Patron Saint of Grief, Widows and Loneliness, With Prayers

The Church has no single patron saint of grief, but grieving Catholics have always turned first to Our Lady of Sorrows, the Mother who stood at the foot of the Cross and held her dead Son in her arms, and to saints who knew bereavement in their own lives: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, widowed at twenty-nine, who also buried two of her daughters; St. Monica, widowed and then separated from her son for years; and St. Rita of Cascia, who lost her husband and both her sons. These women are also the patrons of widows, and they are good companions in loneliness. Below are their stories, what Scripture promises those who mourn, and prayers for grief, for widows and widowers, and for loneliness.

A short prayer in grief, written for this page:

Our Lady of Sorrows, you know the pain of losing the one you love most.
Stay with me in my grief. Hold my heart when it breaks,
help me to trust that my loved one is in God’s hands, and lead me, in time, to peace. Amen.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Mary’s whole life was marked by sorrow as well as joy: Simeon’s prophecy that a sword would pierce her soul, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple, the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the taking down of her Son’s body and his burial. The Church honors her as Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. No one understands a mother’s grief, or any grief, better than she does. See Our Lady of Sorrows and the Seven Sorrows Rosary.

Saints who knew grief

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4)

Elizabeth Seton’s husband, William, died of tuberculosis in Italy in 1803, leaving her a widow at twenty-nine with five young children and no money. In the years that followed she also lost two daughters, Anna Maria and Rebecca, and several dear friends. Through it all she clung to God’s will. See the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer.

St. Monica (August 27)

Widowed at around forty, Monica spent years grieving over her son Augustine’s life far from God before she saw his conversion. She is a patron of widows and of mothers who mourn for children who have gone astray. See the St. Monica prayer.

St. Rita of Cascia (May 22)

Rita’s husband was murdered, and her two sons died soon after. Alone, she entered the Augustinian convent at Cascia and became a saint of hope for those whose sorrows seem impossible to bear. See the St. Rita prayer.

Other widowed saints

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, widowed at twenty, St. Frances of Rome, St. Jane Frances de Chantal and St. Louise de Marillac all lost their husbands and turned their grief into love for the poor. See St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Frances of Rome.

What Scripture promises those who mourn

Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35–36, Douay-Rheims):

And Jesus wept.
The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him.

The Beatitude (Matthew 5:5, Douay-Rheims):

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The hope of the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:12–13, Douay-Rheims):

And we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with him.

And the promise of heaven (Apocalypse 21:4, Douay-Rheims):

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away.

Prayers for the grieving

Written for this page.

In fresh grief

Lord, I cannot understand this loss.
I do not ask you to take away my tears, but to stay with me in them.
Give me strength for today, and receive the one I love into your peace. Amen.

For a widow or widower

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, you knew the empty chair at the table and the long nights alone.
Pray for me as I learn to live without my spouse.
Help me to carry our love forward, to care for those who need me, and to hope in the life to come. Amen.

For loneliness

Lord Jesus, in Gethsemane you knew what it is to be alone.
When I feel forgotten, remind me that you are with me.
Send me friends, open my heart to others, and fill the empty places with your love. Amen.

For the one who has died

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

See the Eternal Rest prayer and Catholic prayers for the dead.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of grief?

There is no single official patron. Catholics turn to Our Lady of Sorrows and to saints who lost loved ones, such as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Monica and St. Rita.

Who is the patron saint of widows?

St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Frances of Rome, St. Rita and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton are among the patrons of widows.

Who is the patron saint of loneliness?

There is no official patron. Many lonely people pray to Our Lady of Sorrows and to St. Rita, who lost her whole family.

More prayers

Texts and sources

John 11:35–36, Matthew 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:12–13 and Apocalypse 21:4 (Douay-Rheims).