Patron Saint of People with HIV/AIDS

Category: Other

In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf.

The designation of a patron saint for "People with HIV/AIDS" reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal proclamations by popes or bishops recognizing a saint's particular connection to this intention through the circumstances of their life, death, or documented miracles.

Patron Saints of People with HIV/AIDS

Formally proclaimed patronage — sourced from canonized saints in the Roman Calendar.

Primary Patron
Saint Marianne Cope

Feast Day
January 23

Saint Marianne Cope is invoked as patron of people with HIV/AIDS. Barbara Koob (later Cope) was born January 23, 1838, in Heppenheim in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and emigrated as an infant with her family to Utica, New York, where she grew up in a German Catholic immigrant parish. After her father's illness she worked many years in a textile factory to support her family. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20121021_canonizzazioni.html.

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Saint Damien de Veuster

Feast Day
May 10

Saint Damien de Veuster is invoked as patron of people with HIV/AIDS. Saint Joseph de Veuster, who took the religious name Damien, was born at Tremelo, Belgium, on January 3, 1840. He entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Picpus Fathers) in 1859 and, taking his brother's place, sailed to the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands, arriving at Honolulu on March 19, 1864. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20091011_canonizations.html.

Read full biography of Saint Damien de Veuster →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of people with hiv/aids?

Saint Marianne Cope is the primary patron saint of people with hiv/aids. Their feast day is January 23.

What is a patron saint?

A patron saint is a holy man or woman canonized by the Church whose life and heavenly intercession are considered especially powerful for particular needs, groups, or situations. Catholics ask patron saints to intercede — to pray to God on their behalf — drawing on the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

How do I ask for Marianne Cope's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "Marianne Cope, pray for us." You may also light a candle, attend Mass on their feast day, or make a novena — nine days of consecutive prayer — asking for their help before a particular need.