The patron saint of students is St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the Dominican priest, philosopher and Doctor of the Church whom Pope Leo XIII named patron of all Catholic universities, colleges and schools in 1880; his prayer before study is still prayed by students before class and exams. Students also turn to St. Joseph of Cupertino, who passed his exams for the priesthood against all odds and is the patron of test-takers; to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of young students; to St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron of students and philosophers; and to St. John Bosco, the friend of young people. Below are their stories and prayers for students.
A short student’s prayer, written for this page:
St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students, pray for me.
Lord, open my mind to understand, my memory to remember, and my heart to love the truth.
Help me to work hard, to stay calm, and to use what I learn for you and for others. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students
Thomas was born near Aquino in Italy and joined the Dominicans against his family’s wishes. Quiet and heavy, he was nicknamed “the dumb ox” by his classmates, but his teacher St. Albert the Great said that the ox’s bellowing would one day be heard all over the world. His Summa Theologiae became one of the greatest works of theology ever written, yet he always prayed before studying, writing or teaching. His feast is January 28.
His prayer before study:
O incomprehensible Creator, the true fountain of light, and only Author of all knowledge; vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to enlighten our understanding, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. [Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of thy blessing.] Give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of thy holy grace; that what we hear or learn, we may apply to thy honour and the eternal salvation of our own souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The collect of his feast in a 1916 missal:
O God, who didst enlighten thy Church by the marvellous learning of thy blessed Confessor Thomas, and enrich it by his holy labor, grant us we beseech thee, understanding to master what he taught and success in imitating what he did. 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 St. Thomas Aquinas prayer.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron of exams
Joseph (1603–1663) was a poor, slow Franciscan who struggled to learn. At his examination for the diaconate, the bishop happened to ask him about the only Gospel text he knew well; at the priesthood exam, the first candidates answered so well that the rest, Joseph included, were passed without questions. Famous for his ecstasies, he is the patron of students taking exams and of pilots. His feast is September 18. The collect of his feast:
O God, who didst ordain to draw all things after thine only begotten Son lifted up from the earth, graciously so dispose that, by the merits and example of thy seraphic Confessor Joseph, we may be lifted up above all earthly cravings and deserve to come nigh to him. Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
Other patron saints of students
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga (June 21): the young Jesuit who died at 23 caring for plague victims, declared patron of young students in 1729. See St. Aloysius Gonzaga.
- St. Catherine of Alexandria (November 25): the learned virgin martyr who, according to tradition, debated pagan philosophers; patron of students, philosophers and universities. See St. Catherine of Alexandria.
- St. John Bosco (January 31): founder of the Salesians and schools for poor boys, patron of young people. See the St. John Bosco prayer.
- St. Albert the Great (November 15): Aquinas’s teacher, patron of scientists and natural science students.
Prayers for students
Written for this page.
Before an exam
Holy Spirit, calm my nerves and clear my mind.
Help me remember what I have studied and write it well.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for me. Amen.
For a son or daughter at school or college
Lord, watch over (name) as (he/she) studies.
Give (him/her) good friends and good teachers, protect (him/her) from harm,
and keep (his/her) faith strong. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of students?
St. Thomas Aquinas, named patron of Catholic schools and universities by Leo XIII in 1880.
Who is the patron saint of exams?
St. Joseph of Cupertino, who passed his exams for the priesthood in surprising ways.
Who is the patron saint of teachers?
St. John Baptist de La Salle. See the patron saint of teachers.
More prayers for school
- Patron saint of teachers
- St. Thomas Aquinas prayer
- Novena to St. Thomas Aquinas
- Prayers of the faithful for students and teachers
- Prayers of the faithful for a school Mass
- Doctors of the Church
Texts and sources
- Prayer before study of St. Thomas Aquinas: Patrick F. Moran, The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (1883), public domain (Wikisource).
- Collects of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Joseph of Cupertino: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), public domain (archive.org).