Patron Saint of Prisoners

Category: Marginalized & Vulnerable

St. Joseph Cafasso, a 19th-century Italian priest who accompanied condemned criminals to their executions and ministered to prisoners, is a patron of prisoners and those on death row. St. Dismas, the "Good Thief" crucified beside Jesus who confessed his guilt and asked to be remembered in Jesus's kingdom (Lk 23:42), is another patron of prisoners — the only person in the Gospels to whom Jesus directly promised Paradise.

The tradition of prison ministry in the Church runs from these figures through modern organizations like Prison Fellowship and Catholic prison chaplaincies, reflecting the Church's teaching that the dignity of every person, including those who have committed crimes, calls for mercy and pastoral care.

Patron Saints of Prisoners

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

Primary Patron
Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe

Feast Day
August 14

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe is invoked as patron of prisoners. Saint Maximilian Kolbe was born Raymund Kolbe at Zdunska Wola in Russian-controlled Poland on January 8, 1894, the second of five sons of a poor weaver family. As a boy he received a vision in which the Blessed Virgin Mary offered him two crowns, one white for purity and one red for martyrdom; he later said he chose both. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1982/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19821010_canonizzazione-kolbe.html.

Read full biography of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe →

Saint Vincent de Paul

Feast Day
September 27

Saint Vincent de Paul is invoked as patron of prisoners. Vincent de Paul was born to a peasant family in Gascony in 1581, ordained priest in 1600, and according to a tradition he himself fostered, briefly enslaved by Barbary corsairs at Tunis from 1605 to 1607. After spiritual formation under the future Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle in Paris, he served as tutor in the noble family of Philippe-Emmanuel de Gondi, general of the galleys.From this providential position he discovered both the spiritual destitution of rural peasants and the hellish conditions of those condemned to the royal galleys. Sources: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1987/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_19870914_vincenzo-paoli.html.

Read full biography of Saint Vincent de Paul →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the patron saint of prisoners?

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe is the primary patron saint of prisoners. Their feast day is August 14.

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 Maximilian Mary Kolbe's intercession?

To ask for a patron saint's intercession, Catholics typically pray directly to the saint, saying something like: "Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 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.