Catholic Patron Saints for Every Need

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adoration of the Trinity (1511), Albrecht Dürer. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Public domain.

No one goes to God alone. The saints are our friends and intercessors in heaven, and for centuries Catholics have turned to particular saints for particular needs: St. Anthony when something is lost, St. Peregrine in serious illness, St. Jude when every door seems closed. A patron saint is a saint whom the Church's tradition, or long popular devotion, links with a place, a kind of work, a state of life, or a need, often because of something in the saint's own story.

This page turns the Catalog of Saints A–Z around. Instead of listing saints by name, it lists needs from A to Z, with the saint traditionally asked to help, a link to the saint's profile, and the prayer on this site where there is one. Every patronage comes from the "Patron of" line on the saint's profile. Where a patronage rests on popular devotion rather than ancient tradition, we say so.

Daily Catholic Prayers is a private passion project, and if this list helps you find your saint, you can support the site starting at $5.

A

• Accountants, bankers, and tax collectors: St. Matthew, the tax collector of Capernaum who rose from his customs post when Jesus said, "Follow me."

• Altar servers: St. Tarcisius, the young martyr of Rome, probably an acolyte, remembered in a poem by Pope St. Damasus.

• Animals: St. Francis of Assisi, with his Canticle of the Sun, and St. Anthony the Abbot, patron of domestic animals.

• Anxiety, depression, and mental illness: St. Dymphna, also patron of those who care for them. Pray the Prayer to St. Dymphna for Anxiety and Mental Health.

• Archaeologists: Pope St. Damasus I, by popular association, the pope who cared for the tombs of the martyrs.

• Architects and builders: St. Thomas the Apostle, the apostle of India.

• Artists: St. Luke the Evangelist, who wrote the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

• Athletes and archers: St. Sebastian, the martyr of Rome buried on the Appian Way.

• Aviators and pilots: St. Joseph of Cupertino, the humble Franciscan of southern Italy.

B

• Babies and young children: the Holy Innocents, the boys of Bethlehem killed by Herod, also remembered by families who have lost a child.

• Bakers: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the young princess who served the sick and the poor.

• Baptism, those preparing for: St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. Pray the Prayer to St. John the Baptist.

• Beekeepers: St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the "Mellifluous Doctor," sweet as honey.

• Bishops, seminarians, and catechists: St. Charles Borromeo, the archbishop of Milan who put the reforms of the Council of Trent into practice.

• Breast disease: St. Agatha, the virgin martyr of Sicily named in the Roman Canon. She is also a patron of nurses.

• Broadcasters and communications: St. Gabriel the Archangel, the angel of good news. Pray the Prayer to St. Gabriel the Archangel.

C

• Cancer: St. Peregrine Laziosi, healed of a cancerous wound on his leg after a night of prayer before a crucifix. Pray the Prayer to St. Peregrine for Those with Cancer.

• Childbirth and expectant mothers: St. Gerard Majella, St. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and St. Anne, with the Prayer to St. Anne.

• Children: St. Nicholas of Myra, the bishop whose secret kindness to children grew into the figure of Santa Claus, and the Holy Guardian Angels. Teach children the Angel of God.

• Children who have left the faith: St. Monica, who prayed for years for her son St. Augustine. Pray the Prayer to St. Monica for Children Who Have Left the Faith.

• Christian unity: St. Josaphat, archbishop of Polotsk and martyr, who worked for unity between Eastern Christians and Rome.

• The Church: St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, with Pope Leo XIII's To Thee, O Blessed Joseph, and St. Peter, with the Prayer to St. Peter the Apostle.

• Confessors and moral theologians: St. Alphonsus Liguori, the lawyer who became a bishop and Doctor of the Church. His Visit to the Blessed Sacrament prayer is still loved.

• Conversion, those seeking: St. Augustine of Hippo. Pray his Late Have I Loved Thee.

• Converts and seekers of truth: St. John Henry Newman has no official patronage but is often invoked by converts and students. Pray his Lead, Kindly Light.

• Cooks: St. Lawrence, the deacon of Rome martyred in 258.

D

• Deacons: St. Stephen, the first martyr, and St. Lawrence, who cared for the poor of Rome.

• Desperate cases and lost causes: St. Jude Thaddeus, the Apostle invoked when every other hope seems gone. Pray the Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus.

• Doubt, those who struggle with: St. Thomas the Apostle, who doubted until the risen Lord appeared to him, then confessed, "My Lord and my God." Pray the Act of Faith.

• Drivers and travelers: St. Christopher. Pray the Prayer to St. Christopher, Patron of Travelers.

• The dying: St. Joseph, patron of a happy death, with the Prayer to St. Joseph for a Happy Death, and St. Dismas, the Good Thief, to whom Jesus promised paradise (Seven Last Words: This Day Paradise).

E

• Ecology: St. Francis of Assisi, who praised God for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, wind, water, and fire in his Canticle of the Sun.

• Editors and apprentices: St. John Bosco, the priest of Turin who won over wild boys "not with blows but with gentleness."

• Evil, protection from: St. Michael the Archangel, the Church's protector, with the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and St. Benedict, with the Prayer to St. Benedict.

• Exams: St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron of students taking exams, and St. Thomas Aquinas, with his Prayer Before Study.

• Eyes and the blind: St. Lucy, whose name means light. Pray the Prayer to St. Lucy, Patron of Eyesight.

F

• The falsely accused and sailors: St. Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop on the coast of present-day Turkey.

• Fathers and families: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus. Pray the Prayer to St. Joseph or the Litany of St. Joseph. Families are also entrusted, by popular devotion, to Pope St. John Paul II.

• First communicants: St. Tarcisius and, by popular devotion, Pope St. Pius X, who in 1910 lowered the age of First Communion to about seven.

• Fishermen: St. Andrew and his brother St. Peter, called from their nets on the Sea of Galilee.

• Florists and missionaries: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Pray the Prayer to St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

G

• Girls, young people, and purity: St. Agnes, the girl martyr of Rome. Pray the Prayer to St. Agnes for Purity and Courage.

• Grandparents: Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• The grieving and all who suffer: Our Lady of Sorrows. Pray the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and see Prayers for the Dead and the Grieving.

• Guidance and hard decisions: Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pray the Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel.

H

• Headaches: St. Teresa of Ávila, the Carmelite reformer, whose Let Nothing Disturb Thee is a prayer for anxious days.

• Help in every need: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, patron of all who need Mary's constant help. Pray the Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

• Hermits and monks: St. Anthony the Abbot, the father of Christian monasticism, and St. Benedict, father of Western monks.

• The Holy Name of Jesus: St. Bernardine of Siena, the most famous preacher in Italy in his day, patron of those devoted to the Holy Name and of advertisers. Pray the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.

• Hoping for a child: St. Elizabeth, who conceived in her old age, and St. Gerard Majella. Pray the Prayer of Hannah for Those Hoping for a Child.

I

• Immigrants: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, sent by Pope Leo XIII to serve Italian immigrants in the Americas. She arrived in New York in 1889.

• Impossible causes: St. Rita of Cascia, the "Saint of the Impossible." Pray the Prayer to St. Rita of Cascia.

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J

• Job seekers and the unemployed: St. Cajetan, co-founder of the Theatines, who trusted completely in God's providence. He is also a patron of workers.

L

• Laborers and pilgrims: St. James the Greater, the fisherman apostle honored at Compostela.

• Lawyers, politicians, and statesmen: St. Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England, beheaded in 1535 as "the king's good servant, but God's first."

• Learners: St. Ambrose, the bishop who baptized St. Augustine.

• Librarians, translators, and scholars: St. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin. See the Prayers for the Feast of St. Jerome.

• Lost things: St. Anthony of Padua. Pray the St. Anthony Responsory (Si Quaeris) for Lost Things or the Prayer to St. Anthony of Padua.

M

• Marriages in difficulty: St. Rita of Cascia, patron of difficult marriages and of abused wives, who stayed patient and prayerful through some eighteen years with a violent husband.

• Married couples and parents: Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse, have no official patronage but are often invoked by couples. Pray the Prayer of Tobias and Sarah for Married Couples.

• Messengers: St. Gabriel the Archangel, who brought the news of the Annunciation.

• Military and police: St. Michael the Archangel, patron of soldiers, police officers, and all who defend others, with St. Martin of Tours and St. Sebastian, patrons of soldiers.

• The Miraculous Medal: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, who gave the medal to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830. Pray O Mary Conceived Without Sin.

• Missionaries and missions: St. Francis Xavier, with the Novena of Grace, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and St. Paul the Apostle, with the Prayer to St. Paul the Apostle.

• Mothers: St. Monica, St. Anne, and St. Gianna Beretta Molla, the pediatrician who put her unborn daughter's life before her own.

• Musicians and singers: St. Cecilia, with the Prayer to St. Cecilia, Patron of Musicians, and Pope St. Gregory the Great, whose name is given to Gregorian chant.

N

• Notaries: St. Mark the Evangelist, author of the second and shortest Gospel.

• Nurses and physicians: St. Raphael the Archangel, whose name means "God heals," with the Prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel, and St. Agatha, patron of nurses.

O

• Orphans and abandoned children: St. Jerome Emiliani, the Venetian soldier who turned to God while chained in a dungeon.

P

• Peace and the conversion of sinners: Our Lady of Fatima, who asked the three shepherd children to pray the Rosary every day. Pray the Fatima Decade Prayer.

• Penitents and converts: St. Mary Magdalene, "Apostle to the Apostles," who met the risen Lord in the garden, and St. Dismas, patron of repentant sinners.

• Philosophers and students: St. Catherine of Alexandria, the virgin martyr of the early fourth century, also patron of young women.

• Physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists: Sts. Cosmas and Damian, twin doctors who treated the sick without charge, and St. Luke, "the most dear physician."

• The poor: St. Vincent de Paul, patron of all who serve the poor, with the Prayer to St. Vincent de Paul, Father of the Poor; also St. Anthony of Padua, St. Lawrence, and St. Martin of Tours. Pray the Prayer for the Poor.

• Popes: St. Peter and Pope St. Gregory the Great. Pray the Prayer for the Pope.

• Preachers and astronomers: St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers. Pray the Prayer to St. Dominic.

• The Precious Blood: St. Gaspar del Bufalo has no widely recognized patronage but is honored as the great apostle of the Precious Blood. Pray the Aspiration to the Precious Blood.

• Prisoners: St. Dismas, the repentant criminal crucified beside Jesus.

• The souls in purgatory: St. Odilo of Cluny, by long association with All Souls Day, which he began. Pray the All Souls Day Prayer.

R

• Religious life: St. Teresa of Ávila, patron of those in religious life. Religious families also have their own patrons: Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the Carmelites and all who wear the Brown Scapular, St. Ignatius of Loyola for the Jesuits, Our Lady of Sorrows for the Servites, and St. Bernard for the Cistercians.

• Repentance: St. John the Baptist, patron of those who seek true repentance. Pray Psalm 51 (Miserere).

• Retreats: St. Ignatius of Loyola, author of the Spiritual Exercises. Pray his Suscipe or the Prayer to St. Ignatius of Loyola.

• The Rosary: Our Lady of the Rosary, patron of all who pray it. Pray the Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary, and see the Rosary page.

S

• The Sacred Heart: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, patron of those devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pray the Sacred Heart Short Aspirations.

• The sick: Our Lady of Lourdes, with the Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for Healing, St. Bernadette, and St. Raphael.

• Social workers: St. Louise de Marillac, who, with St. Vincent de Paul, gathered young women in 1633 to serve the sick and the poor in their homes.

• A spouse, finding a good one: St. Raphael the Archangel, who led Tobias to Sarah in the Book of Tobit.

• Students: St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students, Catholic schools, and universities; St. Aloysius Gonzaga, with the Prayer to St. Aloysius Gonzaga; and St. John Bosco, with the Prayer to Mary Help of Christians.

T

• Teachers: Pope St. Gregory the Great, one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church.

• Theologians: St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul, and St. John the Evangelist, with the Prayer to St. John the Evangelist.

• Throat ailments: St. Blaise, who healed a boy choking on a fish bone. See the St. Blaise Blessing of Throats and Prayer.

• Travelers: St. Christopher, St. Raphael, and St. Anthony of Padua. Pray the Prayer for Travelers.

U

• Unborn children: St. Gerard Majella and St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

V

• Vinedressers and winemakers: St. Vincent of Saragossa, the deacon martyred in Spain around 304.

W

• Wives: St. Monica, who won over her hot-tempered husband with patience and prayer.

• Workers: St. Joseph, with the Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker, and St. Cajetan.

• Writers: St. John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple.

Y

• Young people: St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. John Bosco, and St. Agnes. World Youth Day is entrusted, by popular devotion, to Pope St. John Paul II.

Patron Saints of Countries and Places

• All Christians and the United States: the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and, as the Immaculate Conception, principal patroness of the United States. Pray the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception.

• Armenia: St. Bartholomew, also patron of leatherworkers and tanners.

• Cyprus: St. Barnabas, the "son of encouragement."

• The Dominican Republic: St. Dominic.

• Europe: St. Benedict.

• France: St. Martin of Tours and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

• French Canadians: St. John the Baptist.

• India: St. Thomas the Apostle.

• Ireland and Nigeria: St. Patrick. Pray St. Patrick's Breastplate or the Prayer to St. Patrick.

• Italy: St. Francis of Assisi. Pray the Prayer to St. Francis of Assisi.

• Lisbon and Valencia: St. Vincent of Saragossa.

• Milan: St. Ambrose and the martyrs Sts. Gervase and Protase, whose relics Ambrose discovered in 386.

• Portugal: Our Lady of Fatima.

• Scotland, Greece, and Russia: St. Andrew the Apostle.

• Sicily: St. Agatha for Catania and Sicily, and St. Lucy for Syracuse.

• Spain: St. James the Greater and St. Teresa of Ávila.

• Switzerland: St. Nicholas of Flüe, the hermit "Bruder Klaus," whose advice kept the Swiss from civil war in 1481. See the Prayer for Purity of Intention.

• Ukraine: St. Josaphat.

• Uruguay: St. Philip and St. James the Less, who share a feast on May 3.

• Venice: St. Mark the Evangelist.

Saints Honored Without a Special Patronage

Some saints have no widely recognized patronage. Their profiles explain why they are loved, and you may ask any of them to pray for you. - Pope St. Fabian, the layman chosen as pope in 236 when a dove settled on his head, and St. Sebastian, who shares his feast on January 20. - Pope St. Leo the Great, one of only two popes history calls "the Great." - Pope St. Pius V, remembered especially for the feast of the Rosary, which he set up after the victory at Lepanto in 1571. - Pope St. Sylvester I, who guided the Church from persecution to peace. The Te Deum is traditionally sung on his feast, December 31. - St. Anastasia, the martyr named in the Roman Canon and remembered on Christmas Day. - St. Matthias, chosen to take the place of Judas among the Twelve. - St. Simon the Apostle, "the Zealot," honored together with St. Jude on October 28. - Sts. John and Paul, Roman martyrs named in the Roman Canon (not the apostles). - St. Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionists. - St. Richard of Chichester, honored in Sussex, England. Pray his Day by Day prayer. - Ask them all at once: the Litany of the Saints calls on the whole court of heaven, and the Prayer for All Saints Day honors every saint, known and unknown.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is a saint honored as a heavenly protector of a place, a kind of work, a group of people, or a particular need. Many patronages grow out of the saint's own life: St. Luke was a physician, so doctors claim him, and St. Peregrine was healed of a cancerous wound, so people with cancer turn to him. Others come from popular devotion. A patronage is a loving custom, not a limit on whom you may ask.

Do Catholics worship the saints?

No. Catholics worship God alone, and we honor the saints as friends of God and ask them to pray for us. Asking a saint's intercession is like asking a friend on earth to pray for you, except that the saints are already with God in heaven. Every prayer to a saint ends in God, who alone gives every grace. The Litany of the Saints shows the pattern: "Holy Mary, pray for us," but "Lord, have mercy."

Who is the patron saint of cancer?

St. Peregrine Laziosi is the patron saint of people suffering from cancer. Around the age of sixty, this Servite friar of Forlì developed a painful cancerous sore on his leg, and his doctors planned to amputate. The night before the operation, he prayed for hours before a crucifix and woke to find the wound healed. He died around 1345 and was canonized in 1726. Pray the Prayer to St. Peregrine for yourself or a loved one, alongside medical treatment.

Who is the patron saint of lost things?

St. Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of lost things, and Catholics have asked his help in finding them for centuries. Pray the St. Anthony Responsory, the Si Quaeris, or simply say, "St. Anthony, please help me find what I have lost." He is also a patron of the poor and of travelers, and many parishes keep "St. Anthony's bread" for the poor. His feast is June 13, and his novena runs June 4–12.

Who is the patron saint of hopeless cases?

St. Jude Thaddeus is the patron of desperate cases and lost causes, and St. Rita of Cascia is called the "Saint of the Impossible." Popular devotion turned to St. Jude perhaps because his name resembled that of Judas, so people asked him last, when every other hope seemed gone. His feast is October 28, with a novena from October 19 to 27. St. Rita's feast is May 22. Both remind us that with God no situation is truly hopeless.

How do I choose a patron saint?

Start with your need, your work, or your name, and look it up on this page or in the Catalog of Saints A–Z. Then read the saint's story on the profile, pray the saint's prayer, and ask for help as you would ask a friend. Many Catholics also keep the saint of their Baptism or Confirmation name. You can have more than one, and any saint in heaven can pray for you.

If these prayers help you, you can support Daily Catholic Prayers, a private passion project, starting at $5.

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