About St. Raphael the Archangel
St. Raphael the Archangel is one of the three principal angels venerated in Abrahamic religions, best known for his healing powers and his role in the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. In this biblical account, Raphael appears in human form as a traveling companion to Tobit’s son Tobias, helping him find a cure for his father’s blindness and assisting in driving away a demon that had killed the previous seven husbands of Sarah, who would become Tobias’s wife. His name means “God has healed” in Hebrew, and he is often depicted carrying a staff and a fish, referring to the fish whose organs were used to heal Tobit’s blindness in the biblical narrative. While Michael is known as the warrior angel and Gabriel as the messenger, Raphael is recognized as the angel of healing, travelers, matchmaking, and joyful meetings. In Catholic tradition, he is one of only three angels mentioned by name in the canonical scriptures and is traditionally invoked for healing and safe travel.
Prayers & Devotions
