The patron saint of doctors and physicians is St. Luke the Evangelist, whom St. Paul called “Luke, the most dear physician” (Colossians 4:14); the Church also honors the twin brothers Sts. Cosmas and Damian, physicians who treated the sick without charge and died as martyrs, St. Pantaleon, and in modern times St. Joseph Moscati and St. Gianna Beretta Molla, both medical doctors. Below are their stories, the Church’s old prayers on their feasts, Scripture’s praise of the physician, and prayers for doctors and for your own doctor.
A short prayer for doctors, written for this page:
St. Luke, beloved physician, pray for all doctors.
Lord, give them skill, wisdom and compassion; strengthen them when they are tired,
and let them see your face in every patient they treat. Amen.
St. Luke, the beloved physician
Luke was a Greek physician from Antioch who became a companion of St. Paul on his journeys and wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (Colossians 4:14, Douay-Rheims):
Luke, the most dear physician, saluteth you: and Demas.
His Gospel pays special attention to the sick, the poor and sinners: only Luke tells of the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son and the good thief. His feast is October 18. The collect of his feast in a 1916 missal:
May thy holy evangelist Luke intercede for us, we beseech thee, O Lord, who for the honor of thy Name bore on his body the mortification of the cross. 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. Luke prayer.
Sts. Cosmas and Damian
The twin brothers Cosmas and Damian were Christian physicians in Syria who treated the poor without accepting payment, and so the Eastern Churches call them the anargyroi, “the silver-less.” They were martyred about the year 287 under Diocletian. Their names are in the Roman Canon of the Mass, and their feast is September 26. They are patrons of doctors, surgeons and pharmacists. A collect in their honor from a 1916 missal:
May the blessed and solemn remembrance of the holy Martyrs, Cosmas and Damian, magnify thy name, O Lord, who hast rewarded them with glory everlasting, and, in thine ineffable providence, hast bestowed on us thy gracious help. 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.
Other patron saints of doctors
- St. Pantaleon (July 27): physician to the emperor Galerius, martyred in 305; one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
- St. Joseph Moscati (November 16): a Naples physician and professor who went to Mass every morning, treated the poor for free, and was canonized in 1987.
- St. Gianna Beretta Molla (April 28): a pediatrician who gave her life for her unborn child in 1962. See St. Gianna Beretta Molla.
- St. Camillus de Lellis, patron of nurses, the sick and hospitals. See the patron saint of nurses.
- St. Raphael the Archangel, whose name means “God heals.” See the St. Raphael prayer.
Scripture: honor the physician
Ecclesiasticus 38:1–4 (Sirach in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims:
Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.
For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.
The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.
The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
Prayers for doctors
Written for this page.
A doctor’s prayer
Lord, the lives of my patients are in your hands before they are in mine.
Give me a clear mind, steady hands and a kind heart; help me to listen,
to tell the truth gently, and to know when to fight and when to comfort. Amen.
For my doctor
Lord, bless (name), who cares for my health.
Guide (his/her) decisions, give (him/her) rest and protect (his/her) family. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of doctors?
St. Luke the Evangelist, “the most dear physician,” together with Sts. Cosmas and Damian.
Who is the patron saint of medicine?
Sts. Cosmas and Damian and St. Luke; St. Pantaleon and St. Raphael are also invoked.
Who is the patron saint of nurses?
St. Camillus de Lellis and St. John of God. See the patron saint of nurses.
More patron saints of healing
- Patron saints of healing
- Patron saint of nurses
- Patron saint of surgery
- Prayer before surgery
- St. Luke prayer
- Patron saint of veterinarians
Texts and sources
- Collects of St. Luke and Sts. Cosmas and Damian: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), public domain (archive.org).
- Colossians 4:14 and Ecclesiasticus 38:1–4 (Douay-Rheims).