All 7 Uses

patron
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
(Auto-generated)

Although her clientele was nondenominational, she'd garnered a word-of-mouth reputation among temple sisterhoods, and patrons came from as far away as New York and Connecticut and even Maryland to relax and rejuvenate.†
And did you know there's a patron saint of heart patients?†

patron saint = saint who supports or looks after
The question is, why do you know there's a patron saint of heart patients?†
And she is the patron saint of that very thing.†
Dear St. John of God, patron saint of those who are ill, I ask for your intercession that the Lord will have mercy on this child and return him to health.†
*
He's the patron saint who keeps moles away.†
Dear St. Felicity, patron saint of those who've suffered the death of a child, I ask for your intercession that the Lord will help this woman find peace ....†

Definitions:

(1) (patron as in: a patron of the arts)
a regular customer; or someone who gives money or support to an organization, cause, or person
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
In ancient Roman history, patron referred to the more powerful person in a complex client-patron relationship. The term is still used in some cultures today to describe a property owner who is in charge of workers.

Also see patron saint.

Much more rarely, a patron is the proprietor of an inn.