Prayers to Popular Saints: Teresa, Ignatius, George and More

Every saint is a friend in heaven who can pray for us. Below are prayers to eighteen much-loved saints, from St. Teresa of Avila and St. Ignatius of Loyola to St. George, St. Martin de Porres, St. Cecilia and the Santo Niño, each with the saint’s feast day, what he or she is invoked for, and a short prayer. Two are the saints’ own classic prayers; the others were written for this page. Where a saint has a full page of prayers on this site, it is linked in that saint’s section.

St. Teresa of Avila (October 15)

Carmelite reformer, mystic and Doctor of the Church (1515–1582), invoked for prayer, for the sick and against headaches. See the full page of St. Teresa of Avila prayers. Her famous “Bookmark,” found in her breviary after her death, in the translation printed in Father Lasance’s With God (1911):

Let nothing disturb thee,
Let nothing affright thee.
All things are passing;
God only is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who hath God wanteth nothing —
Alone God sufficeth.

St. Teresa, teach me to pray as a friend speaks with a friend,
and to trust that God alone is enough. Amen.

St. Ignatius of Loyola (July 31)

Founder of the Jesuits (1491–1556), patron of retreats and spiritual exercises, and of soldiers. See St. Ignatius of Loyola prayers and the daily Examen. His prayer of total self-offering, the Suscipe, from Father Lasance’s My Prayer-Book (1908):

Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess; I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest dispose of it according to Thy will. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will have no more to desire.

St. George (April 23)

Martyr of the early fourth century, patron of England, soldiers and scouts, famous for the legend of the dragon. See the full St. George prayer page.

St. George, you gave your life rather than deny Christ.
Give me courage to fight the dragons of fear, sin and injustice,
and to defend the weak. Amen.

St. Martin de Porres (November 3)

Dominican lay brother of Lima, Peru (1579–1639), patron of social justice, the poor, people of mixed race and barbers. See the full St. Martin de Porres prayer and novena.

St. Martin de Porres, humble servant of the poor and the sick,
help me to see Christ in everyone,
to serve without seeking praise,
and to work for justice and peace. Amen.

St. Cecilia (November 22)

Roman virgin and martyr, patron of musicians and singers. See the full St. Cecilia prayer page.

St. Cecilia, you sang to God in your heart.
Bless all who make music for his glory,
and let my whole life be a song of praise. Amen.

St. Catherine of Siena (April 29)

Dominican, mystic and Doctor of the Church (1347–1380), co-patroness of Europe and of Italy, who counseled popes. See St. Catherine of Siena’s prayer to the Trinity.

St. Catherine, you spoke the truth with love even to the powerful.
Pray for the Church and for the Pope,
and give me the courage to be who God wants me to be. Amen.

St. Peter the Apostle (June 29)

Prince of the Apostles and first Pope, patron of the Church, fishermen and the repentant. See the full St. Peter prayer page.

St. Peter, you loved Jesus, denied him and were forgiven.
Pray for me when I fail, help me to begin again,
and keep me faithful to Christ and his Church. Amen.

St. Matthew (September 21)

Apostle and evangelist, the tax collector who left everything to follow Jesus; patron of accountants and bankers. See the full St. Matthew prayer page.

St. Matthew, you left your money table to follow Jesus.
Help me to use my money and my work honestly,
and to answer when he calls. Amen.

St. Mary Magdalene (July 22)

The first witness of the Resurrection, “apostle to the apostles,” patron of converts and of those seeking forgiveness. See the full St. Mary Magdalene prayer page.

St. Mary Magdalene, you stood by the cross and ran to tell the apostles that Jesus was risen.
Help me to love Jesus faithfully and to share the joy of Easter. Amen.

St. Sebastian (January 20)

Roman soldier and martyr, patron of soldiers, athletes and those suffering from epidemics. See the full St. Sebastian prayer page.

St. Sebastian, brave soldier of Christ,
protect our soldiers, athletes and all who are sick,
and strengthen me to stand firm in faith. Amen.

St. Andrew (November 30)

Apostle, brother of St. Peter, patron of Scotland, Greece and fishermen. See the St. Andrew Christmas novena.

St. Andrew, you brought your brother to Jesus.
Help me to bring others to him by my joy and my example. Amen.

St. John of God (March 8)

Founder of the Brothers Hospitallers (1495–1550), patron of hospitals, nurses, the sick and those with heart disease. See the full St. John of God prayer page.

St. John of God, you cared for the sick and the poor with tenderness.
Bless all who work in hospitals and comfort the sick. Amen.

St. Apollonia (February 9)

Virgin and martyr of Alexandria (249), patron of dentists and of those with toothache. See the full prayer to St. Apollonia.

St. Apollonia, pray for all who suffer pain in their teeth and mouth,
and for dentists and all who care for them. Amen.

St. Roch (August 16)

Fourteenth-century pilgrim who cared for plague victims, patron of the sick, of dogs and of those suffering from contagious disease. See the full prayer to St. Roch.

St. Roch, you nursed the sick and were cared for by a faithful dog.
Protect us from disease and bless all who care for the sick. Amen.

St. Bernadette (April 16)

The young visionary of Lourdes (1844–1879), patron of the sick and the poor. See the full St. Bernadette prayer page.

St. Bernadette, Our Lady chose you in your poverty and simplicity.
Pray for the sick who go to Lourdes and for all who suffer. Amen.

St. Valentine (February 14)

Roman priest and martyr of the third century, patron of engaged couples and happy marriages. See the full St. Valentine prayer page.

St. Valentine, pray for all who love,
that their love may be pure, faithful and generous. Amen.

See the Catholic prayer for marriage.

St. John Bosco (January 31)

Italian priest (1815–1888) who cared for poor boys, founder of the Salesians, patron of young people and students. See the full St. John Bosco prayer page.

St. John Bosco, friend of the young,
watch over our children and teenagers, and give us your joy and patience. Amen.

Santo Niño (third Sunday of January in the Philippines)

Devotion to the Holy Child Jesus, beloved in the Philippines since 1521, celebrated on the third Sunday of January. Pray the Santo Niño novena. See also the Infant of Prague novena.

Holy Child Jesus, you became small for love of us.
Bless our families and our children, and keep us close to you. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Do Catholics pray to saints instead of God?

No. Catholics worship God alone and ask the saints to pray for them, as we ask friends on earth to pray for us. See prayers to the saints.

Where can I find the feast day of any saint?

In our saint of the day calendar and our list of saint feast days.

More prayers to the saints

Texts and sources

St. Teresa’s Bookmark: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Day Prayers, public domain (Wikisource).
The Suscipe of St. Ignatius: F. X. Lasance, My Prayer-Book (1908), Prayers During the Day, public domain (Wikisource).
Feast days: General Roman Calendar and Roman Martyrology.
The other prayers were written for this page.