Know Your Patrons: How to Pray to Saints

Each saint is a patron of something.

Saints aren’t divine themselves; instead, they’re seen as mediators between God and us.

By praying to an appropriate saint, it’s believed that God will understand your need better and extend His grace.

Some of these saints were inspired by older, national cults, which is reflected in their domain (thunder, water, crops…).

However, some were assigned roles that reflect their personal deeds. 

What are you praying for?

1. Health: St. Raphael the Archangel

When you’re struggling with health issues and want to place your faith in something larger than doctors, call upon Archangel Raphael.

His name literally translates to God heals, and we first encounter him in the Book of Tobit. He guides Tobias and miraculously 治癒 his father’s 盲目.

St. Raphael is the patron of both physical and mental illness. He’s powerful against any pain.

When praying to him, ask for the strength to endure your struggle and the patience to heal. Ask for restoration of your body and soul.

If you want to empower your prayer even more, you can light a green candle before calling on the Archangel. 

2. Success: St. Joseph

Work easily gets overwhelming, and sometimes, you feel like you need some support to do your daily work with excellence and devotion to God.

St. Joseph is the patron of workers and the earthly father of Jesus Christ.

He was a carpenter, and he taught Jesus this skill, too. However, despite his humble trade, St. Joseph was entrusted with raising the Son of God.

Pray to him for motivation to complete your work faithfully every single day.

Ask him to help you advance in your trade in the same steady way that he did. 

Turn to him when you need a プロモーション, when your ビジネス is struggling, or simply when you’re facing 焼損.

3. Love: St. Valentine

Finding real love can seem like a hopeless endeavor in our day, when everything is focused on creating shallow, short-term connections.

St. Valentine, as we all know very well, is the patron of love.

He was a bishop who was martyred for secretly marrying Christian couples under Roman persecution. He was radical in his sacrifice, literally giving his life to protect lovers.

When your love life starts to feel bleak, pray to him, but don’t just ask him to drop the perfect person in your lap!

First, pray for the strength to love. Pray for purity and kindness. 

That way, you’ll be guided to your ideal partner. 

4. Parenthood: St. Anne

Becoming a parent is a huge transition, one of the most challenging we ever face. You suddenly hold a human life in your hands, responsible for raising an honest and kind person.

However, parents don’t have to endure this responsibility alone. 

St. Anne is the mother of the Virgin Mary and the absolute patroness of mothers and women in labor.

She raised the woman who was chosen by God, so there’s no one better to lean on.

Whether you’re in the delivery room or dealing with tantrums, call her name and ask for 強さ. When you start to lose your temper, ask her for 忍耐.

She will help you nurture your children with grace. 

5. Mental Health: St. Dymphna

For a long time, the Church was tragically silent about mental health, even going as far as labeling it as possession or witchcraft.

Many were left to suffer, feeling ashamed of something they simply couldn’t control. 

Thankfully, we now have St. Dymphna, the patroness of those suffering from mental and emotional disorders.

She was an Irish princess who ran away from her abusive father, and was ultimately martyred by him. 

She became a light for those suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.

Praying to her doesn’t mean turning away from modern medicine. Instead, let one help you on a physical level and the other on the spiritual.

St. Dymphna provides courage and understanding. 

6. Luck: St. Cajetan

When faced with a streak of bad luck, turn to St. Cajetan, the patron of good fortune and job seekers.

Cajetan was a priest who devoted his life to the poor, founding a bank to help people escape predatory loan sharks.

He followed in Christ’s footsteps and did everything to help those who needed help most.

So, if you are hunting for a job or struggling with money, ask him to help you see hidden 機会. 

Ask for creative ideas and a peace of mind, and before long, your luck will begin to change. 

7. Overcoming Addiction: St. Maximilian Kolbe

Addiction is one of the lowest human experiences. It’s a prison that strips you of your free will, often making it seem like you’re beyond help.

St. Maximilian Kolbe is the patron of spiritual strength.

He did something unimaginable when he traded his own life for a stranger’s in Auschwitz. His faith and spirit defied all logic, which is also why addicts turn to him.

Whatever compulsive vice you’re struggling with, pray to St. Maximilian Kolbe.

Ask him to lend you his courage and help you keep Christ in your mind. Remember him whenever you’re hit by cravings.

8. Learning: St. Thomas Aquinas

When struggling with your studies, it’s only appropriate to turn to a scholar saint like St. Thomas Aquinas.

He was a Dominican friar who wrote some of the most profound theological texts in history, and yet, he remained humble.

He’s the patron of all students and scholars, but don’t just ask him for good grades.

Pray that he gives you discipline and clarity.

Treat your study sessions as an active prayer to him, and he will inspire you.

9. Forgiveness: St. Maria Goretti

Forgiving people who wronged you is one of the hardest things Jesus asks us to do. 

All of our instincts call for revenge, and when this happens to you, remember St. Maria Goretti.

She was a young martyr, merely eleven years old when she was murdered. But before passing away, she forgave her murderer right then and there, and said she hoped to see him in Heaven.

This radical kindness made her the patron of forgiveness.

So, when you’re choking in resentment, pray to her. Ask her to intercede for the person who hurt and elevate yourself above your grudges.

Ask her to give you the grace to let go and move on with your life.

Remember, you’re doing all of this to set your soul free.

10. Fertility: St. Gerard Majella

So many couples desperately long to hold their own child in their arms, and many are left discouraged when it doesn’t go as they had hoped.

Sometimes, conception takes a long time, and sometimes, you’re given a bad diagnosis.

Either way, praying to God’s saints can’t hurt you. It can only help.

St. Gerard Majella is the patron of expectant mothers そして 豊饒.

He was known during his life for miracles surrounding mothers and babies, deeply understanding the longing for new life. 

Ask him to give you patience and courage. And ultimately, ask him to help you accept God’s will, whatever it may be.