Saints who had a Devotion to the Rosary

The Church considers the Rosary one of the most powerful forms of prayer after the Mass. 

Through it, the faithful meditate on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and invite the intercession of the Blessed Mother Mary who can lead us closer to her Son. 

Countless saints have spoken on the importance of the Rosary, but a few saints stand out in their devotion to this prayer: 

St. Dominic

Saint Dominic established the Dominican Order because he saw a need for a group of religious people dedicated to teaching in order to combat the heresies rampant at the time. 

Dominic is often credited as being the first propagator of the Rosary after, as legend holds, the Blessed Mother appeared to him with instructions on how to pray it. 

St. Louis de Montfort

French priest, Saint Louis de Monfort has become almost synonymous with devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary. 

His writing on the Rosary and on consecrating oneself to Jesus through Mary has helped to shape the faithful’s understanding of Mary’s role in our lives and in the Church. 

St. Padre Pio

Italian Capuchin priest and mystic, St. Padre Pio is one of the most well-known saints of modern times. He engaged often in spiritual warfare, sometimes even being physically attacked by demons. 

Padre Pio prayed the rosary everyday, which strengthened him against the attacks of the evil one. He even describes the Rosary as a “…weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales was a Bishop of Geneva and is now considered a Doctor of the Church. His book Introduction to the Devout Life is part of the Church’s treasury and a well-read spiritual classic. 

De Sales had a great devotion to Our Lady and helped establish the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary or the Salesian Sisters. He advised the sisters to say the Rosary “…every day with as much love as possible.”

Pope St. Pius X

Pope St. Pius X had an incredible devotion to Mary and even dedicated an entire encyclical on the Mystery of the Immaculate Conception. He spoke often about the need to pray the Rosary and especially encouraged families to pray it daily. 

Pope Pius X implored the laity: “If you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary” and “If there were one million families praying the Rosary every day, the entire world would be saved.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and known for her great love and service for the poor and sick, prayed the Rosary constantly. 

She instructed her sisters: “Never go to the slums without first having recited the Mother’s praises; that is why we have to say the Rosary in the streets and in the dark holes of the slums. Cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree—for without Our Lady we cannot stand.” 

Pope St. John Paul II

One of the most well-known and beloved popes in Church History, Pope St. John Paul II’s papal motto was “Totus Tuus,” a phrase borrowed from St. Louis de Montfort. This phrase summed up his sincere belief that in giving himself totally to Mary, he could give himself totally to Jesus. 

He spoke about the Rosary often in both his writing and his preaching, and even added the Luminous Mysteries to the meditations of the Rosary. 

Saints Who Experienced the Stigmata

Some saints have been deemed worthy to share in the suffering of Christ in a very real and unique way through the Stigmata.

The Stigmata is a divine gift that gives a person physical marks that parallel the wounds Christ received during Crucifixion.

These holy men and women experienced some of the pain Jesus underwent for our salvation: 

Saint Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi received the Stigmata on Sept. 17, 1224, a date that is still celebrated as a Franciscan feast. 

At the time, Francis had spent many weeks in prolonged contemplation of Christ’s suffering on the cross. While praying Francis had a vision of a seraph, containing the form of a man crucified, which bestowed on him the five wounds of Christ–becoming the first recorded stigmatic. 

Saint Padre Pio

St. Pio de Pietrelcina had a vision of the crucified Christ from whom he received the stigmata–the only priest to have received such a gift.

During the apparition, Christ lamented the ingratitude of men, particularly consecrated persons, and invited the Capuchin friar to unite himself to the Passion and offer his suffering.

After the vision, Padre Pio had open wounds on his hands, feet, and sides that he attempted to keep hidden. However, in obedience to his superiors, he gave his testimony and allowed for a photo of him with the stigmata to be taken as it seemed the Lord intended Pio to serve as a sign for the whole Church. 

Saint Catherine of Siena

14th Century Dominican tertiary and Doctor of the Church Saint Catherine of Siena first received visible wounds on her after receiving Communion. 

After receiving the Eucharist, Catherine went into her usual ecstasy and had a vision of Christ Crucified coming toward her in a great light. Her body rose to meet him and the five rays of blood coming from His wounds toward her hands, feet, and heart. 

Catherine asked for the Lord to hide her stigmata from others and He granted her request–allowing her alone to see and feel the wounds. In this way did she suffer with Christ interiorly and intimately until her death. 

Saint Rita of Cascia

St.Rita of Cascia was a wife and mother who joined the Augustinians after the deaths of her husband and sons. 

St. Rita spent many hours meditating on the Passion and prayed that God would allow her to participate in the sufferings of the Cross. She received a partial stigmata–a wound on her head caused by a Thorn from the Crown that pierced Christ’s head.

Unlike other stigmatics, who’s wounds seemed to exude a heavenly fragrance, the wounds of Saint Rita had a rotten smell, causing people to stay away from her. 

Saint Gemma Galgani

Italian saint Gemma Galgani received a vision of the Blessed Mother and Jesus with his open wounds on the vigil of Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. 

Mary wrapped Gemma in her mantle and supported her as fire came forth from the wounds of Christ and touched her.

Gemma woke from the vision with open wounds matching Christ’s on her hand, feet, and heart. She kept the wounds covered. 

The stigmata appeared on Gemma every Thursday and disappeared at 3:00 on Friday afternoon until she died. After her death, faint marks of the wounds she suffered remained. 

St. Margaret of Cortona

Italian Penitent and Lay Franciscan St. Margaret of Cortona lived a life of penance and devotion after turning from a life of sin. She dedicated herself to serving the poor and sick, often going without food or clothing so she could give to the poor. 

Margaret also had many mystical experiences that helped her understand God’s love and the importance of compassion, including the wounds of Christ on her hands, feet, and side. 

About the St. Michael the Archangel prayer

St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle…

Saint Michael, although venerated as a saint, isn’t really a saint; he is an angel. Not only that, but he is honored as the leader of the heavenly hosts and given the title of “Archangel” alongside Sts. Gabriel and Raphael. 

The little we know of St. Michael comes from Scriptures, where he is mentioned by name four times: twice in the book of Daniel where he is described as a “great prince” and God’s helper who will stand for the children of God; once in the epistle of St. Jude which alludes to an ancient Jewish tradition of a dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, and once in the Book of Revelation which speaks of his casting the dragon out of heaven. 

There are also a few passages which many scholars believe reference St. Michael but do not use his name—for example, in the Book of Joshua when a sword-wielding angel appears to Joshua before the fall of Jericho identifying himself as commander of the army of the Lord.

From these passages, Christian tradition assigns four roles to St. Michael: 

  1. He fights against Satan
  2. He rescues faithful souls from the power of the enemy, particularly at the hour of their death
  3. He is the champion of God’s people and the patron of the Church
  4. He is present at every deathbed to escorts the souls to the judgment

Although the devotion to St. Michael is ancient, the prayer of St. Michael is actually fairly new in Church history. Pope Leo XIII wrote the prayer after having a mystical experience during mass and had it included in the 1886 “Prayers After Mass,” requiring it to be prayed after all Low Masses in the Latin rite. 

The exact details of the vision aren’t known for certain and a few versions of the event have circulated during its retelling. Some say he collapsed, while others said he stood looking fearful at an unseen terror.

Some stories say that he overheard a conversation between God and Satan, in which Satan boasted that he could destroy the Church in 75-100 years and God gave him permission to try. 

The version with the most evidence is written about in Pope Leo XIII and the Prayer to St. Michael by Kevin Symonds says that the Pope saw a vision of “…the ages to come, the seductive powers and ravings of the devils against the Church in every land. But St. Michael appeared in the moment of greatest distress and cast Satan and his cohorts back into the abyss of hell.”

Whatever the true story behind the prayer is, the heart of it remains the same: God granted St. Michael the power to protect the Church from the forces that seek to destroy her, and that we should look to him as our protector. 

Pray the novena to Saint Michael the Archangel and ask for his intercession and protection for both your soul and for the whole Church. Although St. Michael’s feast day is celebrated on September 29 (a feast also known as Michaelmas), you can pray this novena at any time. 

The Our Lady of Lourdes Novena, 2024

The next novena we’ll pray together is to Our Lady of Lourdes!

The devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes is most well-known for the miraculous cures and healing of illness & disease. 

So one of the intentions we will pray for throughout this novena is for healing. In one way or another, we are all in need of it.

You can share your prayer intentions with us all below — we’re praying for you!

Answered Prayers from the St. Peregrine Novena, 2024

If you’ve had any of your prayers answered during this novena, please share those with us all below.

We’re praying for you! May God bless you, heal you, comfort and guide you!

The St. Peregrine Novena, 2024

The next novena we’ll pray together is the St. Peregrine Novena!

St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer patients. He had a cancerous ulcer on his leg which was miraculously cured when it was thought to be beyond saving. 

We will pray this novena for all cancer patients, for all those suffering from life-threatening and chronic illnesses, for their families & friends, as well as for physicians and scientists working to discover a cure and to bring relief.

You can share your prayer intentions below. We’re praying for you!

God bless you!

Merry Christmas! May God Bless you this new year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We would really love to mail a Christmas card out to you and everyone else who is praying with us — you mean so much to us, but with so many people, it’s just not possible. Instead, we’re sharing our card with you here!

We hope that the Lord will bless you and keep you in this new year.

Here’s our card :)

We hope you’ve had a very Merry Christmas and that you feel God’s loving presence close to you — He is always near and you are never alone.

We are looking forward to praying the next novena with you. Thank you for joining us in prayer and praying for the other members of Pray More Novenas. We are so grateful for you!

God Bless you!
John-Paul & Annie


If Pray More Novenas is a blessing to you, you can make a small donation to support our efforts here: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/support

Answered Prayers from The Christmas Novena, 2023

Thank you for joining us in praying The Christmas Novena!

If you’ve had any of your prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all here.

We’re praying for you!

The Christmas Novena, 2023

The next novena we’ll pray together is The Christmas Novena!

This was the very first novena we ever prayed through Pray More Novenas.

We thank God for you and for this community of prayer, and we pray for you every day.

Thank you for praying with us. You can share your prayer intentions with us all below.

God bless you!

Answered Prayers from the Immaculate Conception Novena, 2023

Thank you for joining us in praying the Immaculate Conception Novena! If you’ve had any of your prayers answered throughout this novena, you can share those with us all below. We’re praying for you!

Cancer Diagnosis? These Saints Can Offer Powerful Intercessory Prayers

Whether you are currently facing a cancer diagnosis for yourself or for a loved one, you can turn to Christ for assistance. 

You can ask for prayers from your faith community on earth as well as invoke the intercession of our brothers and sisters in heaven.

These saints in particular intimately know the challenges and fears you face and want to help bring you healing and comfort. 

St. Peregrine

Saint Peregrine became a Servite after having a radical conversion from an enemy of the Pope. He was known for his piety and his work with the poor, as well as his miraculous healing.

The night before a cancerous growth on his foot was scheduled to be amputated, he spent hours in prayer. As he dozed, he had a vision of Christ coming and touching his foot, and woke to find his foot completely healed. 

In turn, Peregrine healed many people through his prayers which is why the Church considers Saint Peregrine the patron saint of cancer patients.

St. Agatha

Saint Agatha was an early Christian virgin and martyr. She was killed after refusing to marry a high diplomat in order to protect her vow of virginity. The man turned her into the emperor for being a Christian–an offense punishable by death. 

Saint Agatha is the patron saint of those suffering with breast cancer because of the way she was tortured and martyred. She can help you face your sufferings with courage and hope in the Lord as she did. 

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin

Saint Therese of Lisieux speaks about her parents, St. Louis and Zelie Martin and the profound effect they had on her life and sanctity. For their witness of a holy marriage and commitment to family life, Louis and Zelie became the first married couple to be canonized together. 

This holy couple also has an intimate connection to those suffering with breast cancer; St. Zelie Martin lived with breast cancer twelve years before her death. Look to them for friendship, inspiration, and prayers. 

St. Therese of Lisieux

Like her parents, you can also turn to Saint Therese’s intercession for those facing a lung cancer diagnosis. 

Despite living much of her short life as a cloistered nun, St. Therese, French Carmelite known for her “little way” of love was declared a Doctor of the Church and was called by Pope Pius X the “greatest saint of modern times.” 

She died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis and is often considered a patron for patients with lung ailments. 

St. Gemma Galgani 

St. Gemma Galgani was an Italian mystic who united herself to Christ’s passion in very real ways; she offered many extreme sacrifices and penances, and weekly experienced the stigmata on her hands, feet, and heart. 

Saint Gemma Galgani suffered from a brain tumor in her early life and can offer prayers for those who face similar diagnoses. 

St. Timothy

Saint Timothy traveled with St. Paul and preached the Gospel. He became the first bishop of Ephesus and died a martyr for the faith. 

It is also believed that St. Timothy was prone to illness as St. Paul writes to him in his First letter: “Do not still drink water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thy frequent infirmities” (5:23). 

For this reason, the Church calls upon Timothy as the patron saint of those suffering from stomach and intestinal disorders, like stomach or colon cancer. 

St. Erasmus Novena

Not much is known for certain about the life of Saint Erasmus though we do know that the bishop of Formia, Italy in the second century. It is also believed that he died as a martyr by disembowelment.

Saint Erasmus was invoked as an intercessor during the bubonic plague and is now considered a patron of those who suffer from abdominal pain, particularly pain of the intestines or liver. You can also invoke his powerful prayers if you or a loved one are facing a liver or intestinal cancer diagnosis. 

St. Blaise Novena

You might already be familiar with Saint Blaise because of the special blessing of the throats offered every year for his feast day.

He served as a Bishop in what is now Turkey and was also a physician, offering healing to both people’s bodies and souls. He performed many miracles of healing. In one particular story, Blaise healed a young boy choking to death on a fish bone. 

The Church now seeks the prayers of Saint Blaise for those suffering from Throat illnesses. 

St. Gianna Molla

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla is a modern saint who was a wife, mother, and physician. Though she is perhaps most known for her courageous and pro-life decision during her fourth pregnancy. 

During this pregnancy, Saint Gianna developed a fibroma on her uterus; she was offered an abortion to save her life but refused, choosing the life of her unborn daughter. 

Saint Gianna is the patron of mothers, physicians and unborn children, though she might unofficially be considered a patron saint of uterine cancer patients because of the difficult diagnosis she received. 

Are you or a loved one facing a difficult health diagnosis? Let us know in the comments so we can pray with you for strength and healing.

Redemptive Suffering

Have you ever heard a parent, teacher, or friend tell you to “Offer it up” when you were experiencing some discomfort or pain? 

It often feels like a trite saying tossed about by well-meaning Catholics but it contains within it a rich and mysterious teaching of the Church. 

Unlike the rest of the world, Catholics do not see suffering as something to fear; it was through Christ’s Passion that our salvation came. Instead, we can see it as an opportunity to cooperate in the redemption of souls. 

Suffering and Death did not exist in God’s original plan for humanity. However, because of the sin committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve, they became inevitable parts of the human experience–a natural consequence for our disobedience. 

Illness, anxieties, addiction, frustrations, inconveniences–our world is full of sufferings big and small. Thankfully, we have a God who understands what we are going through because He’s been there too. 

God the Father did not even spare His only Son from these harsh realities, and in fact, through them instilled Hope among His followers.

Not only is our salvation found through the suffering and death of Jesus, but through it, God also raises up our suffering transforming it into another way by which we can grow closer to Him. 

Pope Saint John Paul II in Salvifici Doloris wrote:  “In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his sufferings, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ.” 

God invites us into Christ’s saving work; He wants us to help bring other souls to Him. 

Our suffering–everything from minor inconveniences to larger heartbreaks–can become Redemptive when we actively, willingly, and joyfully unite our suffering to the Cross. 

Offering up your suffering to the Crucified Christ gives new meaning to your pain, as you participate in Jesus’ profound act of charity and recognize your place in the Mystical Body of Christ. 

Words of Encouragement from the Saints 

We can learn so much wisdom and take solace in the words of the saints, who learned how to embrace suffering for the salvation of souls. Here are just a few words from our heavenly brothers and sisters to encourage you in seasons of suffering and difficulty:

“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus — a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” – (Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

“I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, that there are many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of the Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: ‘My God I choose all!’ I do not want to be a saint by halves. I’m not afraid to suffer for You. I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for I choose all that You will!” (St. Therese of Lisieux

“The Christian’s motto is the Cross. You will recognize God’s love by this sign, by the sufferings He sends you.” (St. Padre Pio)

“You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone.” (Jesus to Saint Faustina)

“If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love.” (St. Gemma Galgani).

“Dying on the Cross He left to His Church the immense treasure of the Redemption, towards which she contributed nothing. But when those graces come to be distributed, not only does He share this work of sanctification with His Church, but He wills that in some way it be due to her action. This is a deep mystery, and an inexhaustible subject of meditation, that the salvation of many depends on the prayers and voluntary penances which the members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ offer for this intention.” (Pope St. Pius XII)

“Those who pray and suffer, leaving action for others, will not shine here on earth; but what a radiant crown they will wear in the kingdom of life! Blessed be the ‘apostolate of suffering!” (St. Josemaria Escriva)

“He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for His sake.” (St. Aloysius Gonzaga)

“To the prospect of the Kingdom of God is linked hope in that glory which has its beginning in the Cross of Christ. The Resurrection revealed this glory — eschatological glory. … Those who share in the sufferings of Christ are also called, through their own sufferings, to share in glory.” (Pope St. John Paul II)