Saints for the Healing Journey

Saints
Written By Brya Hanan

The saints have been a profound source of support and guidance for me and my clients throughout the healing journey. When I first started my own healing journey, it was St. Therese of Lisieux’s understanding of grief, loneliness and what could be described as depression, that deeply attracted me to her and offered me hope for the journey as I navigated my own distressing feelings.

Let’s face it, navigating complex trauma, especially the subtle and often overlooked "small T" traumas, can feel isolating and overwhelming. These experiences don’t always receive the recognition they deserve, leaving many of us feeling unseen and misunderstood. In those moments, it can be difficult to know who will truly stand by your side, who will understand the depths of your pain, and who can help bring you closer to God.

The saints have stepped into this space with compassion and grace. Their lives of perseverance, faith, and healing serve as powerful examples and sources of comfort. They provide a bridge to our Heavenly Father, reminding us that we are never alone in our struggles. The saints bring a gentle reassurance that healing is possible, guiding us through the intricacies of trauma with patience and love. They also remind us that even the smallest wounds deserve attention and that no journey toward wholeness is too difficult when we walk it with faith at our side.

Below are five reasons why the saints can be excellent intercessors and companions on the path to complex trauma-healing:

  • Many complex trauma survivors feel like their trauma disqualifies them from holiness but the saints who suffered different kinds of harm and dysfunction show us that our trauma can offer a pathway towards holiness. When Christ enters our deepest pains, they can be transformed into our most profound blessings.

  • Many complex trauma survivors feel alone. They feel like nobody will understand or have capacity to meet them where they’re at. They’re afraid of being “too much,” “too victim-y,” “too weak” and so they suffer in silence. The saint’s intercession can help us feel less alone. They are “the cloud of witnesses” here to support us, show compassion, without any shame or judgment.

  • Many complex trauma survivors have been primed to believe that only “good girls and boys” get good things. That somehow the trauma they suffered or “chose” was their fault and a consequence for being bad. However, the saints show us that God’s grace and goodness is for everyone. There are saints who have done the worst imaginable thing and yet they were able to transform because they believed that God’s goodness was a mercy they could access, over and over and over again.

  • Many trauma survivors feel confused especially complex trauma survivors. It’s hard to understand the competing voices, behaviors, and dynamics they’re faced with. It all can feel very disorienting and dividing, and yet the saints show us wisdom. They were all given an incredible amount of Godly discernment and virtue in the face of division (interiorly & exteriorly) that can help us discern wisely and understand how to respond to the complexities before us as we study their lives.

  • Many complex trauma survivors need a healthy experience of family. Complex trauma survivors in particular usually have endured repeated acts of harm that made them feel unsafe, misunderstood, unprotected, and unseen, in the context of a family system. The saints offer complex trauma survivors opportunities to experience family members who are safe, constant, protective, attentive, nurturing…qualities that trauma survivors may have not ever experienced in their own family.

    If you need a holy companion right now who really gets it, consider getting to know the following saints and asking for their intercession.

  • St. Josephine Bakhita

  • Trauma: Kidnapped and enslaved as a child; endured physical and emotional abuse.

  • Patron of: Sudan, human trafficking survivors, and the dignity of African people.

  • Prayer: St. Josephine Bakhita, you endured captivity and abuse, yet found freedom in Christ. Pray for all who have been wounded in body and soul, that we too may discover the healing love of God. Help us forgive, not to excuse, but to be free. Amen

  • St. Dymphna

  • Trauma: Fled from an abusive and mentally unstable father who later killed her.

  • Patron of: Mental health, emotional trauma, and those suffering from nervous disorders.

  • Prayer: St. Dymphna, you know the terror of betrayal and the ache of mental anguish. Intercede for all who suffer in their minds and hearts. Bring comfort to our unrest and remind us we are never beyond the mercy of God. Amen.

  • St. Mary Magdalene

  • Trauma: Likely endured social rejection, spiritual oppression, and public shame.

  • Patron of: Converts, penitent women, and those misunderstood or rejected.

  • Prayer:St. Mary Magdalene, you were seen and chosen by Christ when others cast you aside. Pray that I may let go of shame, and hear the voice of Jesus call me by name into healing and resurrection. Amen.

  • St. Maximilian Kolbe

  • Trauma: Imprisoned and starved in Auschwitz; volunteered to die in place of another.

  • Patron of: Addictions, prisoners, and families.

  • Prayer: St. Maximilian Kolbe, in the darkest of places, you chose sacrificial love. Pray for those trapped in fear, addiction, or trauma. May we know that even in suffering, love is never lost. Amen.

  • St. Kateri Tekakwitha

  • Trauma: Orphaned as a child by smallpox, disfigured, rejected by her community for converting.

  • Patron of: Indigenous people, environmental stewardship, and those ridiculed for their faith.

  • Prayer: St. Kateri, lily of the Mohawks, you bore physical scars and loneliness with grace. Pray for all who feel unseen or outcast. Teach us to walk in quiet holiness, trusting in God’s nearness. Amen.

  • St. Oscar Romero

  • Trauma: Lived during a time of brutal civil war and injustice; assassinated for defending the oppressed.

  • Patron of: El Salvador, human rights, and voices for justice.

  • Prayer:St. Oscar Romero, prophet of peace, you spoke truth amid danger. Pray for those who are afraid to speak their story, and give us courage to stand with the vulnerable. Amen.

  • St. Ignatius of Loyola

  • Trauma: Severely wounded in battle; experienced depression and despair before his conversion.

  • Patron of: Soldiers, retreats, and spiritual discernment.

  • Prayer: St. Ignatius, you met God in your deepest wounds. Teach us how to find Jesus in our brokenness, and to discern His loving voice even when all feels lost. Amen.

  • St. Laura Montoya

  • Trauma: Lost her father to violence, raised in poverty, marginalized as a woman.

  • Patron of: Indigenous peoples of Latin America.

  • Prayer: St. Laura, you brought love to forgotten places. Pray for the ones who feel discarded or unworthy. Help us restore dignity in ourselves and others through the love of Christ. Amen.

  • Servant of God Dorothy Day

  • Trauma: Lived through abusive relationships, abortion, and spiritual confusion.

  • Patron (unofficial): Those recovering from addiction, poverty, and radical conversion.

  • Prayer: Dorothy Day, you turned your pain into compassion for the poor. Pray for us when we feel too broken to be of use. Show us how to let grace work through our story. Amen.

  • St. Gemma Galgani

  • Trauma: Orphaned young, endured chronic illness and spiritual oppression.

  • Patron of: Students, those with back pain, and those struggling with temptation.

  • Prayer: St. Gemma, you bore invisible wounds with deep love. Intercede for all who suffer silently. May we be held in the wounds of Christ, and find peace in His presence. Amen.

    St. Rita of Cascia:

  • Trauma: Experienced significant domestic abuse from her husband before his conversion and death. She also endured the loss of her two sons.

  • Patron of: Difficult marriages, abused women, loneliness, impossible causes, and widows.

  • Prayer: St. Rita, you suffered abuse at the hands of the person you loved dearly and unimaginable loss in your family. When our family looks nothing like we hoped, may you offer us hope and perseverance to keep being the person Christ has created us to be. Amen.

    If you want to learn more about these saints and others I recommend the following books:

Brya Hanan https://www.bryahananmft.com
Next

Hope does not disappoint.