The Virtual Medieval Abbey - Monastery Life in the Middle Ages

Saints Preserve Us!... from Viruses, Spam...

Saint George was 'the dragon slayer' who became the patron saint of soldiers...

...Saint Francis of Assisi loved nature and so he is patron saint of ecologists.

Established in the Middle Ages, patron saints were those spiritual aides who helped bend the ear of the Almighty — who might have otherwise been engaged with war, disease and pestilence.

In keeping with the tradition, the Vatican in Rome is expected soon to name St. Isadore of Seville as the Patron Saint of Web Surfers.

St. Isidore is a natural choice as an icon of the Information Age. He was the creator of the first primitive database, Etymologiae, (Etymologies) a 20-volume encyclopedia on subjects ranging from art and animals to history and mathematics.

He has already been named 'cyber protector' by religious and virtual Web communities in Spain, and who are now fervently hoping that Rome will follow suit.

At present, St. Isidore is pitted against a real contender, San Pedro Regaldo, a 15th century global navigator. Trailing behind in the race for the title are the angel Gabriel, the bringer of messages, and St. Anthony, the finder of lost possessions.

Data: St. Isidore of Seville
Born 550-560? Died April 4, 636
Early education:		Cathedral school at Seville, Spain
Occupation:		Elected archbishop of Seville and served 37 years.
Major work:		Etymologies, written shortly before his death, became the primary reference book for the Middle Ages. For the next thousand years in Western civilization only the Bible was more widely read.
Other works:		History of the Reigns of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi is an important study in the early history of Spain. He also wrote many other works on logic, language, natural history, astronomy, theology.
Philosophy:		Ignorance is the root of all evil.
Quote:		"Take away number in all things and all things perish. Take calculation from the world and all is enveloped in dark ignorance..."
Sins:		Like many churchmen of his day he urged the conversion of Jews to Christianity, by force if necessary.
Whereabouts:		Interred at the Basilica de San Isidoro in Leon

More on the Internet's (Almost) Patron Saint:

The Catholic Encyclopedia

Satire Wire