Patron Saint of Paramedics and EMTs: St. Michael and Prayer

The patron saint most often named for paramedics and emergency medical technicians is St. Michael the Archangel, the protector of God’s people, who is also patron of police officers, soldiers and others who rush into danger to protect lives. Paramedics also turn to St. Camillus de Lellis, whose religious order wore a red cross and sent brothers to care for the wounded on the battlefield, to St. John of God, patron of hospitals and the sick, and to the Good Samaritan of the Gospel, who stopped on the road to bind up a stranger’s wounds. Below are their stories, Scripture and prayers for paramedics, EMTs and first responders.

A short prayer for paramedics, written for this page:

St. Michael the Archangel, protect the paramedics and EMTs on duty today.
Give them steady hands, clear minds and compassionate hearts,
keep them safe on the road, and bring them home in peace. Amen.

St. Michael the Archangel

Michael, whose name means “Who is like God?”, appears in the Bible as the great prince who stands guard over God’s people (Daniel 12:1) and who casts down the dragon in the Apocalypse (Apocalypse 12:7–9). The Church invokes him as defender in every danger. For this reason he is the patron of police, soldiers, emergency medical services and all who protect others. His feast, with the archangels Gabriel and Raphael, is September 29. See the St. Michael prayer.

A short invocation of St. Michael from a 1914 Dublin prayer leaflet:

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the combat that we perish not in the dreadful Judgment.

St. Camillus de Lellis, the red cross on the battlefield

Camillus (1550–1614) was a soldier and a compulsive gambler who lost everything. Converted in 1575, he tried to become a Capuchin but was turned away because of an incurable wound in his leg. He went to work in the hospital of St. James in Rome, was appalled at the neglect of the sick, and founded the Ministers of the Sick (the Camillians), who took a vow to serve the sick even at the risk of their lives. In 1586 Pope Sixtus V allowed them to wear a large red cross on their habits, and Camillian brothers went to care for the wounded on the battlefields of Hungary and Croatia. He is the patron of the sick, of nurses and of hospitals. His feast day is July 14 (July 18 in the United States).

The prayer of his feast from the 1916 daily missal:

O God, who didst adorn the holy Camillus with a singular quality of charity for helping souls struggling in the last agony: through his merits, we beseech thee, infuse into us the spirit of thy love, that in our last hour we may deserve to overcome the enemy and attain the heavenly crown. 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 saints for paramedics and first responders

St. John of God (1495–1550), founder of the Brothers Hospitallers, patron of hospitals and the sick; according to tradition, he carried patients out of a burning hospital in Granada. See the St. John of God prayer.
St. Florian, patron of firefighters. See the St. Florian prayer.
St. Raphael the Archangel, whose name means “God heals.” See the St. Raphael prayer.

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:33–34 (Douay-Rheims):

But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion.
And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Prayers for paramedics and EMTs

Written for this page.

At the start of a shift

Lord, I give you this shift.
Guide me to every call, steady my hands, and help me to stay calm.
Let me see your face in every patient. St. Michael, protect us. Amen.

After a hard call

Lord, I bring you what I saw today.
Have mercy on the people we could not save, comfort their families,
and heal the memories that I carry. Give me rest. Amen.

For a paramedic in the family

St. Michael, watch over (name) as they serve others.
Protect them from harm, strengthen them in stress,
and bring them safely home. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of paramedics?

St. Michael the Archangel is most often named the patron of paramedics and EMTs.

Who is the patron saint of first responders?

St. Michael, with St. Florian for firefighters and St. Camillus de Lellis for those who care for the sick and wounded.

When is the feast of St. Michael?

September 29.

More prayers

Texts and sources

A Little Treasury of Leaflets, vol. II (Dublin, imprimatur 1914), public domain (archive.org).
The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Camillus de Lellis (July 18), Collect, public domain (archive.org).
Luke 10:33–34 (Douay-Rheims).