Bulletin Q&A Article published 11-27-22:
When are Guardian Angels assigned to us? Are they one per person? Or do they get reassigned after the person they’ve guarded dies? Does a pregnant person have two angels with her; one for her and one for the baby?
Interesting questions. My first thought was that guardian angels would be assigned to us at conception. But to be sure, I went to the experts on angels, Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (Work of the Holy Angels). The FAQ section on their website was helpful regarding this question, though not definitive. They indicate three possibilities, each supported by different noted theologians. St. Thomas Aquinas opined that we receive guardian angels at birth and that the angel of the mother guards her child in the womb. St. Basil and St. Jerome claimed assignment at Baptism. And St. Anselm seems to imply that assignment of guardian angels occurs at conception. The folks at OSA express their agreement with St. Anselm