St Christopher
St. Christopher is an early Christian martyr honored as the patron saint of travelers. His name comes from the Greek Christophoros, which means "Christ-bearer." Few reliable details of his life survive. An ancient tradition places his martyrdom in Lycia, in what is now Turkey, and the Roman Martyrology commemorates him on 25 July.
Medieval tradition, including the 13th-century collection of saints' lives called the Golden Legend, tells of him carrying a child across a river. The child proves to be Christ, carrying the weight of the world. This story is a legend.
It is not part of Church doctrine. Travelers have long asked St. Christopher to pray for them, and many carry a St. Christopher medal or hang one in the car. The Church calls objects like this sacramentals.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 1667 to 1670) teaches that sacramentals are holy signs instituted by the Church that prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. They are not magical, and they do not work on their own apart from faith. In 1969 the revised General Roman Calendar removed his memorial from the universal calendar because little is known of his life.
He stayed in the Roman Martyrology, his feast remains in many local calendars, and devotion to him is permitted. When we pray to St. Christopher, we ask him to intercede for us before God, who alone is adored.
A Short Prayer to St. Christopher Before a Journey
St. Christopher, your name means Christ-bearer. As we set out on this journey, pray for us to the Lord Jesus. Ask Him to watch over our going out and our coming in. Ask Him to keep our minds alert and our tempers patient on every mile. Help us carry Christ with us wherever this road leads, and keep us in His care on the way. Amen.
A Fuller Prayer for a Driver or Traveler
Lord God, You know every road we travel and every hour we spend on it. Before we start the engine, we place this journey in Your hands. We ask St. Christopher, the Christ-bearer, to pray for us as we go. Give the driver steady hands, clear eyes, and a calm heart. Keep us from carelessness, from hurry, and from the anger that rises in heavy traffic. Make us courteous to every driver beside us, every walker at the roadside, and everyone waiting at a crossing. If delays come, teach us patience. If we grow tired, give us the good sense to stop and rest. Your word says, "The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." We trust ourselves to Your care, because our lives belong to You on the road and at home alike. Holy St. Christopher, who bore the name of Christ, pray that we may bear Him too, in kindness and in care for others, through every mile of this day. Amen.
A Prayer for a Loved One Who Is Traveling
Heavenly Father, someone we love is on the road today, and we are the ones waiting at home. We place [name] in Your care, wherever this journey takes them. St. Christopher, pray for our loved one, and pray for us as we wait. Calm the worry that rises each time the phone stays quiet. Give them rest when they are weary and good judgment at every turn. Lord, we also remember those who set out and did not come home. Hold every family that grieves a loss on the road, and stay close to them in the long hours of sorrow. Keep all of us near to You. Amen.
A Prayer for a Pilgrim
Lord Jesus, You call us to follow You, and we set out on this pilgrimage to draw nearer to You. St. Christopher, Christ-bearer, pray for us on the way. Let each step become a prayer. Let each delay teach us patience, and let each stranger we meet show us Your face. Take from us the worries and grudges that weigh us down, so that the only thing we carry is You. As Scripture says, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Make those words true of us when we reach the shrine and when we walk back through our own front door. Amen.
A Prayer When Flying or Driving Feels Frightening
Lord, our hearts race at the thought of this trip. The airport, the highway, and the long hours in a seat we cannot leave all press on our minds. We do not ask You to remove every danger, because this road and this sky belong to You. We ask for courage to go and for peace while we travel. When fear tightens our chest, remind us of Your word: "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee." St. Christopher, in the old story you carried a heavy load across a river. Pray for us as we carry this fear across our own crossing. Help us pray simply and rest in Your presence, whatever this journey brings. Amen.
A One-Line Prayer to St. Christopher
St. Christopher, Christ-bearer, pray for us on this journey and help us carry Jesus wherever we go. Amen.
Scripture to pray
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.— Psalm 121:8 (KJV)
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.— Isaiah 43:2 (KJV)
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.— Psalm 91:11 (KJV)
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.— Galatians 2:20 (KJV)
Frequently asked questions
Who is St. Christopher?
St. Christopher is an early Christian martyr whom Catholics honor as the patron saint of travelers. His name comes from the Greek Christophoros, meaning "Christ-bearer." An ancient tradition places his martyrdom in Lycia, in what is now Turkey. Few reliable historical details of his life survive, and the river story told about him comes from later medieval tradition.
What is St. Christopher the patron saint of?
St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. Travelers have long invoked him as their patron, and St. Christopher medals are commonly carried or hung in vehicles. His name, Christ-bearer, also reminds every Christian traveler to carry Christ along the way, in the spirit of Galatians 2:20. When you pray to him, you ask him to pray for you, because the saints, living with God, intercede for us.
Was St. Christopher a real person?
The Church venerates St. Christopher as an early Christian martyr, and the Roman Martyrology commemorates him on 25 July. Few reliable historical details of his life survive. The 1969 calendar revision did not declare that he never existed. It removed his memorial from the universal calendar because so little is known about his life. The river story is a medieval legend, not Church doctrine.
Why was St. Christopher removed from the Church calendar?
In 1969 the Church revised the General Roman Calendar and took the memorial of St. Christopher off the universal calendar. The reason was that little is known historically of the details of his life. He was not removed from the Roman Martyrology, and his feast remains in many local calendars. Devotion to him is permitted, so you can keep praying to him.
What does a St. Christopher medal mean, and is it a good luck charm?
A St. Christopher medal is a sacramental, a holy sign instituted by the Church, and it is not a good luck charm. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 1667 to 1670) teaches that sacramentals prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. They are not magical and do not work on their own apart from faith. Let a medal on your keychain or dashboard remind you to pray each time you start the car or board a plane.
Is there a prayer to St. Christopher for travel?
Yes, a prayer to St. Christopher for travel asks him to intercede with God for you and everyone on the journey. A simple form is: "St. Christopher, Christ-bearer, pray for us on this journey and help us carry Jesus wherever we go. Amen." You can add Psalm 121:8, "The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in," and name each person traveling with you. Pray it as you start the engine, check in for a flight, or step out on foot.
When is St. Christopher's feast day?
The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Christopher on 25 July. Since 1969 his memorial has not appeared on the universal General Roman Calendar, but his feast remains in many local calendars. Use 25 July as a day to pray for everyone you know who travels and for the people waiting for them at home. You can also pray to him on any day of the year, since devotion to him is permitted.
Is it okay for Catholics to pray to St. Christopher?
Yes, Catholics may pray to St. Christopher, and the 1969 calendar change did not forbid devotion to him. Catholic teaching holds that the saints, living with God, intercede for us. When we pray to St. Christopher, we ask him to pray for us. We do not worship him, because God alone is adored.