Their most famous legend is the “miracle of the black leg”: appearing in a dream to a sick church custodian, they replaced his diseased leg with a healthy one. Painters loved it, and it made them patrons of surgeons.
Historical Context
Their church in Rome, on the edge of the Forum, was one of the first pagan buildings converted into a church. Its sixth-century apse mosaic still shows the two brothers being presented to Christ.
A Prayer to Saints Cosmas and Damian for Healing
Saints Cosmas and Damian, you healed without asking for payment.
Pray for me (or name the person) in this illness.
Ask the Lord to restore health,
to guide the doctors and nurses,
and to give strength and courage while we wait.
Amen.
A Prayer for Doctors and Surgeons
Holy brothers, physicians and martyrs,
pray for every doctor and surgeon at work today.
Steady their hands, sharpen their judgment,
and keep their hearts compassionate.
Let them never forget that the patient is a person.
Amen.
Before Surgery
Saints Cosmas and Damian, pray for me as I go into surgery.
Guide the surgeon’s hands and protect me under anaesthesia.
Let me wake safely and heal quickly.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- Before an operation or a major medical procedure.
- For a family member in hospital.
- For doctors, medical students and pharmacists.
- For twins, born or expected.
- On 26 September, their feast.
Scripture Connection
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” — Matthew 10:8
“Freely ye have received, freely give” could be the brothers’ motto. They treated healing as a gift to pass on, not a product to sell, and the Church has honoured them for it for seventeen centuries.
Related prayers
For twins, see the Prayer for Twins. The evangelist who was a doctor has his own page, the Saint Luke Prayer, and for the founder of hospital care, the Saint John of God Prayer.