St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome, martyred in the year 258, four days after Pope St. Sixtus II. When the prefect of Rome ordered him to hand over the treasures of the Church, he gathered the poor, the sick and the orphans and said, “These are the treasures of the Church.” Tradition says he was roasted on a gridiron and joked with his executioners even then. He is the patron of the poor, of deacons, of cooks and of comedians, and the Perseid meteor shower in August is called “the tears of St. Lawrence.” Below are prayers to St. Lawrence, Scripture and his story.
A prayer to St. Lawrence
Written for this page:
St. Lawrence, faithful deacon and brave martyr,
you cared for the poor of Rome and called them the treasure of the Church,
and you faced a terrible death with courage and even with good humor.
Pray for me, that I may see Christ in the poor,
serve generously and remain joyful in trials.
Obtain for me the grace I ask: (name your intention). Amen.
A prayer for the poor and those who serve them
St. Lawrence, you gave the Church’s goods to the poor.
Pray for the hungry, the sick and all who are forgotten,
and for everyone who works in charities and food pantries.
Teach us to share cheerfully what God has given us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See the St. Vincent de Paul prayer.
Now this I say: He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings.
Every one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
A prayer for deacons
St. Lawrence, deacon of Rome,
pray for all deacons, especially (name).
Make them faithful servants of the altar, the word and the poor,
and bless their families. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer for cooks and for good humor
Because of the gridiron and his famous joke, St. Lawrence is the patron of cooks, chefs and comedians.
St. Lawrence, patron of cooks,
bless those who prepare our meals and feed the hungry.
And give us all a cheerful heart,
able to laugh even in difficulty and to trust God in every trial. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
The life of St. Lawrence
Lawrence was one of the seven deacons who served the Church of Rome under Pope St. Sixtus II, and he was in charge of the Church’s goods and its care for the poor. In 258 the emperor Valerian ordered that bishops, priests and deacons be put to death. Pope Sixtus was arrested while celebrating the liturgy in the catacombs and beheaded on August 6, with several of his deacons. According to St. Ambrose, Lawrence followed him weeping, asking why the father should go to sacrifice without his son, and Sixtus told him he would follow in three days.
The prefect of Rome, believing the Church was wealthy, ordered Lawrence to hand over its treasures. Lawrence asked for time, distributed what he had to the poor, then gathered the poor, the blind, the lame, widows and orphans and presented them: “These are the treasures of the Church.” According to the tradition recorded by St. Ambrose and the poet Prudentius, he was put to death slowly on a red-hot gridiron, and at one point told his executioners that he was done on one side and should be turned over. He died on August 10, 258, and was buried on the Via Tiburtina, where the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura now stands. He is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: August 10. A novena can run from August 1 to 9.
- Patron of: the poor, deacons, cooks and chefs, comedians, librarians and archivists, and the city of Rome.
- Symbols: a gridiron, the deacon’s dalmatic, a book of the Gospels and a purse.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Lawrence?
August 10.
Why is St. Lawrence the patron of cooks?
Because, according to tradition, he was martyred on a gridiron and joked that he should be turned over.
What are the tears of St. Lawrence?
The Perseid meteor shower, which reaches its peak around his feast in August, is called “the tears of St. Lawrence” in Italy and other countries.
What did St. Lawrence call the treasures of the Church?
The poor, the sick, widows and orphans of Rome.
More prayers
- St. Stephen prayer
- St. Vincent de Paul prayer
- St. Martin de Porres prayer
- Works of mercy
- Prayers to popular saints
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6–7, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- St. Ambrose, On the Duties of the Clergy I.41 and II.28; Prudentius, Peristephanon 2.
- The prayers were written for this page.