St. Raphael is one of the three archangels named in Sacred Scripture. In the Book of Tobit, God sends him to guide Tobias, heal Tobit’s blindness, and bring deliverance to Sarah. As Catholics, we pray the novena to St. Raphael for healing, protection during travel, guidance in important decisions, and help in preparing for a holy marriage.
Begin PrayingMore about St. Raphael the Archangel
St. Raphael’s mission is told in the Book of Tobit, one of the deuterocanonical books received by the Catholic Church as Sacred Scripture. When the prayers of Tobit and Sarah rise before God, St. Raphael is sent to bring healing to them both. Concealing his identity at first, he accompanies Tobit’s son Tobias on a dangerous journey, instructs him, protects him from harm, and leads him to Sarah. Through St. Raphael’s guidance, Sarah is freed from the demon Asmodeus, Tobias and Sarah enter marriage with prayer and trust in God, and Tobit’s sight is restored. At the end of the journey, St. Raphael reveals that he is one of the seven angels who stand before the glory of the Lord and present the prayers of the holy ones.
St. Raphael’s name means "God heals." The Church therefore invokes him as a patron of travelers, the sick, physicians, and those seeking a spouse. His story also shows that angelic help remains entirely ordered to God: St. Raphael refuses payment, directs the family to praise the Lord, and explains that he carried out God’s command. In sacred art, he is often shown walking beside Tobias, holding a traveler’s staff, or carrying the fish whose organs were used in the healings described in Tobit. The Church celebrates St. Raphael with St. Michael and St. Gabriel on September 29. The novena is prayed from September 20 through September 28 in preparation for that feast. His intercession invites the faithful to entrust body, soul, family, and journey to God’s providence.
