Daily Catholic Prayers
Catholic Prayers for the Sick and for Healing
Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (1667–1670), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. National Gallery, London. Public domain.
Wherever Jesus went, the sick were brought to Him, "and all that were sick he healed" (Matthew 8:16). At the Pool of Bethesda He stopped beside a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years and asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6). Christ is still the Divine Physician. From the beginning the Church has prayed for the sick, cared for them, and brought them the sacraments, and she asks us to do the same.
This page gathers the prayers on this site for every stage of illness: for yourself, for someone you love, before surgery or treatment, for those who care for the sick, and to the saints who are traditionally asked for healing. Prayer goes hand in hand with good medical and mental-health care, and it never replaces it. Keep seeing your doctor and following your treatment, and let prayer carry you through it. When someone is seriously ill, ask a priest for the Anointing of the Sick.
Prayers for the Sick
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Prayer for the Sick: the traditional prayer from the Church's rites for the sick, asking that those who are ill, "being restored to health," may give thanks to God in His Church.
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Prayer for the Sick (Traditional Form II): to Christ, who went about healing every sickness, asking Him to "cheer, heal, and sanctify the sick" and to give doctors and nurses wisdom and skill.
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Prayer for a Sick Loved One: a short prayer from the visitation of the sick in the traditional Roman Ritual, to say at the bedside with the person's name.
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Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd: the best-loved psalm of trust, prayed for centuries in hospital rooms and in every fear about the road ahead.
Before Surgery and During Treatment
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Prayer Before Surgery: the words of Psalm 31, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit," with a closing line for the surgeons and nurses, for the night before and the morning of an operation.
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Act of Resignation to the Will of God: a short prayer of trust that places your life, your illness, and its outcome in God's hands.
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Offering of Daily Crosses: unites weariness and "pains of body and mind" to the Passion of Christ, for the sick and for those with chronic pain.
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Prayer for Sleep: the Church's night-prayer blessing of the home, for restless nights at home or in the hospital.
Our Lady, Health of the Sick
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Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for Healing: to Our Lady of Lourdes, who appeared eighteen times to St. Bernadette in 1858 at the grotto where pilgrims still seek healing. Her feast, February 11, is also the World Day of the Sick.
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Litany of Loreto: the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the Church calls her "Health of the sick" and "Comforter of the afflicted."
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Memorare: "never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection ... was left unaided," a confident prayer for any urgent need.
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Saints Who Are Asked for Healing
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Cancer: Prayer to St. Peregrine for Those with Cancer, to St. Peregrine Laziosi, who was healed of a cancerous wound on his leg the night before it was to be amputated. Pray it for a diagnosis, chemotherapy, or surgery.
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The sick, and all who care for them: Prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel, to St. Raphael, whose name means "God heals." In the Book of Tobit he brought the remedy that restored the sight of blind Tobit.
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Mental illness, anxiety, and depression: Prayer to St. Dymphna for Anxiety and Mental Health, to St. Dymphna, whose shrine at Geel, in Belgium, has welcomed people with mental illness since the Middle Ages, in a tradition of family care that continues today.
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Throat illnesses: St. Blaise Blessing of Throats and Prayer, with the traditional blessing given on the feast of St. Blaise, February 3.
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Eyes and failing sight: Prayer to St. Lucy, Patron of Eyesight, to St. Lucy, before eye surgery or for those losing their sight.
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Breast disease: St. Agatha, the virgin martyr of Sicily, is the patron of those suffering from breast disease and of nurses.
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Headaches: St. Teresa of Ávila, who founded some seventeen convents despite illness, is invoked by people suffering from headaches.
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More patrons: the Catalog of Saints A–Z links every saint's profile, with the patronages and prayers for each.
For Caregivers, Doctors, and Nurses
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Prayer for Caring for an Aging Parent: for strength, patience, and peace for both caregiver and parent, in "the long appointments, the repeated questions, and the small tasks of every day."
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Prayer for Patience: for anyone waiting for news or caring for a sick relative.
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Doctors and nurses: Sts. Cosmas and Damian, twin physicians who treated the sick without charging a fee, and St. Luke, "the most dear physician," are the patrons of doctors and surgeons. St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a pediatrician and mother, is a patron of physicians.
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Those who serve the sick: St. Elizabeth of Hungary built a hospital below her castle and nursed the sick herself. As a young man, St. Bernardine of Siena nursed victims of the plague in Siena.
When Illness Is Serious
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The Anointing of the Sick: the Letter of St. James tells the sick to call the priests of the Church to anoint them. Call your parish when someone is seriously ill or facing major surgery. Don't wait for the last hours.
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Prayer for the Dying: the traditional Commendation of a Departing Soul, to pray at the bedside.
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Prayer for the Dying (Short Form): a brief appeal to Jesus, through His agony in the Garden, for someone close to death.
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Prayer to St. Joseph for a Happy Death: to St. Joseph, who by tradition died in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
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For the dying and the grieving: see Prayers for the Dead and the Grieving.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Catholic prayer for the sick?
The best-known is the traditional prayer from the Church's old rites for the sick:
Almighty, everlasting God, the eternal salvation of those who believe, hear us in behalf of Thy servants who are sick, for whom we humbly crave the help of Thy mercy, that, being restored to health, they may render thanks to Thee in Thy Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Add the person's name, and a Hail Mary to Our Lady, Health of the Sick.
Who is the patron saint of the sick?
Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Bernadette, and St. Raphael, whose name means "God heals," are all patrons of the sick. For particular illnesses, Catholics turn to St. Peregrine for cancer, St. Blaise for the throat, St. Lucy for the eyes, St. Agatha for breast disease, St. Teresa of Ávila for headaches, and St. Dymphna for mental illness. Their profiles tell their stories, and most have a prayer on this site.
What is the Anointing of the Sick, and when should I ask for it?
It is the sacrament in which a priest anoints a seriously ill person with blessed oil and prays for strength, peace, and, if God wills, healing. Its foundation is the Letter of St. James: "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church" (James 5:14). Ask for it when someone is seriously ill, before major surgery, or when old age brings frailty. It can be received again if the illness grows worse.
Does prayer replace medical treatment?
No. Prayer and medicine work together, and the Church has always honored those who heal. Keep every appointment, follow your treatment, and pray for your medical team as well as for healing. The traditional Prayer for the Sick asks Christ to give "physicians and nurses wisdom and skill," and Sts. Cosmas and Damian and St. Luke, all physicians, are honored as saints. God often heals through the hands of those who care for us.
What if God does not heal the person I am praying for?
God always hears our prayers for the sick, even when the healing we ask for does not come. He answers as a Father who knows what is truly good for us: sometimes with recovery, sometimes with strength, peace, and the grace to carry the cross (CCC 2734–2737). The St. Peregrine prayer asks for healing "if it be God's will," and "above all peace of soul." Suffering united to Christ's is never wasted (Colossians 1:24).