I have several that have touched my life thru the years diversely & spiritually:
~St. Francis of Assisi- Instrument of Thy Peace prayer, Franciscan lifestyle I value (esp w/ religious orders)
~St. Catherine Laboure- related to the Miraculous Medal devotion
~St. Therese de Lisieux- young Saint of “the little way” (from Story of a Soul biography)
~St. Ignatius of Loyola- knight that eventually devoted to Mary & the narrow pathway to Sainthood. He also wrote about The Discernment of Spirits- one of my fav books from him and those teachings are so helpful & relevant still today
~St. Teresa of Calcutta- my middle name is named after her b/c my mom admired Mother Teresa & knew she’d one day become a Saint. Her mission work continues to inspire me to step outside myself & help those in need wherever God sends me. Currently I’m reading ‘Loving Jesus’ by Mother Teresa book- simply & concise to read yet captivating at the same time.
~St. Dominic Savio- young Saint who was taught by St. John Bosco at a boy’s school- he defended the faith by being a virtuously living example to the other boys that did bad stuff- he inspired some of the other boys to devote themselves to Christ deeper. He became sick & died, but his legacy remains and hopefully continued to inspire those other young boys to be better people. I admire learning about young Saints who were very young & yet had the desire to please God no matter what- something that any of us can strive to do within our own lives, selflessly.
~St. Augustine of Hippo- lived a very sinful life for years while his mom (St. Monica) prayed daily for him to convert to Catholicism deeper & devout his life to God. He tested the faith several times, until he eventually understood what he was doing & the reality of the Catholic faith and God- he went back to the Catholic faith, became a priest (I think- according to the movie of Restless Heart), & is well-known within the Catholic Church, in regards to Saints.
And I still wonder sometimes why I am drawn to the cloistered nun life, especially since most of my fav female Saints lived cloistered lives in silence and within a Carmelite or other type of Rule within a religious community. Friends of my family have older children who are nuns & religious sisters that do inspire me in some ways. With gradual time, I am willing to explore this phenomenon one way or another.