How to Ask Saints for Intercession: A Catholic Guide
Asking saints to pray for us is one of the most beautiful aspects of Catholic life. Here is what it means, why it is not worship, and how to do it.
By CandleFaith Team
One of the most misunderstood aspects of Catholic faith is the practice of asking saints to intercede for us. Is it prayer to the dead? Is it worship? Is it scriptural?
The answers are grounded in scripture, rooted in the earliest Christian tradition, and surprisingly simple.
What Is the Intercession of Saints?
The intercession of saints means asking holy men and women who are now with God in heaven to pray for us — just as we might ask a friend on earth to pray for us.
The key theological conviction is that the saints are not dead in the ordinary sense. They are alive in Christ. "He is not the God of the dead but of the living." (Matthew 22:32). When we ask a saint to intercede, we are asking a living person in God's presence to bring our need before Him.
Is It Worship?
No. Catholics do not worship saints. Worship (latria) is given to God alone. Asking a saint to pray for you (dulia) is no different from asking your grandmother to pray for you — except that your grandmother in heaven has direct access to God that none of us on earth can fully comprehend.
Which Saint Should I Ask?
The Church has assigned patron saints to thousands of causes, professions, and circumstances. Here are some of the most commonly invoked:
For healing: St. Raphael the Archangel, St. Padre Pio, St. Peregrine (cancer)
For difficult or impossible causes: St. Jude Thaddeus
For lost items: St. Anthony of Padua
For families: St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Gianna Molla
For workers and fathers: St. Joseph
For priests and vocations: St. John Vianney
For those who are dying: St. Joseph, patron of a happy death
For anxiety and mental suffering: St. Dymphna
You can explore patron saints and their prayers at candlefaith.com/saints.
How to Ask a Saint for Intercession
There is no fixed formula. A simple, heartfelt request is all that is needed:
*"St. Padre Pio, you who suffered so much and who now stand before God in glory, please bring my prayer before the Lord. I ask for [your intention]. Pray for me. Amen."*
Or simply: *"St. Joseph, pray for us."*
Lighting a Candle to a Saint
One of the most ancient ways to honor a saint and seek their intercession is to light a candle in their name. At CandleFaith, you can light a virtual candle for any saint's feast day, ask for their intercession, and join others who are praying to the same saint around the world.
A Note on Doubt
Many Catholics feel uncertain about this practice — especially those who came to the faith from a Protestant background. That uncertainty is worth sitting with honestly.
The tradition of asking the saints to intercede is attested in the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament. The inscriptions in the Roman catacombs are filled with requests to saints for prayer. It is not a medieval invention. It is the way the Church has always prayed.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..."
— Hebrews 12:1
That cloud of witnesses is not silent. They are praying.