Patron Saint of Infertility: St. Gerard, St. Anne and Prayers

The saints most often invoked by couples struggling with infertility are St. Gerard Majella (1726–1755), the Redemptorist brother who is the patron of mothers and of those who hope to conceive, and Sts. Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary, who according to ancient tradition prayed for many years for a child before Mary was born. Women longing for a baby also pray to St. Rita of Cascia, to St. Anthony of Padua and to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, and the Bible is full of women who waited and prayed: Sarah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth. Below are their stories, Hannah’s prayer, and prayers for couples who long for a child.

A short prayer to conceive, written for this page:

St. Gerard and St. Anne, pray for us.
Lord, you know the desire of our hearts for a child. If it is your will, bless us with a baby;
and whatever comes, keep our love strong and our hope in you alive. Amen.

St. Gerard Majella

Gerard was an Italian lay brother of the Redemptorists, a tailor’s son famous for his obedience, his humility and many miracles. Shortly before his death, he dropped his handkerchief at the house of a family, and when a girl tried to return it he told her to keep it, because one day she would need it. Years later, when she was in danger in childbirth, she remembered the handkerchief, prayed to him, and delivered her child safely. Since then mothers and couples hoping for children have prayed to him. His feast is October 16. See the St. Gerard prayer.

Sts. Anne and Joachim

According to the ancient Protoevangelium of James, Joachim and Anne were a devout couple who suffered years of childlessness and the shame that came with it in their time. They prayed, fasted and promised their child to God, and an angel announced that Anne would conceive: their daughter was the Virgin Mary. Their feast is July 26. A prayer to St. Anne from a 1925 Catholic prayer book:

With a heart full of sincere filial veneration, I prostrate myself before thee, O blessed St. Anne. Thou art that beloved and privileged creature who, because of thy extraordinary virtue and sanctity, didst deserve of God that chief of graces of giving life to the treasury of grace, the blessed among women, the Mother of the incarnate Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Ah! in consideration of such exalted favors deign, O most tender saint, to receive me among the number of thy truly devoted servants, for such I protest myself to be and wish to remain for the rest of my life. Surround me with thy gracious patronage, and obtain for me from God the imitation of those virtues with which thou wert so profusely adorned. Obtain for me a knowledge of my sins and sorrow for them; an ardent love for Jesus and Mary; a faithful and constant observance of the duties of my state of life. Save me from all dangers in life and assist me at the hour of my death, that I may safely reach paradise, there to praise with thee, most happy mother, the Word of God, made man in the womb of thy most pure daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.

See the St. Anne prayer.

Hannah’s prayer for a child

Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, prayed in the temple with tears (1 Kings 1:10–11, 1 Samuel in modern Bibles, Douay-Rheims):

As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears,
And she made a vow, saying: O Lord, of hosts, if thou wilt look down on the affliction of thy servant, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy servant a man child: I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

When Samuel was born, she said (1 Kings 1:27):

For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him.

When Sarah laughed at the promise of a son in her old age, the Lord said to Abraham (Genesis 18:14):

Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.

Other saints invoked for infertility

St. Rita of Cascia (May 22): patron of impossible causes. See the St. Rita prayer.
St. Anthony of Padua (June 13): long invoked by women hoping for children.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla (April 28): the Italian doctor and mother who gave her life for her unborn child. See St. Gianna Beretta Molla.
Sts. Elizabeth and Zachary, the parents of John the Baptist, who conceived in old age (Luke 1).

A prayer for couples

Written for this page.

Lord, every month brings hope and then disappointment.
Comfort us when we are sad, keep us from blaming each other, and help us to trust you.
Bless our doctors with wisdom, and if it is your will, give us a child to love.
St. Gerard, St. Anne and St. Joachim, pray for us. Amen.

For more, see the Catholic prayer for fertility and the Catholic prayer for pregnancy.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of infertility?

St. Gerard Majella, together with Sts. Anne and Joachim, the parents of Mary.

Who is the patron saint of conceiving a baby?

St. Gerard Majella; many couples also pray to St. Anne and St. Rita.

Who is the patron saint of pregnancy?

St. Gerard Majella is also the patron of expectant mothers.

More prayers for families

Texts and sources

Prayer to St. Anne: Charles J. Callan and John A. McHugh, Blessed Be God (1925), public domain.
1 Kings 1:10–11 and 1:27, Genesis 18:14 (Douay-Rheims).