Simon of Cyrene

He was a man "coming in from the country," an outsider caught in the machinery of a Roman execution, only to find himself carrying the very weight of the world’s salvation. Simon did not choose the Cross; the Cross chose him. In those few moments of shared burden, he discovered the eternal truth that to help a suffering human being is to help God Himself. His sons, Alexander and Rufus, became leaders in the early Church, proving that a single act of "forced" service can lead to a legacy of eternal faith. He is the patron of all who feel the weight of a cross they did not ask for, reminding them that they are walking with the Lord.