Patron Saint of Lost Souls: St. Nicholas of Tolentino and Prayers

The saint usually named as patron of the “lost souls,” in the sense of the holy souls in purgatory, is St. Nicholas of Tolentino (about 1245–1305), an Augustinian friar who spent his life praying, fasting and offering Mass for the dead. For souls who are lost in the other sense, people who have wandered far from God, Catholics turn to St. Monica, who prayed for years for her son Augustine; to St. Dismas, the Good Thief who was saved at the last hour; and to St. Jude, patron of desperate cases. Below are their stories, what Scripture says, and prayers for the dead and for those who have lost their way.

A short prayer for lost souls, written for this page:

Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd, you leave the ninety-nine to look for the one who is lost.
Have mercy on the souls in purgatory, especially those who have no one to pray for them,
and bring back to you every soul that has wandered away. Amen.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, patron of the holy souls

Nicholas was born around 1245 at Sant’Angelo in Pontano, in central Italy; his parents, who had long been childless, believed he was the answer to their prayers at the shrine of St. Nicholas of Myra and named him after the saint. He joined the Hermits of St. Augustine, was ordained a priest and spent the last thirty years of his life at Tolentino, preaching in the streets, hearing confessions, visiting the poor and the sick, and leading a life of severe penance.

He is remembered above all for his devotion to the souls in purgatory. According to his early biographers, a deceased friar appeared to him and begged him to offer Mass for the souls suffering in purgatory; Nicholas did so for a week and was then told that many had been set free. For this reason he is invoked as patron of the holy souls, and in many places the faithful keep the custom of “St. Nicholas bread,” blessed bread distributed on his feast. He died at Tolentino on September 10, 1305, and was canonized in 1446. His feast day is September 10.

Other saints for the souls in purgatory

St. Gertrude the Great, the German Benedictine mystic to whom a famous prayer for the souls in purgatory is attributed. See the St. Gertrude prayer.
St. Odilo of Cluny, the abbot who, around the year 1000, ordered the monasteries of Cluny to pray for all the faithful departed on November 2, the origin of All Souls’ Day.

Saints for souls who have lost their way

St. Monica, who followed her son Augustine with prayers and tears for about seventeen years until he returned to God. See the St. Monica prayer.
St. Dismas, the Good Thief, who turned to Jesus on the cross and heard the words, “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” See St. Dismas.
St. Jude, the apostle invoked in desperate and seemingly hopeless cases. See the St. Jude prayer.

What Scripture says

Praying for the dead (2 Machabees 12:46, Douay-Rheims):

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.

The lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7, Douay-Rheims):

What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing:
And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?
I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

Prayers for lost souls

Written for this page.

For the souls in purgatory

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, you offered Mass and penance for the holy souls.
Pray for the souls in purgatory, especially for (names) and for those who are forgotten.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.

For someone who has lost their way

St. Monica, you never stopped praying for your son.
Pray for (name), who has wandered far from God.
Lord Jesus, find your lost sheep and carry them home on your shoulders. Amen.

See also the prayer for the souls in purgatory and the Eternal rest prayer.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of lost souls?

St. Nicholas of Tolentino is the patron of the holy souls in purgatory. For people who have strayed from God, Catholics often pray to St. Monica or St. Jude.

When is St. Nicholas of Tolentino’s feast day?

September 10.

Can we pray for the dead?

Yes. The Church has always prayed for the faithful departed, as Scripture shows in 2 Machabees 12, especially by offering Mass for them.

More prayers

Texts and sources

2 Machabees 12:46 and Luke 15:4–7 (Douay-Rheims).