. It included the prayer: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." He promised that those who wear it as a sign of devotion will receive the graces needed for holy living. Saint Catherine of Siena took her faith out into the world to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. She served as a spiritual guide to many, she affected politics, and she convinced the pope to return the Church’s leadership to Rome. By word and deed, she taught that Christians should influence the world with their spiritual values. Saint Catherine of Sweden, with her mother Saint Bridget, organized pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other places to stimulate people’s spiritual growth. In between pilgrimages, they spent their time in prayer and meditation, ministering to the poor and instructing them in religion.
Nov. 16	Trudy Gertrude, Gerda	spear strength	Saint Gertrude was a very gifted student and loved every subject except religion. When she studied philosophy, it began to twist her mind and lead her away from the Faith, so Jesus visited her in a vision and called her back. From then on she studied Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers.
Oct. 21	Ursula	Little Bear	Saint Ursula loved children and became a teacher. She taught them about the Good News and instructed them in how to lead holy lives. She is the patron of Catholic education, students, and teachers.
Feb. 19	Valery Valerie, Valeria	valiant	Saint Valerius was a bishop who worked throughout southern France to evangelize the region and to increase monasticism.
July 12	Veronica Vera, Bernice	victory bringer	Saint Veronica served Jesus on His way to Calvary by wiping His beloved face with a towel on which His sacred image then appeared. She protected this treasure, and whenever people touched it, they were miraculously healed.
Sept. 27	Vincentia Vincenza	conquering	Saint Vincent de Paul developed a special concern for the poor after giving the Sacraments to a dying peasant. He cared for slaves, prostitutes, war victims, and the destitute.
	Virginia Ginny	virgin	The Blessed Virgin Mary is your patron. Her parents dedicated her to God when she was three. In the temple, she joined the girls who spent their days praying, reading Scripture, and serving the temple priests. Her holiness was very evident, and the high priest thought that God probably had great plans for her.
(Aug. 28)	Vivian	lively	Saint Vivian was a bishop who dedicated his life to relieving the sufferings of the local people after they were invaded by a heathen enemy.
April 6	Wilhelmina (fem. of Wilhelm, which is a form of William)	strong helmet	Saint William of Eskilsoe worked so hard on his spiritual growth that he developed a widespread reputation for holiness and austerity.
Jan. 3	Winifred (form of Genevieve)	white wave	Saint Genevieve was a small child when she decided to devote her life to God. She allowed nothing to interfere. She had an enthusiastic and single-minded heart for Christ.
(Jan. 13)	Yvette Yvonne	praised	Blessed Yvette has not been canonized, but she is considered a saint. After she was widowed at age eighteen with three children, she dedicated herself to caring for lepers out of love for God. She became a mystic, loved by the people for her prayers and miracles. She brought her father and one of her two remaining children back to the Faith.
April 27	Zita	little hope	Saint Zita was sold to a family as a domestic servant, and she stayed in that position for the rest of her life. Because of her Christian beliefs, she often gave away her food, and sometimes her master’s food, to those who were needier than herself. This caused problems with her employers.
(May 2)	Zoe	life	Saint Zoe and her husband Exsuperius (also called Hesperus) were Christian slaves who refused to eat food offered to the gods of their master when their son was born. The family was therefore martyred.