By Diane Calvin
Special to The CS&T

When you were a child, did you ever say a little prayer to your guardian angel just before sitting down to take that dreaded math test? Hopefully those few words of petition gave your confidence a little bump, settled your nervous stomach a bit, or helped you to think more clearly.
We parents can certainly pass on this little “prayer assist” to our kids.
That’s exactly what happened in our household last winter, when our third-grader was struggling to understand money concepts in advance of a big test. Determining the various combinations of coins and dollar bills that add up to $3.69 was just as challenging to her as calculus had once been for me.
Walking to the bus stop on the morning of the exam, we made a last-ditch effort to unravel the mysteries of the monetary system, to little avail.
Then, inspiration struck. As she turned to board the bus, I called out these final instructions, “Pray to St. Matthew. He was a tax collector and was really great at counting money.” Well, she didn’t ace the test — but she did earn a passing grade.
The following week, another one of our children was facing a test in basic biology, about the life cycle of butterflies.
We studied, memorized and drew on paper the stages of the butterfly. And then, again, it hit me: Why not invoke St. Francis of Assisi? He was a lover of nature, animals and plants — surely he could shed some light on the four stages of a butterfly’s life.
As a result of those experiences, I began to investigate some of the other “heavenly helpmates” available for schoolchildren — and, of course, the rest of us.
Fortunately, there are a multitude of saints accessible for any academic need or scholarly situation.
Students of astronomy may look to St. Dominic, whose mother saw a star shining on his breast at his baptism. And for some reason, St. Barbara is a big help in math.
For a religion test, although any of the saints can be of help, your worried student should know that St. Albert the Great is the designated patron for students of theology. (He is also known for aiding students in the study of natural sciences, since he eventually resigned his post as a bishop in order to teach astronomy, chemistry and geography.)
What about a child whose nerves get the best of her when she’s faced with oral presentations? St. Gabriel the Archangel is the patron saint of communications, and St. John Chrysostom intercedes for orators. And if there’s a problem with stammering, enlist the aid of St. Notkar Balbulus.
Is your high school sophomore struggling with a term paper on one of Shakespeare’s works? Then ask him to pray to St. Frances de Sales, who intercedes for writers.
Does your son want to try out for the school play? St. Benet Biscop, an English abbot who promoted culture, is a patron saint of artists and musicians.
Whether your child takes the bus or walks to school, you can invoke the protection of St. Raphael the Archangel (The Book of Tobit in the Old Testament recounts the story of how Raphael protected Tobias on an arduous journey). And two other companions known for help in travel are St. Anthony of Padua and St. Joseph, who brought his family into — and back out of — Egypt.
For calming jitters before a first-ever piano recital, or for a sudden infustion of confidence for your eighth-grader who is singing a solo at the school concert, have him ask for help from St. Cecelia, St. Dunstan or St. Gregory the Great; they are all patrons of musicians.
For a child on the receiving end of false accusations or mean-spirited gossip, look to Helen of Skovde, who was falsely accused of killing her son-in-law, or John Nepomucene, patron of those suffering from slander.
When the computer at home crashes, or your student has difficulty accessing an internet site, or a stored file can’t be retrieved for that assignment due tomorrow, remember that St. Isidore of Seville is short-listed for potential patron saints for computer-related problems.
On the health front, maybe your child has recurrent nightmares about some aspect of school. Steer him or her, again, to St. Raphael the Archangel. For those suffering from respiratory problems (asthma perhaps), look to St. Bernardino of Siena. Stomach disorders are under the purview of St. Timothy and St. Erasmus (St. Elmo); St. Cornelius is the man to turn to for earaches and ear infections.
As for you, if you need help as a parent because your children have chronic behavior or discipline problems, at least four saints are available to assist you: St. Matilda, St. Monica, St. Clotilde and St. Louise de Marillac.
Speaking of bleak, for those situations that appear hopeless or desperate, St. Jude, St. Rita of Cascia, and St. Thaddeus will be helpful.
On a somewhat lighter note, if your child’s homework is chronically late or incomplete —  because “the dog ate it” or the computer blew — you have heavenly helpmates to call on: St. Vitus, patron of those suffering from dog bites, and, again, St. Isidore of Seville for that ailing computer.
Lost items — including but not limited to mismatched gloves, lunch money, test schedules, homework and gym uniforms — may often be located with the help of St. Anthony of Padua, the much-invoked patron of folks who lose things. St. Ethelbert and St. Vincent de Paul may also be called upon if your search comes up empty.
If your child is the “class clown,” perhaps St. Vitus or St. Genesius may direct his comedic skills in a positive direction. (Like St. Raphael, St. Vitus has a lot to do: he is also the patron saint of those who oversleep.)
The above information on Patron Saints was gleaned from a book by Richard P. McBrien called Lives of the Saints, and from the web site www.catholic.org/saints/patron.

Diane Calvin is a mother of four who writes on faith and family issues.