Prayer:Prayer to St. Peregrine for Cancer
Stored: Prayer to St. Peregrine for Cancer
| Prayer to St. Peregrine for Cancer | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Introduction
St. Peregrine Laziosi (1265–1345) is venerated throughout the Catholic world as the patron saint of those suffering from cancer, tumors, and other serious illnesses. His intercessory prayer has brought consolation and hope to countless patients, families, and caregivers who have turned to him in their most desperate hours. The prayer addressed to him for cancer is among the most widely used healing prayers in contemporary Catholic devotional life, found in hospitals, cancer centers, and chapels throughout the world.
The origins of this prayer lie in the remarkable story of St. Peregrine's own miraculous healing. According to hagiographic tradition, the saint developed a severe cancerous growth on his foot, which physicians determined required amputation. The night before the scheduled surgery, Peregrine prayed intensely before an image of the crucified Christ and, upon waking, found his leg completely healed. This extraordinary event, documented in the process of his canonization, established him as a powerful intercessor for those afflicted with cancer and similarly grave diseases.
Devotion to St. Peregrine has grown considerably in the modern era, as cancer has become one of the most feared and widespread diseases of our time. The Servite Order, to which Peregrine belonged, has actively promoted his veneration and spread this prayer through parishes, retreat houses, and healthcare ministries around the world.
The Prayer
O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you.
For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease, as a mark of those souls who are dear to God. Intercede for me and obtain for me the grace of healing and the strength to bear my cross with patience and resignation to God's will.
Obtain for me also a deep hatred of sin, a love of the Cross, and the grace of final perseverance. Amen.
History and Background
Life of St. Peregrine Laziosi
Peregrine Laziosi was born in Forlì, Italy, around 1265, into a wealthy and politically prominent family. In his youth he was an ardent anti-papal agitator, and in one notorious incident he struck St. Philip Benizi, a leader of the Servite Order, across the face during a political demonstration. Rather than retaliating, Philip responded with profound charity and prayer, which so moved the young Peregrine that he underwent a dramatic conversion. He joined the Servite Order, consecrated his life to penance and prayer, and became renowned for his holiness.
Peregrine adopted severe penitential practices, including standing for long hours in prayer and refusing to sit for approximately thirty years, an austerity that contributed to the development of a varicose ulcer and cancerous condition in his foot. When physicians deemed amputation necessary, Peregrine spent the night before the surgery in prayer before a painting of the Crucifixion. In a vision or mystical experience, Christ descended from the cross and touched his afflicted foot. Upon examination the next morning, the foot was found entirely healed. He lived on to the age of eighty, dying in 1345. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII in 1609 and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.
Development of the Prayer
The traditional prayer to St. Peregrine for cancer developed through the devotional life of the Servite Order and spread through popular Catholic piety over several centuries. It became particularly prominent in the twentieth century, when medical advances allowed for greater awareness of cancer as a specific disease category, and when Catholics increasingly sought saintly intercessors for this diagnosis. The prayer's language balances a petition for physical healing with a deeper spiritual request — for patience, resignation to God's will, hatred of sin, love of the Cross, and final perseverance — reflecting the Catholic understanding that bodily healing, while earnestly desired, is ordered toward the soul's salvation.
Many shrines dedicated to St. Peregrine exist throughout the world, including the primary shrine at the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi in Forlì, Italy, where his incorrupt body is preserved. Servite parishes and healthcare ministries frequently organize St. Peregrine Cancer Ministry groups, where this prayer is recited communally for the sick.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
Personal Devotion
This prayer may be prayed daily by those suffering from cancer, tumors, or other serious illnesses, as well as by family members, friends, and caregivers interceding on behalf of a loved one. It is traditionally prayed kneeling before an image or medal of St. Peregrine, though any posture of reverent prayer is appropriate. Many devotees carry a St. Peregrine medal or holy card and pray this prayer at the beginning or end of each day, particularly in the difficult period surrounding diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Communal and Parish Use
Numerous parishes, particularly those with active Servite communities or healthcare apostolates, host monthly St. Peregrine Cancer Ministry Masses. At these celebrations, the names of those suffering from cancer are presented at the altar, and the congregation prays together for their healing and spiritual strength. The prayer to St. Peregrine is frequently incorporated into these services, often followed by a blessing with a relic or image of the saint.
Novena
A nine-day novena to St. Peregrine may be made by repeating this prayer each day for nine consecutive days, uniting the petition to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the merits of Christ's Passion. The novena is especially appropriate before major medical procedures, at the onset of a new diagnosis, or during particularly difficult moments in treatment.
Pairing with Sacraments
Catholic tradition encourages those who are seriously ill to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which confers grace for bodily and spiritual healing according to God's will. The prayer to St. Peregrine is fittingly prayed in conjunction with reception of this sacrament, as well as with frequent reception of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance.