The Catholic Church teaches that each individual person is given a guardian angel at the beginning of their life on earth:
From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession."Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.
St. Francis de Sales, in his Introduction to the Devout Life, highly praises the practice of conversing with your own guardian angel, as well as the guardian angels of your family, friends and even your local diocese:
Seek to be familiar with the Angels; learn to realize that they are continually present, although invisible. Specially love and revere the Guardian Angel of the Diocese in which you live, those of the friends who surround you, and your own. Commune with them frequently, join in their songs of praise, and seek their protection and help in all you do, spiritual or temporal.
He explained that St. Peter Faber would often invoke the help of a local guardian angel when he was traveling:
Peter Faber, told how great comfort he had found as he went among places infested with heresy in communing with the guardian Angels thereof, whose help had often preserved him from danger, and softened hearts to receive the faith.
Old Testament
While this belief is not included in the Catechism, it does find some basis in the Old Testament, as the Catholic Encyclopedia explains:
In the Bible this doctrine is clearly discernible and its development is well marked...in Daniel 10 angels are entrusted with the care of particular districts; one is called "prince of the kingdom of the Persians," and Michael is termed "one of the chief princes"; cf. Deuteronomy 32:8 (Septuagint); and Ecclesiasticus 17:17 (Septuagint).
The invisible realm of the angels has not been fully revealed to our senses, but we certainly can take great comfort in the reality that God has appointed his angels to guide and protect us in this life.
