Psychiatrists / Christina the Astonishing, 1150–1224, Feast Day: July 24

An orphan from Liege, Belgium, Christina was thought to have died from a seizure. In the middle of her funeral mass, she rose up and levitated to the church ceiling. Ordered down by the priest, she gave a detailed account of her visits to heaven, hell, and purgatory. Thought to be insane, she had an acute sense of smell and found it unbearable to be near many people. As she advanced in age, she gained respectability. Many Church officials consulted her on her visions.

Other patronages: mental illness; mental-health caregivers, therapists