A PATRON SAINT
FOR WEB SURFERS?

If your browser misbehaves and tech support doesn't show for 30 minutes, why not pray to the patron saint of the Net? No, not Jim Barksdale or Bill Gates. We’re talking Saint Isidore of Seville.

Internet users in Spain hope to have the 7th century scholar widely accepted as a patron saint of the Web. Patron saints are named by popular decree, in contrast to saints, who are canonized by the Catholic Church. But even clergy like the idea of Saint Isidore. "It would be difficult to want to go to a degrading site if you were praying for patience and grace," says Father John Zuhlsdorf of Catholic Online.

A precedent exists. Television’s patron Saint, Saint Clare of Assisi, from 13th century France, had the miraculous ability to see and hear a Christmas mass from miles away.

Techies chose Saint Isidore because the Spaniard helped to organize an early dictionary-a medieval database. Already, some Spaniards are asking Isidore to keep their servers humming and to cure their viruses.

With a third of U.S. households alone expected to be online by 2000, Isidore could become one busy intercessor.