By Courtney Grussing, guest columnist

PHILO — Through conversations with my four children and their questions, my curiosity and interest in my Catholic faith continues to expand. Each of my kids has varied interests, but they all are interested in learning about saints. This month we celebrate two very important and interesting holy people just days apart: St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, and the Feast of St. Joseph is March 19.

Most people associate St. Patrick with driving snakes out of Ireland, although according to various sources, there were no snakes in Ireland for him to banish. My oldest son, Teddy, recently informed me that St. Patrick is the patron saint of engineers. I had never heard this before so I was interested in this new fact, particularly because my husband is an engineer.

St. Patrick was in fact influential in building some of the first churches in Ireland. He is also credited with teaching the Irish different building techniques, including the use of lime mortar instead of dry masonry (a stone stacking method) and the concept of the beautiful stone arches on churches that are still in existence throughout Ireland.

BEDTIME PRAYER A TEACHING TIME

So, this St. Patrick’s Day when you are decked out in green from head to toe and enjoying corned beef and cabbage, you can also thank the beloved patron saint of Ireland for his engineering achievements!

My kids have their own routine during bedtime prayers; I like that this routine is personal to each of them. After the Feast of the Holy Family, I talked to my kids about how the Holy Family consisting of Jesus, the Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph are wonderful role models for families. After that, one of my 6-year-olds, Tommy, started praying for “Jesus, Mary and Joseph” every night. During one particular conversation when I was feeling extra defeated, tired and frustrated, I told him I like that he prays to the Holy Family, and I have been praying to them for help being a better mom and being more patient.

Tommy, who is often in his own little world, but at times is the only one who “gets it” said, “Mom, I don’t think Joseph can handle it!” I replied with, “Yes, this may be a job for Mary!”

JOSEPH CAN HANDLE IT

But in my opinion, if there is a saint who can “handle it,” it is indeed St. Joseph, the patron saint of the universal church, families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers (like Patrick), and working people.

In addition to the list above, St. Joseph was a good sleeper and God guided him through his sleep and his dreams; we can pray to St. Joseph for a restful night of sleep. Wow, is there anything this guy can’t do?

On top of all that, having a child named Joseph makes this saint even more special to our family. It is fascinating to me that there is a patron saint for almost everyone and everything. There are times everyone can use a little extra help. The next time you are struggling with something — an illness, an overwhelming situation, a challenging person in your life — consider finding the appropriate patron saint and praying that intercession.

At the very least, take a few minutes to learn about a new saint and share the information with your kids, a family member or friend. You might find yourself in an interesting and inspirational conversation, and it is through these conversations that we just might learn something surprising about ourselves and our faith.

Courtney Grussing, her husband Mike, and their four children (including 6-year-old triplets) are members of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Philo. Write to her at cjgrussing@gmail.com.