Patron Saint of New York City, and a Prayer for New York

New York City has no patron saint named by the Church, but the saint most often called its patron is St. Nicholas, whom early New Yorkers adopted as the protector of their city in the first years of the nineteenth century. The Catholic Archdiocese of New York has its cathedral dedicated to St. Patrick, and several saints lived, worked or died in New York: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann and the martyr St. Isaac Jogues. Below are their stories, a verse of Scripture for the city, and prayers for New York and its people.

A short prayer for New York, written for this page:

Lord, bless New York City and everyone who lives and works here.
Through the prayers of St. Nicholas, Mother Cabrini and Mother Seton,
protect the poor and the stranger, keep our streets safe, and make this city a place of peace. Amen.

St. Nicholas and New York

St. Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop of Myra famous for his secret gifts to the poor, was beloved by the Dutch, who founded New Amsterdam on Manhattan. In 1804 John Pintard founded the New-York Historical Society and promoted St. Nicholas as the patron of the society and of the city. Washington Irving, a member of the society, filled his comic History of New York (1809) with a jolly Dutch St. Nicholas, and on December 6, 1810, the society held its first St. Nicholas Day dinner. Historians note that much of this “old Dutch” tradition was revived or invented by these New Yorkers, but it took root: from their St. Nicholas grew the American Santa Claus. See the St. Nicholas prayer.

Saints of New York

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (November 13)

Mother Cabrini arrived in New York in 1889 to serve Italian immigrants and founded schools, orphanages and hospitals across America. The first U.S. citizen to be canonized, she is the patron of immigrants, and her body rests in her shrine in Washington Heights, Manhattan. See St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4)

Born in New York City in 1774 to a prominent Episcopalian family, Elizabeth Seton became a Catholic after her husband’s death, founded the Sisters of Charity and laid the foundations of Catholic schools in America. She was the first person born in the United States to be canonized, in 1975. A shrine stands at her former home on State Street in Lower Manhattan. See the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer.

St. John Neumann (January 5)

The young Bohemian missionary was ordained a priest in old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan in 1836 and served German immigrants in upstate New York before becoming bishop of Philadelphia. See St. John Neumann.

St. Isaac Jogues (October 19)

The French Jesuit missionary, rescued by the Dutch after captivity among the Mohawks, passed through New Amsterdam in 1643, the first Catholic priest known to have set foot on Manhattan. He was martyred in 1646 at Ossernenon, now Auriesville, New York, where St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born ten years later. See the St. Kateri Tekakwitha prayer.

St. Patrick (March 17)

The patron of Ireland gives his name to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, and the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of the oldest and largest in the world. See the St. Patrick prayer.

“Seek the peace of the city”

God told the exiles in Babylon to pray for the city where they lived (Jeremias 29:7, Douay-Rheims):

And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be carried away captives; and pray to the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall be your peace.

Prayers for New York

Written for this page.

For the people of New York

Lord, you know every person in this crowded city by name.
Comfort the lonely, protect the homeless, welcome the newcomer,
and help us to see you in the faces we pass every day. Amen.

For first responders

Lord, protect the police officers, firefighters, paramedics and nurses of New York.
Give them courage and skill, bring them home safely,
and receive into your peace those who have given their lives for others. Amen.

For immigrants

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, you crossed the ocean to serve immigrants in New York.
Pray for all who arrive here today looking for a new life:
give them work, a home, good friends and faith. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of New York City?

St. Nicholas is traditionally called the city’s patron, adopted by New Yorkers in the early 1800s. No patron has been officially named by the Church.

Which saints lived in New York City?

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born there, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini worked and is buried there, and St. John Neumann was ordained there.

Who is the patron saint of New York State?

No official patron has been named. The North American Martyrs and St. Kateri Tekakwitha, all connected with Auriesville, are especially honored in the state.

More patron saints

Texts and sources

Jeremias 29:7 (Douay-Rheims).