St. Frances of Rome (1384–1440) was a wealthy Roman wife and mother who spent forty years caring for her family and for the poor and sick of Rome through plague, war and famine, and who was famous for seeing her guardian angel at her side. After her husband’s death she joined the community of lay women she had founded, the Oblates of Tor de’ Specchi. Because her angel was said to light her way at night, Pope Pius XI named her the patroness of motorists in 1925, and cars are still blessed in Rome on her feast day, March 9. Below are her story, what she is the patron saint of, the prayer of her feast, and a prayer to St. Frances of Rome.
A short prayer to St. Frances of Rome, written for this page:
St. Frances of Rome, you served God in your home and in the streets of your city.
Pray for wives and mothers, for all who drive, and for the poor and sick.
Like your guardian angel, guide me safely on every road. Amen.
Who was St. Frances of Rome?
Frances (Francesca) Bussa de’ Leoni was born in 1384 into a noble family of Rome. As a girl she wanted to become a nun, but at thirteen she was married to Lorenzo Ponziani, a young nobleman, and the marriage, though arranged, became a happy one that lasted forty years. She had several children, two of whom she lost to plague.
Rome in her lifetime was torn by the Great Western Schism, civil war and invasions, and the Ponziani family lost much of its property. Frances turned part of her home into a hospital, begged in the streets for the poor, and nursed plague victims with her sister-in-law, Vannozza. In 1425 she founded a community of lay women who lived a life of prayer and service under the Benedictine rule without vows, the Oblates of Mary, who in 1433 settled in a house at Tor de’ Specchi; after Lorenzo’s death she joined them as their superior. She died on March 9, 1440, and was canonized in 1608.
Her guardian angel
According to her confessor and first biographer, for many years St. Frances could see her guardian angel at her side, shining with a light so bright that she could read by it at night, and correcting her gently when she failed. This is why the Church’s prayer for her feast speaks of “the friendly companionship of an Angel”:
O Lord, who, along with other gifts of thy grace, didst honor thy blessed servant Frances with the friendly companionship of an Angel, grant, we beseech thee, that by the aid of her intercession we may deserve to be admitted to the Angelic company. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
See the Guardian Angel prayer.
What is St. Frances of Rome the patron saint of?
St. Frances of Rome is the patron saint of:
- Motorists and drivers, named by Pope Pius XI in 1925
- Benedictine oblates and lay people living in the world
- Wives, mothers and widows
- The city of Rome
On her feast, drivers in Rome bring their cars to be blessed near her church of Santa Francesca Romana in the Roman Forum, where her body rests.
Prayers to St. Frances of Rome
Written for this page.
A driver’s prayer
St. Frances of Rome, whose angel lit your way,
pray for me as I drive. Keep me alert and patient,
protect me and everyone on the road, and bring us all home safely. Amen.
For wives and mothers
St. Frances, you loved your husband, raised your children and served the poor.
Pray that I may find God in my home and my daily duties,
and serve my family with patience and joy. Amen.
See also the St. Christopher prayer for drivers and the Catholic travel prayer.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Frances of Rome?
March 9.
Why is St. Frances of Rome the patron saint of drivers?
Because her guardian angel was said to light the road ahead of her when she walked at night. Pope Pius XI named her patroness of motorists in 1925.
What order did St. Frances of Rome found?
The Oblates of Mary, now called the Oblates of St. Frances of Rome, a community of lay women at Tor de’ Specchi in Rome.
More saints
- Guardian Angel prayer
- St. Christopher prayer
- Patron saint of mothers
- Patron saint of cyclists
- St. Benedict prayer
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Frances of Rome (March 9), Collect, public domain (archive.org).