The Church teaches that every human being has a guardian angel given to them at birth. St. Basil the Great said, “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd, leading him to life.” Some have thought that priests, and perhaps others in important positions, have a second angel, but this is not taught by the Church. Communities of human beings also have guardian angels, so indirectly the angels of our communities are also our guardian angels. St. Michael, for example, is the angel of Israel (Dan. 12:1), and recognized by the Church as the guardian of the Church. At Fátima the angel who appeared to the children in 1916 identified himself as the guardian of their country, “the angel of Portugal.” Thus, it is also piously believed that the United States has a Guardian Angel. We can therefore honor these guardians of our communities on this feast day, as well as our personal guardian angel.