When someone is ill, Catholics ask the saints to pray for healing, especially the saints whose own lives touched that suffering. St. Peregrine, healed of a cancerous wound, is the patron of cancer patients; St. Blaise, who saved a boy choking on a fishbone, of throat illnesses; St. Lucy of the eyes. Above all, the Church turns to Jesus the Divine Physician and to Mary, Health of the Sick.
Below is a list of patron saints for illnesses and for those who care for the sick, with feast days and links to prayers.
Patron saints for illnesses
| Illness or need | Patron saint | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer | St. Peregrine Laziosi | May 1 |
| Breast cancer | St. Agatha | February 5 |
| Throat illnesses | St. Blaise | February 3 |
| Eye disease and blindness | St. Lucy; St. Raphael | December 13; September 29 |
| Mental illness, anxiety and depression | St. Dymphna | May 15 |
| Epilepsy | St. Vitus; St. Valentine | June 15; February 14 |
| Toothache | St. Apollonia | February 9 |
| Headaches | St. Teresa of Ávila (by popular devotion) | October 15 |
| Deafness | St. Francis de Sales | January 24 |
| Skin diseases | St. Anthony the Abbot | January 17 |
| Stomach and intestinal illness | St. Erasmus (Elmo) | June 2 |
| Arthritis and rheumatism | St. James the Greater | July 25 |
| Plague and epidemics | St. Roch; St. Sebastian | August 16; January 20 |
| Addiction | St. Maximilian Kolbe (by popular devotion) | August 14 |
| Infertility | St. Rita; St. Anne; St. Gerard Majella | May 22; July 26; October 16 |
| Pregnancy and childbirth | St. Gerard Majella; St. Raymond Nonnatus | October 16; August 31 |
| Sick children | St. Nicholas | December 6 |
| A happy death | St. Joseph | March 19 |
| Desperate illness | St. Jude; St. Rita | October 28; May 22 |
Patron saints of those who care for the sick
| Who | Patron saint | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| The sick, nurses and hospitals | St. Camillus de Lellis; St. John of God | July 14 (USA July 18); March 8 |
| Doctors and surgeons | St. Luke; Sts. Cosmas and Damian | October 18; September 26 |
| Pharmacists | Sts. Cosmas and Damian | September 26 |
| Caregivers and those who serve the poor | St. Vincent de Paul; St. Teresa of Calcutta | September 27; September 5 |
See also patron saints of professions.
Mary, Health of the Sick
The Litany of Loreto calls Mary Salus infirmorum, “Health of the Sick.” At Lourdes, where she appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858, millions of sick pilgrims come each year, and the Church has recognized dozens of miraculous cures. Her feast, February 11, is the World Day of the Sick. Pray the prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes.
St. Blaise and the blessing of throats
St. Blaise, a fourth-century bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, is said to have saved a boy choking on a fishbone. On his feast, February 3, priests bless throats with two crossed candles, praying that through his intercession God may deliver the faithful from ailments of the throat and every other illness.
A prayer to the patron saints of the sick
Written for this page:
Lord Jesus, Divine Physician, you healed every kind of illness.
Through the prayers of Mary, Health of the Sick,
and of St. (name of the patron for this illness),
look with mercy on (name), who is suffering.
Bring healing to body and soul, strength in pain,
wisdom to doctors and nurses, and peace to all who love him (her). Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of cancer patients?
St. Peregrine Laziosi, the Servite friar healed of a cancerous wound on his leg. See the St. Peregrine prayer.
Who is the patron saint of healing?
St. Raphael the Archangel, whose name means “God heals,” together with Sts. Luke, Cosmas and Damian, and Our Lady of Lourdes.
Who is the patron saint of surgery?
Sts. Cosmas and Damian, the twin physicians, and St. Luke. Before an operation, see our prayer before surgery.
More prayers for the sick
- St. Agatha prayer for breast cancer
- St. John of God prayer for the sick
- Prayer to St. Roch against disease
- Prayer to St. Apollonia for toothache
- St. Bernadette prayer for the sick
- St. Martin de Porres prayer for healing
- St. Sebastian prayer for the sick
- St. Blaise prayer and blessing of throats
- Padre Pio prayer
- Prayer before surgery
- St. Lucy prayer
- St. Charbel prayer
- Novena to St. Raphael
- Catholic prayers for healing
- Prayer for the sick
- Patron saints: the complete list
- Last rites and the Anointing of the Sick
Sources
- Feast days follow the General Roman Calendar, the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States and the Roman Martyrology.
- Book of Blessings, Blessing of Throats on the Feast of St. Blaise (described).
- The prayer was written for this page.