Every heart that has known pain, illness, or the shadow of suffering has also longed for healing — not only of the body, but of the soul. Throughout the centuries, the Church has lovingly recognized holy men and women who carried this healing grace, offering comfort and intercession for the sick. These saints remind us that even in weakness, Christ’s mercy is near, and that through faith and prayer, the wounded can find peace and restoration.
Below is a list of saints for healing, patron saints of the sick, and saints for health, whose lives and prayers continue to inspire hope and trust in God’s loving care.
🙏 1. St. Raphael the Archangel
Patronage: Healing, travelers, the blind, and the sick.
Known as the “medicine of God,” St. Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit, guiding Tobiah and bringing healing to Tobit’s blindness. His name itself means “God heals,” and many turn to him for both physical and spiritual healing.
🙏 2. St. Luke the Evangelist
Patronage: Physicians and surgeons.
As both a Gospel writer and a physician, St. Luke reminds us that healing is part of Christ’s mission. His Gospel reveals Jesus as the compassionate healer who restores the broken and embraces the suffering.
🙏 3. St. Camillus de Lellis
Patronage: The sick, hospitals, nurses, and healthcare workers.
A soldier turned saint, St. Camillus dedicated his life to caring for the sick and dying. He founded the Ministers of the Sick (Camillians), a religious order serving those in hospitals with tender love and dignity.
🙏 4. St. Peregrine Laziosi
Patronage: Those suffering from cancer and chronic illness.
Afflicted with a severe leg cancer, St. Peregrine prayed before the crucifix and was miraculously healed. He now intercedes for those battling cancer, offering strength and hope to endure suffering in union with Christ.
🙏 5. St. Dymphna
Patronage: Mental health, anxiety, and nervous disorders.
A young Irish martyr, St. Dymphna is beloved by those suffering from depression, trauma, or psychological distress. Her courage and innocence mirror the gentle healing of Christ’s peace for the mind and heart.
🙏 6. St. John of God
Patronage: Hospitals, nurses, and the sick.
After a life of conversion, St. John of God devoted himself to the care of the poor and infirm. His deep compassion led him to found the Brothers Hospitallers, an order still serving the sick worldwide today.
🙏 7. St. Bernadette Soubirous
Patronage: The sick, shepherds, and Lourdes, France.
Through St. Bernadette’s visions of Our Lady at Lourdes, millions have come to find both spiritual and physical healing at the miraculous waters. She teaches us that humility and faith open the way to divine healing.
🙏 8. St. Teresa of Ávila
Patronage: Sufferers of illness and bodily pain.
Despite her lifelong health struggles, St. Teresa’s mystical writings reveal that inner healing begins with surrender to God’s will. Her life reminds us that the greatest healing is the union of the soul with God.
🙏 9. St. Therese of Lisieux (The Little Flower)
Patronage: Sufferers of tuberculosis and illness.
In her quiet illness, St. Thérèse transformed suffering into love. Her “little way” teaches that even in weakness, we can offer our pain as a prayer — a fragrance rising to heaven for the healing of souls.
🙏 10. St. Blaise
Patronage: Throat illnesses and ailments.
A physician and bishop, St. Blaise is remembered for miraculously saving a child choking on a fish bone. Each year, his blessing of the throats reminds the faithful of God’s healing power through the intercession of His saints.
🙏 11. St. Lidwina of Schiedam
Patronage: Chronic pain and long-term illness.
After a devastating accident left her bedridden, St. Lidwina offered her immense suffering for others. She found in her pain a deep union with the suffering Christ, becoming a beacon of compassion and intercession.
🙏 12. St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Patronage: Those suffering from smallpox, disease, and spiritual healing.
Despite disfigurement from illness, St. Kateri radiated inner purity and holiness. Upon her death, witnesses saw her face miraculously restored — a sign of heavenly healing and resurrection hope.
🙏 13. St. Anthony of Padua
Patronage: Miracles, recovery, and seekers of lost health.
Beyond helping those who lose things, St. Anthony has been invoked for centuries by those who have lost health or peace. His intercession brings not only recovery but renewed trust in God’s providence.
🙏 14. St. Joseph Moscati
Patronage: Doctors, patients, and medical miracles.
A devout Italian physician, St. Moscati blended science with faith, seeing every patient as a soul entrusted to him by God. His life shows how healing is an act of love — a work of both medicine and mercy.
🙏 15. St. Gemma Galgani
Patronage: Back pain, headaches, and spiritual suffering.
Known as the “Daughter of Passion,” St. Gemma united her physical sufferings with the wounds of Christ. Her intercession brings comfort to those who carry unseen crosses in body or soul.
🙏 16. St. Roch (St. Rocco)
Patronage: Plagues, epidemics, and contagious diseases.
During the plague, St. Roch nursed the sick with fearless charity and was miraculously healed himself. He has long been invoked in times of pestilence, especially during pandemics, as a protector and healer.
🙏 17. St. Juliana Falconieri
Patronage: The sick, and those with stomach disorders.
Her deep Eucharistic devotion was so strong that, near death, when unable to receive Communion, the Host miraculously disappeared into her chest. She continues to intercede for those with physical ailments of the stomach.
🙏 18. St. Margaret of Castello
Patronage: The blind, disabled, and unwanted.
Born with multiple disabilities, St. Margaret lived a hidden life of radiant love and faith. Her witness reveals that the human heart’s deepest healing is found in being loved by God just as we are.
🙏 19. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Patronage: Healing, suffering, and spiritual renewal.
Bearing the wounds of Christ, Padre Pio devoted his priestly life to hearing confessions and praying for the sick. Many miracles and healings occurred through his intercession, reminding us that God still works wonders.
🙏 20. Our Lady of Lourdes
Title: Patroness of the sick and healing miracles.
Though not a saint but the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, Our Lady’s appearances at Lourdes brought countless healings to the world. Through her maternal care, she draws the suffering close to the heart of her Son.
🌿 Reflection: Healing Beyond the Body
To seek the intercession of these saints for healing and patron saints of the sick is not only to ask for relief but to open one’s heart to God’s deeper work — the healing of sin, despair, and separation from His love. Many of these holy ones did not escape suffering; they transformed it. They remind us that divine healing often begins where human strength ends.
Whether we pray for our own recovery or for those we love, these saints teach us to trust that Christ’s hands are always near — through the touch of doctors, the kindness of caregivers, or the quiet power of prayer.
As Scripture says:
“Is anyone among you sick? 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; and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
— James 5:14–15
✝️ A Closing Word
In times of sickness, fear, or uncertainty, may we remember that we are never alone. The saints stand beside us, praying with us, carrying our petitions to God with tender love. Through their example, we see that healing is not merely recovery — it is the grace to find peace, meaning, and holiness even in pain.
Prayer for Healing:
Lord Jesus, Divine Physician, You touched the sick and made them whole.
Through the intercession of Your saints, grant healing to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
May they feel Your presence and trust in Your mercy.
Strengthen doctors, nurses, and caregivers as they serve with compassion.
And may every cross become a sign of resurrection hope. Amen.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
