{"product_id":"saint-bernard-of-menthon-medal-necklace","title":"Saint Bernard of Menthon Medal Necklace – Patron Saint of Mountaineers \u0026 Skiers","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eSaint Bernard of Menthon, Patron Saint of Mountaineers and Skiers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBernard was born around 923 in the Kingdom of Italy to a noble family, and rather than take the life laid out for him, he became a priest and eventually archdeacon of Aosta. He spent the next forty-two years as a missionary throughout the Alps, and around 1050 he founded a hospice at one of the highest and most treacherous mountain passes in the region, a route so dangerous it had long been associated with local legend and disaster. The pass and the hospice both eventually took his name, and the rescue dogs bred and kept there to find travelers lost in the snow became known the world over as St. Bernards. Pope Pius XI formally confirmed him as patron of mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders, and backpackers in 1923, making him one of the few saints with a patronage this directly tied to modern outdoor sport. He is venerated in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. This medal is worn by men and women alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eA Gift For...\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMountaineers, climbers, and alpinists\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSkiers, snowboarders, and backcountry travelers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHikers and backpackers, especially at high altitude\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSearch and rescue workers, ski patrol, and mountain guides\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone planning a trip to the Alps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA dog lover who already knows where the St. Bernard breed got its name\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eA Confirmation Gift for Bernard\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsider engraving \"Guide me home\" on the first line and the confirmation date on the second. Bernard suits a confirmand who finds God more easily outdoors than indoors, and who understands that real faith usually looks like showing up for someone else in bad weather.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eThe Saint Bernard of Menthon Medal\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint Bernard of Menthon is shown half-length in archdeacon's vestments, holding a staff, with a mountain dog at his side, framed by a decorative border. The natural gold or silver of the metal forms the illustration itself. Black ink is applied to the pendant surface and the metal shows through as the image. A shatterproof liquid glass coating seals the surface. The result has a depth and precision that printed medals don't achieve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003ePersonalization and Engraving\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse can be engraved in Tangerine cursive, up to 2 lines of 20 characters each. Some ideas:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"Guide me home\" \/ a summit or peak name\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA mountain range or trail name \/ a climb date\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"Higher ground\" \/ a dog's name\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"The Alps\" \/ an anniversary of a first climb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaint Bernard of Menthon's feast day is May 28\u003c\/strong\u003e. The hospice he founded still operates today at the pass that bears his name, and the St. Bernard dog breed, first bred there for mountain rescue, still carries his legacy in its name nearly a thousand years later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eRelated Devotions for the Outdoors and the Ascent\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/collections\/patron-saints-for-athletes-sports\"\u003ePatron Saints for Athletes \u0026amp; Sports\u003c\/a\u003e: browse the full collection, including Bernard's fellow patron of skiers, mountaineers, and everyone who competes outdoors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/blessed-chiara-badano-medal-necklace\"\u003eBlessed Chiara Badano Medal\u003c\/a\u003e: a modern athlete devoted to the mountains and the outdoors, for a contemporary counterpart to Bernard's own alpine calling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-roch-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaint Roch Medal\u003c\/a\u003e: another saint remembered with a dog at his side, his a companion who kept him alive in isolation rather than a working rescue animal.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-john-bosco-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaint John Bosco Medal\u003c\/a\u003e: a third saint tied to a dog, his the mysterious guardian Grigio, for a devotion built around a very different kind of canine protection than Bernard's own mountain rescue dogs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Sanctum Medals","offers":[{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ No","offer_id":53626025115984,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ Yes","offer_id":53626025148752,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ No","offer_id":53626025181520,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ Yes","offer_id":53626025214288,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0939\/7852\/6032\/files\/Saint-Bernard-of-Menthon-Medal-Gold-frontview.jpg?v=1789654459","url":"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-bernard-of-menthon-medal-necklace","provider":"Sanctum Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}