Catholic prayers for the sick

Short Catholic prayers at the bedside

"Jesus, mercy. Mary, help."

The traditional Catholic short prayer for the sick: six words, learnable in seconds, prayed aloud at the bedside or interiorly by the visitor. The first half ("Jesus, mercy") was the prayer of Saint John Vianney for his dying parishioners; the second half ("Mary, help") is the Catholic invocation of the Blessed Virgin's intercession for the soul approaching death.

"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You"

The brief Catholic ejaculation associated with the Sacred Heart devotion. Prayed slowly, aloud or interiorly, at the bedside of the sick or by the Catholic family member offering the sick person's suffering to the Sacred Heart of Christ.

Longer Catholic prayers for the sick

The Memorare

The Catholic Memorare is the great prayer of confidence in Marian intercession. It is prayed at the bedside of the sick, by Catholic family members in the waiting room, and by the sick person themselves when they are able. Its appeal to the unfailing intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Catholic prayer most directly suited to the soul that is anxious about the outcome of illness.

The Anima Christi

The medieval Catholic prayer Anima Christi is particularly appropriate at the bedside of the dying. Its closing lines ("In the hour of my death call me, and bid me come unto Thee, that with thy saints I may praise thee, forever and ever") are the Catholic prayer of confident entrustment of the soul to Christ at the approach of the last hour.

The Hail Holy Queen

The Salve Regina, the traditional Catholic evening hymn, is the most universal Catholic prayer at the bedside of the dying. Catholic religious communities across the world sing it at the death of a member; Catholic families across the centuries have sung or prayed it at the deathbed of a parent or grandparent.

The Catholic theology of prayer for the sick

The Catholic Church teaches that prayer for the sick is one of the spiritual works of mercy: a duty of charity binding on every Catholic toward those who suffer (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447). The Catholic prayer offered at the bedside is at once a prayer of petition for the sick person's healing, a prayer of intercession joining the prayer of the Catholic Church for the sick member of the Body of Christ, and an act of charity received by the sick person as a real consolation.

Saint James in his epistle gives the foundational New Testament teaching: "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15). This passage is the Catholic Church's scriptural foundation for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Prayer for caregivers and Catholic medical workers

The Catholic tradition also includes specific prayers for those who care for the sick: Catholic family members, professional caregivers, Catholic nurses, Catholic doctors, hospital chaplains. The prayer to Saint Camillus de Lellis (patron of the sick and of Catholic healthcare workers) and to Saints Cosmas and Damian (patron physicians) is the traditional Catholic intercession for those whose vocation places them daily before suffering.

Frequently asked questions

What Catholic prayer should I say when visiting a sick person?

The Catholic tradition recommends a brief prayer at the bedside in the presence of the sick person, such as the Memorare or a decade of the Holy Rosary. If the sick person can pray, pray it aloud together. If the sick person is unconscious, the Catholic visitor prays for them in their presence, an act of charity the Catholic Church has long affirmed as itself a means of grace.

Should I call a Catholic priest for a sick family member?

If the illness is serious, yes. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is intended for those in danger of death from illness or old age (CCC 1514-1515), and it should never be delayed until the last possible moment. The sacrament confers spiritual strength, the forgiveness of sins (where the dying person is unable to confess sacramentally), and, where God wills, the grace of physical healing.

What is the Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction)?

It is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, administered by a Catholic priest by anointing the forehead and hands of the sick person with the holy oils blessed by the bishop at the annual Chrism Mass. The sacrament was formerly called Extreme Unction (last anointing) because it was administered only at the point of death; the modern Catholic discipline restored its earlier practice of administration at any season of serious illness.

Can I pray for healing if I do not have strong faith?

Yes. The Catholic Church teaches that prayer is itself the act of faith, not the consequence of a prior strong feeling of faith. The father of the possessed boy in the Gospel cried out, 'I believe; help thou my unbelief' (Mark 9:24), and Christ healed his son. Catholic prayer for healing offered in weakness is received by God as fully as prayer offered in confidence.

Related Catholic devotions for the sick

For the nine-day Catholic prayer of healing, see the Catholic novenas for healing (Saint Peregrine, Our Lady of Lourdes, Padre Pio). For the Catholic prayers of the dying, see the Catholic novenas for the dying. The Divine Mercy Chaplet (revealed by Christ to Saint Faustina) is prayed daily at three o'clock in the afternoon, the Hour of Mercy, by Catholic family members of the seriously ill.