When someone hears the word “cancer,” the ground seems to drop away. Many Catholics turn at that moment to a st peregrine prayer, asking the patron saint of cancer patients to pray with them and for them. St. Peregrine Laziosi was a Servite friar from Forlì, Italy, who died in 1345. Tradition says that a painful wound on his leg, often described as cancer, was so serious that surgeons planned to amputate. He spent the night praying before a crucifix, and by morning the wound was healed. His feast is kept in early May.
Below you will find original prayers for the hardest moments of a cancer journey: the diagnosis, treatment days, surgery, waiting for scans, caring for a child, and the times when news is good or hard. A quick word on how this works: Catholics do not worship saints. We ask St. Peregrine to pray for us, the way you would ask a faithful friend, while all worship belongs to God alone. If you are a Protestant reader, you are welcome to pray these words directly to God. And please hear this clearly: prayer walks alongside medical care, never instead of it. Keep following your oncology team.
“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” — Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV)
A Short St Peregrine Prayer
St. Peregrine, you knew pain in your own body and you brought it to the cross. Please pray for me (or name the person) as I face this illness. Ask Jesus to give me healing, if it is His will, and courage for each day. Help me trust that I am never alone. Amen.
St Peregrine Prayer for Diagnosis and Treatment
1. Prayer for Someone Just Diagnosed with Cancer
St. Peregrine, today we heard a word we hoped we would never hear. My heart is racing and my mind is full of questions. Please pray for me (or name) in this frightening hour. Ask the Lord to steady our breathing and quiet our thoughts. Help us hear the doctors clearly. Give us good information, wise choices, and people who care. Hold us close as we take the first step. Amen.
2. Prayer Before Chemotherapy or Radiation
Lord Jesus, I come to You before today’s treatment. St. Peregrine, please pray for me as I sit in this chair or lie under this machine. Bless the medicine and the people who give it. Let it do its work against the illness and spare my healthy body as much as possible. Ease the nausea, the tiredness, and the fear. When the hours feel long, remind me that You are near. Help me rest afterward. Amen.
3. Prayer Before Cancer Surgery
Heavenly Father, I place this surgery in Your hands. St. Peregrine, you once faced a surgeon’s knife and turned to Christ in prayer. Please pray for me now. Guide the surgeon’s hands and clear their judgment. Keep me safe while I sleep, and let me wake in peace. Help the doctors find what they need to find and remove what needs to go. Comfort my family as they wait. Whatever the outcome, I trust Your love for me. Amen.
4. Prayer While Waiting for Scan Results
Lord, waiting is its own kind of suffering. My mind jumps to every possible answer. St. Peregrine, please pray for me in these slow days. Calm my thoughts at night. Help me live in today instead of racing ahead to news I do not yet have. When the results come, give me and my doctors clear minds to understand them. Whatever the scan shows, You will still be my God. Amen.
For more words to carry you through this waiting, see our prayer for test results.
St Peregrine Prayer for Family and Caregivers
Cancer touches the whole family, including those who drive to appointments and stay up late with worry.
5. Prayer for a Child with Cancer
Loving Father, You know this child better than anyone. St. Peregrine, please pray for (name) as they face treatment far too big for someone so young. Ease their pain and calm their fear of needles, machines, and strange rooms. Bless the pediatric doctors and nurses with skill and gentleness. Hold the parents up when they are exhausted, and comfort brothers and sisters who feel scared or left out. Wrap this whole family in Your love. Amen.
6. Prayer for Caregivers
Lord Jesus, You cared for the sick with Your own hands. Please bless every caregiver who is tired tonight. St. Peregrine, pray for them. Give them strength for the drives, the medicines, the meals, and the hard conversations. Send friends who will bring food or simply listen. Give them rest. Help them remember to eat, sleep, and ask for help. Let them feel that their love is seen by You. Amen.
7. Prayer for Remission
God of life, we ask You humbly for remission. St. Peregrine, please join your prayer to ours for (name). Lord, if it is Your will, let the treatment work fully. Let each test show less of this disease, and let the body grow strong again. Keep us from false hope and from giving up. Help us follow the doctors’ plan faithfully. We place every result in Your hands and trust Your love. Amen.
St Peregrine Prayer for Hard News and Good News
These prayers are for honest moments, both heavy and joyful.
8. Prayer When Treatment Stops Working
Lord, the doctors say the treatment is no longer working. I do not have many words right now. St. Peregrine, please pray for (name) and for all of us. Give us peace that does not depend on good news. Help the care team keep pain and discomfort low. Give us time for the things that matter: holding hands, saying “I love you,” making peace, laughing together. Let no one feel abandoned. Whatever days are left, fill them with Your quiet presence and hope in the life to come. Amen.
If you are walking with someone near the end of life, our prayer for the dying may also bring comfort.
9. Thanksgiving Prayer After Good News
Thank You, Lord! Today the news was good, and our hearts are full. St. Peregrine, thank you for praying with us through the long months. Thank You for the doctors, nurses, and friends whose care You blessed. Remember all who are still in treatment today, and give them hope and strength. Keep us faithful with follow-up visits and scans. Let our joy turn into kindness toward others who are hurting. Amen.
How to Pray to St. Peregrine and Support Someone with Cancer
Praying a st peregrine prayer is a beautiful step, but faith is also lived in small, practical ways.
- Keep the medical team at the center. Prayer is not a replacement for treatment. Go to every appointment, take medicines as directed, and tell the oncology team about any new symptoms right away.
- Pray a novena if it helps. Some families pray to St. Peregrine for nine days in a row. You can use one prayer from this page each day. There is no rule that the prayer must be shared or published to “work,” and no prayer comes with a guarantee. God hears a simple, honest prayer.
- Ask your parish for help. A priest can pray with you or offer the Anointing of the Sick. You do not have to be dying to receive this sacrament.
- Text something simple. If you do not know what to say, try: “I’m praying for you today. No need to reply.”
- Offer specific help. Offer a ride, a meal, or an hour of babysitting.
- Make room for feelings. Fear, anger, and sadness are normal. If worry becomes overwhelming, talk to a counselor, a social worker at the cancer center, or your priest. Our prayers for fear and anxiety may help on hard nights.
If you are the one who is sick, you may find these words useful too: healing prayer for myself.
Short St Peregrine Prayers to Share
Easy to send in a message or post in your prayer group.
- St. Peregrine, pray for (name) today and give them courage.
- Lord, bless today’s treatment and ease every side effect.
- St. Peregrine, pray for all who are waiting for scan results tonight.
- Jesus, guide the hands of every surgeon and nurse caring for (name).
- Lord, give rest and strength to every tired caregiver.
- St. Peregrine, pray for children with cancer and their parents.
- God of peace, calm my racing thoughts and hold me close.
- Lord, if it is Your will, grant (name) full remission.
- Thank You, Jesus, for good news and for every person who prayed.
- St. Peregrine, pray for those whose treatment has stopped working; give them peace.
Bible Verses for Cancer Patients and Families
- Jeremiah 17:14 – “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.”
- Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee…”
- Psalm 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:16 – “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
- James 5:15 – “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up…”
- Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
- Psalm 147:3 – “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
- Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
All verses quoted from the King James Version (KJV).
FAQs About St Peregrine Prayer
Why is St. Peregrine the patron saint of cancer patients?
Tradition says St. Peregrine suffered from a serious wound on his leg, often described as cancer. The night before a planned amputation, he prayed before a crucifix, and in the morning the wound was healed. Because of this story, people facing cancer and other serious illnesses have asked for his prayers for centuries.
When is the feast of St. Peregrine?
His feast is celebrated in early May. You can pray a st peregrine prayer on any day of the year, though.
Does a st peregrine prayer guarantee healing?
No. No prayer comes with a promise of a cure, and anyone who says otherwise is not being honest. We pray with faith and leave the outcome to God, who loves us more than we can understand. Always keep following your doctors’ advice.
Can non-Catholics use these prayers?
Yes. Catholics ask St. Peregrine to pray for them, the same way you might ask a friend at church. If you prefer to pray only to God, simply skip the lines addressed to the saint and pray the rest directly to Him. For more prayers written for this situation, visit our prayer for cancer patients.
A Final St Peregrine Prayer
Lord Jesus, You healed the sick who came to You, and You stayed close to those who suffered. St. Peregrine, faithful friend of the sick, please pray for every person reading this st peregrine prayer today, and for those they love. Give strength to patients, wisdom to doctors, and rest to caregivers. Where healing is possible, let it come. Where the end is near, give peace and the hope of heaven. Keep us all in Your loving hands, today and always. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏
You may also like: Prayer for the Sick, Prayer to St. Jude and Prayer for Healing.
More Catholic Prayers and Saints
- Prayer to Mother Mary
- How to Pray the Rosary
- St. Michael Prayer
- Guardian Angel Prayer
- Prayer to St. Jude
- Prayer to St. Anthony
- Prayer to St. Joseph
- St. Rita Prayer
- St. Joseph of Cupertino Prayer
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer
- All Souls Day Prayer
Naeem Khan creates faith-based and inspirational content focused on prayers, blessings, and spiritual reflections, helping readers apply timeless messages of faith to everyday life.
Every prayer and scripture reference published on Infoz Prayer is reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and appropriate context before publication. Bible and Quran verses are quoted from established translations, and articles are updated regularly to keep information accurate and helpful.