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St Peregrine – Patron Saint of Cancer Patients

Do you know someone that is suffering from cancer?

Pray to St Peregrine, the Patron Saint of Cancer Patients If you have a loved one that is suffering from a serious illness like cancer, AIDS, or any other life threatening disease or if you yourself are suffering from a serious disease you should pray to St. Peregrine, the patron saint of the seriously ill.  People who have serious illnesses have found that diet, exercise, medical treatment and prayer can all help heal the illness or at least bring some peace and comfort.
The holistic approach of using diet, exercise, and prayer as well as medical treatment has in the past healed people that doctors said were likely to die from their illnesses. More than once a patient with an illness that was supposed to be terminal has walked out of a hospital completely free of disease after medical treatment, nutritional support, and a lot of prayer. Even medical professionals acknowledge that prayer can be a large part of someone’s recovery even from a serious illness like cancer.

Prayer has a powerful healing effect, and appealing to St. Peregrine to help with a serious illness can be very effective because St. Peregrine himself suffered from cancer. St. Peregrine was born into a small town in northern Italy that was not at all friendly to the Christian church in the mid 1200’s.  In fact, when a priest came to the town to say Mass and to try and talk to the people in the town about Christ and the Church they booed and laughed at the priest and eventually ran him out of town. St. Peregrine was the ringleader of one group that was jeering the priest and actually punched the priest in the nose.

The priest didn’t hit Peregrine back but forgave him instead and St. Peregrine felt so guilty that he apologized to the priest and became more interested in the Church. After learning more about the Church and Christ from the priest he began to pray more often.  Once during his prayers he saw a vision of Mary, who told him that he needed to make a pilgrimage to Siena. While he was on this pilgrimage to Siena he felt called to join a group of local monks, the Servites, or the Servants of Mary.  The priest that he went to in order to join the monastery was the same priest that he punched in the nose and that had helped him find his way to the Church. He spent the rest of his time at the monastery doing special penance for his sins.  One of the penances that he had to do was that he could never sit unless he absolutely had to. If he didn’t have to sit he would stand. After thirty years of mostly standing he developed serious leg problems that led to cancer in his leg. The cancer became so bad that doctors were going to amputate his foot in order to save his life.  The night before the amputation was to take place St. Peregrine dragged himself to the foot of the crucifix in the church at the monastery and collapsed, praying to God for forgiveness. Just before he passed out he had a vision of Christ touching his foot and healing him.  In the morning when he woke up he was completely cured, the cancer in his foot has been miraculously healed.

Because of St. Peregrine’s experiences with cancer he is the patron saint of all those that are afflicted with serious illness.  Keeping a statue of St. Peregrine in the house and praying a few minutes each day for someone that you know that has cancer, AIDS or any other serious illness is a wonderful way to help and support that person.  You never know when a miracle might happen. When someone you love is diagnosed with a serious illness stop by to see them with a statue or medal of St. Peregrine and a big hug. Tell them the story of St. Peregrine and offer to pray with them to St. Peregrine to intercede for them with God. Just the simple act of praying with your loved one can help them feel better and feel like they are not alone. Prayer can bring comfort and peace as well as healing.

Eric Mark