Patron Saint of Fishermen and Fishing: St. Andrew and St. Peter

The patron saints of fishermen are St. Andrew and his brother St. Peter, the fishermen of Galilee whom Jesus called from their nets to become “fishers of men”; St. Zeno of Verona, a 4th-century bishop who loved to fish in the river Adige, is the special patron of anglers and freshwater fishing. Fishing communities also pray to St. Nicholas and to Our Lady, Star of the Sea, for safety on the water. Below are their stories, the Gospel accounts of the miraculous catch, the old prayer of the fisherman, and prayers for fishermen and for a good day of fishing.

A short fisherman’s prayer, written for this page:

St. Andrew and St. Peter, fishermen of Galilee, pray for me.
Lord, bless my boat, my lines and my nets, keep me safe on the water,
and give me patience, a good catch and a grateful heart. Amen.

St. Andrew and St. Peter, the fisherman apostles

Andrew and Simon Peter were brothers from Bethsaida who fished on the Sea of Galilee. Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, was the first to follow Jesus and brought his brother to him. Jesus called them from their work (Matthew 4:19, Douay-Rheims):

And he saith to them: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men.

St. Andrew’s feast is November 30; he is also the patron of Scotland and, by extension, of golfers. See St. Andrew the Apostle. The collect of his feast in a 1916 missal:

We humbly implore thy Majesty, O Lord, that, as the blessed Apostle Andrew was for thy Church preacher and ruler; so for us he may be with thee an unfailing advocate. 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.

St. Peter, the first Pope, is honored with St. Paul on June 29, and the Pope’s ring is still called the Fisherman’s Ring. See the St. Peter prayer.

St. Zeno, patron of anglers

Zeno (died about 371) was an African-born bishop of Verona in northern Italy, known for his sermons, his care for the poor and his zeal against heresy. Tradition says he relaxed by fishing with a rod in the river Adige, and he is often shown with a fish hanging from his bishop’s staff. He is the patron of Verona, of fishermen and of anglers. His feast is April 12.

The miraculous catch of fish

When the fishermen had worked all night and caught nothing, Jesus told Peter to try again (Luke 5:4–6, Douay-Rheims):

Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.
And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.

After the Resurrection the risen Lord did the same on the shore of the lake (John 21), and then asked Peter three times, “Lovest thou me?”

The fisherman’s prayer

A traditional prayer of the fishermen of Brittany, in France, begins: “O God, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small.” President John F. Kennedy kept it on a plaque on his desk. Its few words say everything about trust in God at sea.

Prayers for fishermen

Written for this page.

For those who fish for a living

Lord, you chose fishermen to be your apostles.
Bless all who work on the sea and the rivers to feed their families and ours.
Protect them from storms and accidents, give them a fair price for their work,
and bring every boat safely back to harbor. Amen.

For a day of fishing

Lord, thank you for this water, this quiet and this morning.
Give me patience, a little luck, and the wisdom to let the small ones go. St. Zeno, pray for me. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of fishermen?

St. Andrew and St. Peter, the fisherman apostles. St. Zeno of Verona is the patron of anglers.

Who is the patron saint of fishing?

St. Peter and St. Andrew for fishing at sea; St. Zeno for fishing with a rod.

What does “fishers of men” mean?

Jesus called the fishermen to bring people to God as they once gathered fish in their nets (Matthew 4:19).

More patron saints

Texts and sources

St. Andrew collect: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), public domain (archive.org).
Matthew 4:19 and Luke 5:4–6 (Douay-Rheims).