Prayers & scripture
Catholic prayers for healing: St. Raphael, St. Peregrine, Lourdes and the Anointing of the Sick
Traditional Catholic prayers for healing, in plain English: the saints of the sick, Our Lady of Lourdes, a nine-day novena and the Rosary. With a clear explanation of the Anointing of the Sick and when to call a priest.
By Jon Horton · Updated
16 Catholic prayers for healing
Each is marked traditional (public-domain text from the Church’s prayer) or original (written in the spirit of a devotion). All can be copied, texted or printed.
16 of 16 prayers
Length
- CatholicLong · 99 words
Prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel
Original prayer in the devotion to St. Raphael, drawing on the Book of Tobit
Saint Raphael, archangel, your name means "God heals." You walked beside young Tobias on a long road, protected his family from harm and gave sight back to his father's blind eyes.
Walk with us now. Carry our prayers before the throne of God. Guide the hands of the doctors, calm the fears of the sick, lead us to the right help and keep us from harm on the way. Heal what is broken in body and in soul, and bring us at last to the joy of those who see God face to face.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- CatholicLong · 119 words
Prayer to St. Peregrine, patron of those with cancer
Original prayer in the devotion to St. Peregrine Laziosi (1260–1345)
Saint Peregrine, patron of those who suffer from cancer and other grave illness, you knew the fear of a doctor's verdict. Tradition tells us that a cancerous wound on your leg grew so severe that surgery was planned. The night before, you knelt before the crucifix and prayed, and by morning the leg was healed.
Pray for me now, as I face my own trial. Ask Jesus, the divine physician, to touch (name) as he touched you. If it is his will, obtain healing. If it is not, obtain patience, courage and a deeper union with the suffering of Christ.
Let the days we are given be days of faith, hope and love. Saint Peregrine, pray for us. Amen.
- CatholicLong · 127 words
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
Traditional Lourdes prayer, public domain
O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy.
By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for me, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests.
Through gratitude for your favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory. Amen.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick, pray for us.
- CatholicMedium · 72 words
The Memorare
Attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux; traditional English, public domain
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come; before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
- CatholicLong · 93 words
Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
Traditional prayer ending the Rosary, public domain
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
- CatholicMedium · 81 words
Prayer to St. Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick and their nurses
Original prayer in the devotion to St. Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614)
Saint Camillus, you spent your life serving the sick, and you tended each one as if he were Christ himself. Pray for those who are in the hospital tonight, and for the nurses and caregivers who watch over them.
Teach us to see Jesus in the face of every person who suffers. Give the sick patience and peace, give the healthy generous hearts, and give all of us the grace to serve those in need.
Saint Camillus, pray for us. Amen.
- CatholicShort · 43 words
Prayer to St. Luke, physician and evangelist
Original prayer in the devotion to St. Luke
Saint Luke, physician and evangelist, you wrote of the Lord who heals the sick and binds up the brokenhearted. Pray for every doctor, nurse and surgeon, that they may work with skill and with compassion, and for every patient in their care. Amen.
- CatholicShort · 16 words
The Divine Mercy refrain
From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
- CatholicShort · 29 words
Prayer to the guardian angel
Traditional children's prayer, public domain
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
- CatholicLong · 98 words
A sick person's offering
Original prayer, in the Catholic tradition of uniting suffering with Christ
Lord Jesus, I give you this day: my prayers, my work, my joys and my pain. Because I am sick, I can't do all I'd like to do, but I can offer you what I have.
Unite my suffering to yours on the cross. Let it be of use for those I love, for those who have no one to pray for them, and for the healing of the world. Give me patience when I'm weary and courage when I'm afraid.
Mary, my Mother, stay by my bed as you stood at the foot of the cross. Amen.
- CatholicMedium · 81 words
Preparing for the Anointing of the Sick
Original prayer; see the Anointing of the Sick section below
Lord Jesus, you sent your apostles to anoint the sick with oil and to heal them. Prepare my heart to receive this sacrament. Let your grace do what no medicine can: strengthen my soul, forgive my sins, and give me peace and courage.
If it is your will, restore my health. If it is not, unite me with you, and help me to trust. Bless the priest who comes in your name, and the loved ones who pray beside me. Amen.
- CatholicLong · 107 words
Opening prayer for a healing novena
Original prayer for the nine-day outline below; adaptable to any saint
Almighty and merciful God, for the next nine days I come to you with one intention: the healing of (name). You know the need before I speak it, but you invite me to ask, and so I ask.
Give me perseverance, so that I do not stop praying when the days are long. Give me trust, so that I rest in you when I cannot see the outcome. Give me charity, so that I serve those around me while I wait.
With Mary, Health of the Sick, and all the saints who loved the suffering, I place this petition in your heart. Your will be done. Amen.
- CatholicShort · 42 words
The Hail Mary
Traditional prayer, public domain
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
- CatholicMedium · 79 words
Anima Christi (Soul of Christ)
Fourteenth-century prayer, public domain
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from you. From the malicious enemy defend me. In the hour of my death call me, and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you for ever and ever. Amen.
- CatholicMedium · 46 words
Almighty and everlasting God, the eternal health of believers
Traditional Latin collect for the sick; our English translation
Almighty and everlasting God, the eternal health of those who believe, hear us for your servant who is sick, for whom we beg the help of your mercy. Restore them to health, that they may give you thanks in your Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- CatholicMedium · 78 words
Before surgery
Original prayer in the Catholic tradition; ask a priest about the Anointing of the Sick
Lord Jesus Christ, healer of the sick, I come to you before this surgery. I entrust my body to the skill of my doctors and my soul to your mercy. Unite my fear and any pain to your own suffering on the cross.
Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for me. St. Raphael, guide me. St. Luke, physician, pray for the hands that will operate. Guardian angel, keep watch while I sleep.
Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.
Get this prayer as a printable card
A print-ready prayer card you can slip in a get-well card, keep by a bedside or hand to someone in a waiting room.
Free. A few helpful emails, then only what you ask for. Pause or unsubscribe in one click.
Catholic prayers for healing draw on two thousand years of the Church’s life with the sick: the Gospels, the saints who tended and suffered with the ill, shrines like Lourdes, and the sacrament of the Anointing. This page gathers the prayers most people look for and explains how Catholics approach illness, so you can pray with understanding, whether you are the patient, the daughter or the friend at the bedside.
How Catholics pray for healing
Catholics ask God for healing directly, through Jesus Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. They also ask Mary and the saints to pray with them, the way you might ask a friend to pray for you. The Church treats illness as a real evil to be fought with medicine and prayer, and also as a place where Christ is especially close to the suffering person. Both are true, and good Catholic prayer for the sick holds the two together.
The usual elements are:
- The Sign of the Cross, the Our Father and the Hail Mary.
- Prayers to a saint associated with the illness or the need.
- The Rosary, offered for the sick person by name.
- The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Communion brought to the home or hospital.
- Offering suffering in union with Christ, in the quiet spirit of “Jesus, I trust in you.”
The Anointing of the Sick, explained
The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments. It rests on James 5:14–15: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (King James Version). In the Catholic Church, a priest (or bishop) is the minister.
What happens
The priest lays hands on the sick person in silence, then anoints the forehead and hands with the Oil of the Sick, blessed by the bishop each year, while praying. There are readings, a short litany and often a chance to go to Confession and to receive Holy Communion. It can be done at home, in the hospital, in a nursing facility or in a church, and it can be celebrated with the family present. The rite is short and gentle.
Who may receive it
- Anyone who is seriously ill, or whose health is in danger from illness or old age.
- Someone about to have a major surgery for a serious condition.
- Elderly people who have grown notably weak, even without a specific illness.
- Someone whose condition gets worse after a previous anointing. It can be received more than once.
What it does
The Catechism describes the effects as strengthening, peace and courage in the face of illness; union with the passion of Christ; the forgiveness of sins if the person cannot confess; and, if God wills it, the restoration of health. It is not a magic rite and not a sign that someone is dying. For centuries it was called “Extreme Unction,” and was often delayed until the end. The Second Vatican Council asked that it be understood as a sacrament for the sick, and that it be offered early (Catechism, nos. 1499–1532).
For someone near death, the Church also offers Confession (if possible), Viaticum, the Eucharist given for the journey, and the Apostolic Pardon. Together these are what people often mean by “last rites.” Our guide to pastoral care and hospital visits explains how a lay visitor can help the family call for a priest.
Saints for the sick
Catholics name certain saints as companions in illness, because of their lives or their patronage. They don’t heal. They pray with us to God, who does.
| Saint | Known for | Feast |
|---|---|---|
| St. Raphael the Archangel | Healer and guide in the Book of Tobit; his name means “God heals” | Sept. 29 |
| St. Peregrine Laziosi | Patron of people with cancer; said to have been healed of a leg cancer | May 1 |
| Our Lady of Lourdes | Mary, “Health of the Sick”; pilgrims seek healing at the Lourdes grotto | Feb. 11 (World Day of the Sick) |
| St. Camillus de Lellis | Founded an order to care for the sick; patron of hospitals and nurses | July 14 |
| St. Luke the Evangelist | Physician and Gospel writer; patron of doctors | Oct. 18 |
A nine-day healing novena
A novena is nine days of prayer for one intention, from the nine days the apostles spent in prayer with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost. You can address it to Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Raphael, St. Peregrine or simply to God. Pray at roughly the same time each day. Here is a simple outline:
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the opening prayer above.
- Read the day’s Scripture (below) and sit in silence for a minute.
- Say the name of the person aloud and what you’re asking.
- Pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys and one Glory Be.
- Add a prayer to your chosen saint, such as those above.
- End with “Jesus, I trust in you” and the Sign of the Cross.
| Day | Theme | Read |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask | Mark 10:46–52 (Bartimaeus) |
| 2 | Trust | Mark 5:25–34 (the woman who touched his cloak) |
| 3 | Friends who carry | Mark 2:1–12 (the paralytic lowered through the roof) |
| 4 | Persistence | Matthew 15:21–28 (the Canaanite woman) |
| 5 | Surrender | Luke 22:39–46 (Gethsemane) |
| 6 | Mary at the cross | John 19:25–27 |
| 7 | Gratitude | Luke 17:11–19 (the ten lepers) |
| 8 | The Church that prays | James 5:13–16 |
| 9 | Hope | Romans 8:35–39 |
A novena is not a bargain with God. If healing doesn’t come as hoped, the nine days are not wasted. They shape the person who prays.
Praying the Rosary for the sick
The Rosary is the Church’s long prayer with Mary through the life of Christ. It has five sets of ten Hail Marys, called decades, each tied to one scene, or mystery. Before each decade, you can name the person and the need. The mysteries are traditionally prayed on set days:
- Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday, Friday): the agony in the garden, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion. These are the mysteries most associated with suffering and sickness.
- Luminous Mysteries (Thursday): the baptism, the wedding at Cana, the proclamation of the Kingdom (with healings), the Transfiguration, the Eucharist.
- Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday, Sunday): the Resurrection, the Ascension, the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption, the crowning of Mary. These hold the hope of new life.
- Joyful Mysteries (Monday, Saturday): the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation, the finding in the temple. Good for a sick child, or for gratitude.
You can pray one decade, five, or the whole Rosary. After the last decade, many add the Hail, Holy Queen. If you’re too tired to pray the whole thing, a single Hail Mary offered for the sick is a complete prayer.
If you aren’t Catholic
You’re welcome here. The Our Father, the Psalms and the Anima Christi belong to all Christians. Asking saints to pray with us is a Catholic and Orthodox practice that many Protestants do not share; if that sits uneasily, you can pray directly to God using the other prayers in our healing prayer library or in prayers for the sick. Our Orthodox readers will recognize much of this in their own Holy Unction and prayers to the Theotokos.
A note on sources: prayers marked “traditional” are public-domain texts. Prayers marked “original” were written for this site in the spirit of a devotion and are not approved liturgical texts. If you’re unsure about a practice, ask your parish priest.
Common questions
What is the Catholic prayer for healing?
There is no single prayer. Catholics pray the Our Father and Hail Mary, ask the intercession of saints such as Raphael, Peregrine and Camillus, pray to Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick, and receive the Anointing of the Sick. The prayers above gather the best-loved ones, labeled as traditional or original.
What is the Anointing of the Sick?
It is a sacrament in which a priest anoints the forehead and hands of a seriously ill person with blessed oil and prays for them. It gives strength, peace and courage, unites the person to the suffering of Christ, forgives sins if the person cannot confess, and may bring bodily healing if God wills (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1499–1532).
Is the Anointing of the Sick the same as last rites?
Not exactly. The Anointing of the Sick is for anyone seriously ill, facing major surgery or weakened by age, and it can be received more than once. “Last rites” usually means the sacraments given to someone close to death: Confession, Anointing and Viaticum (Holy Communion for the journey). The Anointing itself is no longer reserved for the dying.
How do I ask for a priest to anoint someone?
Call the person’s parish office and say it is for the Anointing of the Sick. In a hospital, ask the nurse’s desk for the Catholic chaplain, who is often on call. If the situation is urgent, say so plainly. Priests are glad to be called early, and nobody needs to wait until things are dire.
Which Rosary mysteries should I pray for a sick person?
Many people pray the Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday) for those who suffer, because they walk with Christ in his passion. The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday) include Christ’s healing ministry, and the Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday) hold up the hope of new life. Any mystery can be offered for a sick person.
What is a novena, and how long does it last?
A novena is nine days of prayer for a special intention, modeled on the nine days the apostles prayed with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost. You can pray one to any saint or to Our Lady. A simple plan is on this page. Nine days is a guideline, not a guarantee, and the point is trust, not a deal.
Can I use these prayers if I’m not Catholic?
Yes. The Lord’s Prayer, the Psalms and the Anima Christi are shared across traditions. Asking saints to pray for us is a Catholic and Orthodox practice that most Protestants do not share, so you may prefer the other prayers on this site. All are welcome.
Keep reading
- Prayer for someone in the hospitalPrayers for someone in the hospital — before surgery, in the ICU, for doctors and nurses — plus how to pray at a hospital bedside.
- Prayer for healing25 prayers for healing of body, mind and spirit — short and long, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox — to pray, text or print for someone you love.
- Pastoral care guideWhat pastoral care is and how to do it well — hospital visits, grief follow-up, home visits and care teams — with checklists and scripts.
- Bible verses for healingScripture for healing and strength in hard seasons — sickness, surgery, recovery — with verses you can copy, send or print.
- Prayers for the sickPrayers for the sick and suffering — for a family member, a friend, or someone in treatment — with short prayers you can send today.
- Healing prayer for a friendHealing prayers for a friend who is sick, injured or facing surgery. Short prayers to text, longer ones to pray together.