St. Gabriel the Archangel is God’s messenger: he announced to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist and to the Virgin Mary the birth of Jesus. His name means “God is my strength.” Catholics pray to him when they are waiting for news, discerning God’s will, preparing for the birth of a child, and for all who work in communications. Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we repeat his greeting: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”
Below are the traditional prayer to St. Gabriel, other prayers for particular needs, the Gospel of the Annunciation, and his feast day.
The traditional prayer to St. Gabriel
This prayer is from Father Lasance’s With God (1911):
O blessed Archangel Gabriel, we beseech thee do thou intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy in our present necessities, that, as thou didst announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation, so through thy prayers and patronage in heaven we may obtain the benefits of the same, and sing the praise of God forever in the land of the living. Amen.
A prayer to St. Gabriel while waiting for news
Written for this page:
St. Gabriel, messenger of God, you brought good news to Mary and Zechariah.
I am waiting for news about (name the situation).
Help me to wait with patience and trust,
to receive whatever comes as Mary did, saying “Be it done unto me,”
and to see God’s hand in everything. Amen.
A prayer for expectant mothers
St. Gabriel, you announced the coming of the Child Jesus.
Watch over (name) and the baby she is carrying.
Ask God to give them health and a safe birth,
and to fill their family with the joy of new life. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See also patron saints of the family.
A prayer for those who work in communications
In 1951 Pope Pius XII named St. Gabriel the patron of telecommunications, including radio, telephone and postal workers. Written for this page:
St. Gabriel, bearer of the best news ever spoken,
bless all who work in media, journalism, telephone and internet, and the post.
Help them to communicate truth with charity,
and to use their gifts to bring people together. Amen.
The Annunciation: Gabriel’s greatest message
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.
And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?
And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren:
Because no word shall be impossible with God.
And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
The Church celebrates the Annunciation on March 25, nine months before Christmas. (In 2027 it is moved to April 5, because March 25 falls on Holy Thursday.) The Angelus, prayed at morning, noon and evening, recalls this moment; see the Angelus.
St. Gabriel in Scripture
- Daniel 8–9: Gabriel explains Daniel’s visions and the “seventy weeks.”
- Luke 1:11–20: he announces to Zechariah, in the Temple, that Elizabeth will bear a son, John.
- Luke 1:26–38: he announces to Mary that she will be the Mother of the Son of God.
Tradition also sees Gabriel in the angel who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and who strengthened Jesus in Gethsemane.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Gabriel?
September 29, together with St. Michael and St. Raphael. Before 1969 his own feast was March 24.
What is St. Gabriel the patron saint of?
Messengers, communications and telecommunications workers, postal workers, diplomats, and broadcasters.
Is Gabriel an angel or an archangel?
The Church calls him an archangel, one of the three named in Scripture with Michael and Raphael.
More prayers to the angels
- Feast of the Archangels (September 29)
- The St. Michael prayer
- The St. Raphael prayer
- The Guardian Angel prayer
- The Hail Mary
- The Angelus
Texts and sources
- Prayer to the Archangel Gabriel: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Various Other Devotions, public domain (Wikisource).
- Scripture: Luke 1:26–38, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Pius XII, apostolic letter of January 12, 1951, naming St. Gabriel patron of telecommunications.
- The other prayers were written for this page.