There are several Catholic saints that can provide comfort, hope and inspiration to those experiencing grief and loss. Saints are believed to act as intercessors, praying for and helping those who petition them during difficult times. While no saint has an official patronage of grief and loss, certain saints are frequently invoked and honored in times of bereavement. Several saints known for their understanding of sorrow and for bringing solace to the bereaved are St. Rita of Cascia, St. Dymphna, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Jude Thaddeus.
St. Rita of Cascia
St. Rita of Cascia is one of the most popular saints associated with grieving and loss. She was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun who lived in the 15th century. St. Rita endured immense personal tragedy, including the death of her husband and two sons. Despite her profound grief, she relied on her Catholic faith and was known for her unwavering patience, kindness and charity. Due to her own experiences with loss and suffering, she is considered a compassionate advocate for those going through bereavement and anguish. She is the patron saint of hopeless causes, which has expanded to include desperate situations and grief.
Early Life
St. Rita was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, Italy. Her parents arranged her marriage at a young age to an ill-tempered man named Paolo Mancini. She prayed that her husband would change his ways and grew to love him despite his volatile personality. They had two sons together. After many years of marriage, her husband’s anger finally led to his early death. Her two sons were troubled like their father and also died young. Despite these tragedies, St. Rita remained steadfast in her faith.
Path to Sainthood
After her sons died, St. Rita attempted to enter the Augustinian convent several times but was refused due to her status as a widow. Eventually, she gained acceptance and became an Augustinian nun, dividing her time between prayer and works of charity. She was known for the miraculous wounds on her forehead that appeared after she prayed to feel a portion of Christ’s suffering. St. Rita was beatified in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII and canonized as a saint in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII.
Patronage
In addition to hopeless causes, St. Rita came to be associated with cases viewed as impossible, such as abuse victims, infertility, loneliness, parenthood, sicknesses and wounds. Due to her tribulations and sorrows, she became known as a compassionate advocate for those experiencing grief and loss. Devotees invoke her as a patron saint of mourning and bereavement to bring comfort and hope. She is often portrayed with a bleeding forehead, holding a crucifix, roses and thorns.
St. Dymphna
Like St. Rita, St. Dymphna is a saint connected to grief and bereavement. According to tradition, she was born in Ireland in the 7th century. She was the daughter of a pagan king and a devout Christian mother. After her mother died, her grief-stricken father pursued an incestuous relationship with Dymphna. The young girl fled to Belgium with the priest Gerebernus, but her enraged father tracked them down and beheaded his own daughter after she refused his advances. St. Dymphna died around age fifteen. She posthumously became known for bringing comfort to those experiencing mental illnesses, emotional distress and grief. She is the patron saint of mental health issues, therapists, runaways, victims of incest and many other causes.
Veneration
The site of St. Dymphna’s martyrdom in Gheel, Belgium became a shrine and pilgrimage site. A church honoring her was built in Gheel in 1349 on the site of her murder. Starting in the 13th century, Gheel became known for its humane treatment of the mentally ill, who were housed with local families. St. Dymphna came to be invoked as the patroness of those suffering from mental illnesses and emotional disorders. The National Shrine of St. Dymphna was established in Massachusettes in 1930. Devotees also petition this compassionate saint in times of grief and bereavement for her understanding and comfort. She is often depicted holding a flame-tipped sword, lamp or glowing light.
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi is another Catholic saint associated with grief and loss due to his empathy and tenderhearted nature. He was born into privilege as the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy in 1181. As a young man, he lived an extravagant life as a knight and experienced illness and depression. After divine visions, he renounced his wealth and founded the Franciscan religious order at age 25. He chose to live in poverty and preached love for all of God’s creation. St. Francis composed the beautiful Canticle of the Sun praising God for nature. The poem was one of the first works of literature written in Italian. He was the first recorded person to receive the stigmata, or Christ’s wounds, in 1224. St. Francis died at age 44 in 1226 and was canonized as a saint just two years later.
Connection to Grief
St. Francis is associated with grief and consolation due to his loving and gentle nature. He was tenderhearted with all living things and saw reminders of Christ’s sacrifice throughout the natural world. His connection with suffering led him to feel the pain of others deeply. He humbly cared for lepers, a group shunned by medieval society. Stories describe him grieving over injured animals and his sermons moved people to tears. For these reasons, St. Francis provides comfort to those experiencing sorrow or bereavement. He serves as a model of empathy and love. As the patron saint of animals and the environment, he is a protector of all creation that experiences loss and suffering.
St. Jude Thaddeus
St. Jude Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles, has emerged as a saint devoted to desperate situations and grief. He was a relative of Jesus who preached the gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea and Syria. Tradition holds that he was martyred for his faith around 65 AD in Beirut. Not much is known about his life and he remained an obscure saint for centuries. Only in the 20th century did he become more widely venerated and recognized as the patron of lost causes. This expanded to include desperate situations and grief.
Connection to Hope
Very little was written about St. Jude’s life and he was often confused with the Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. For these reasons, he was not venerated much initially after his death. Starting in the 20th century, devotion to St. Jude grew tremendously. People prayed to him as a last resort when all else failed, leading him to become known as the patron saint of desperate situations and lost causes. His reputation as an advocate of last resort led him to become associated with grief and bereavement as well, which can feel like hopeless causes. Praying to St. Jude offers hope and reassurance, even in the darkest times of mourning and loss.
Invoking the Saints in Grief
The saints do not take away pain and loss, but provide comfort and reassurance as intercessors. They act as spiritual companions in times of bereavement and grief. Remembering their fortitude, empathy and grace can inspire the brokenhearted. Here are some examples of how to invoke the saints:
- Pray for their intercession and understanding of your pain
- Look to their lives as examples of grace despite suffering
- Ask God to provide you the same strength the saints possessed
- Hope that God and the saints hear your pleas
- Petition a saint that connects to your specific loss
- Read accounts of the saint’s challenges to gain perspective
- Request a sign from the saint that they are listening
Prayers and Novenas
Novenas, nine days of structured prayer, are commonly used to petition saints in times of grief. Here are some examples:
- St. Rita of Cascia Novena: prayers asking for hope, grace and understanding of loss
- St. Dymphna Novena: appeals for consolation in mental anguish and bereavement
- St. Francis Novena: requests for the strength to cope modeled on St. Francis’ spirit
- St. Jude Novena: cries for reassurance that things can improve, even in despair
Formal prayers recognizing saints’ sacrifices provide comfort too:
- Litany of St. Rita: invokes her perseverance through suffering
- Prayer to St. Dymphna: asks for help and faith in distress
- Prayer of St. Francis: a meditative petition to follow his example
- Prayer to St. Jude: pleas for hope and peace of mind
Shrines and Memorials
Visiting shrines and memorials dedicated to these saints can also bring consolation by forging a spiritual connection. Examples include:
- The Basilica of St. Rita of Cascia in Cascia, Italy, site of her tomb
- The National Shrine of St. Dymphna in Massachusetts
- The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy, containing his remains
- The National Shrine of St. Jude in Illinois
These are peaceful sacred spaces invoking these saints’ lives and trials. Visiting them while grieving can provide comfort.
Significance for Consolation
St. Rita of Cascia, St. Dymphna, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Jude Thaddeus are all saints unofficially associated with grief and loss. Though they lived in different eras, they are connected through their understanding of suffering and death. Despite experiencing profound personal tragedies and martyrdom, accounts of their lives convey perseverance, empathy and devotion. Through their canonization, the saints show how holiness can arise even from devastating grief. They became heavenly advocates offering consolation and hope to those in mourning centuries later. In times of bereavement, the saints remain models of grace under pressure and reminders of God’s presence during life’s sorrows.
Conclusion
Grieving and loss are inevitable parts of the human condition. Saints like St. Rita, St. Dymphna, St. Francis and St. Jude provide reminders of hope amid suffering. They exemplify retaining faith and compassion, even when afflicted with tragedy or death. Through their understanding and patronage, they continue bringing solace and reassurance to the bereaved and brokenhearted. While the saints do not eliminate the pain of grief, they walk beside the mourner with fortifying spiritual strength. Their lives and legacies convey that with God’s help, even the lost, hopeless and grieving can endure life’s darkest passages. Turning to the saints in bereavement offers companionship along the long, difficult journey of mourning. They light the way forward through the solace of faith.