prayer for sick rabbits

Your rabbit is an important member of your family. When they get hurt or sick, it can be extremely stressful – not to mention a big financial burden.

During times like these, many pet parents turn to their faith for support.

Saint Francis is very well known as a great Catholic who had a special love for animals. He likely gets the most asks for intercessions on behalf of pets in general.

But did you know there is a patron saint for rabbits?

We’ll explore the life of St. Melangell and some prayers you can say for your sick bunny.

The Basics of Patron Saints

For those of you who may not be as familiar with the concept, a “Saint” is someone who has been verified by the Catholic Church as having a close relationship with God and being in heaven.

After their death, the Church goes over the person’s life, looking at their writings, their life, and sometimes even talking to people who knew them. The process can take decades, because it is so thorough. Sometimes miracles are required for them to pass through certain stages.

Catholics don’t necessarily pray to saints. They pray for their intercession. It’s kind of like when you ask any living person to pray for you – except a saint would have a closer connection to God.

When we say someone is a “patron saint” of something, it basically means they “specialize” in a certain cause.

Melangell’s Life

Saint Melangell was a princess who lived in the 6th century. Most sources said she was Irish, but one mentioned she may have been the daughter of a Scottish king.

Tradition says her dad wanted to marry her off to a nobleman, but she took a vow of celibacy. Melangell ran away to become a hermit in the Tanant Valley in Northern Wales, which was outside her father’s domain.

Apparently she lived in a cave for 15 years, eating berries and nuts. Not exactly the life you’d expect a princess to lead.

But she also apparently had small animal friends, so maybe she was the OG Disney princess!

In 604 A.D., the prince of Powys, Brochwel Ysgithrog, was in her neck of the woods. He and his hounds were hunting a rabbit.

The rabbit ran under Melangell’s cloak. She had been in a thicket praying.

The dogs ran away and wouldn’t attack the rabbit.

Some sources say Brochwel asked her to marry him (she was very beautiful), but she gave a pass on that offer.

Brochwel was impressed with Melangell’s courage either way, so he gave her (and God) the whole valley as a sanctuary.

The sanctuary applied to people and animals, so for centuries, no one hunted small animals in the valley. It was said that yelling “God and Melangell be with thee” also saved rabbits being chased by dogs.

From there, Melangell founded a small religious community and served as the Abbess (the leader of the nuns) for the next 37 years.

RHYS WILLIAMS / *Pennant Melangell* / CC BY-SA 2.0

They buried her in a chapel of a nearby church called Pennant. The church was later renamed Pennant Melangell in her honor, and there are carvings of hares in the church.

During the Reformation, the church was destroyed. People hid her relics (her bones) in the church to protect them. The bones were thought to be lost, but they were found during the church’s restoration in 1992.

You can still visit it today! Learn more about the church’s history and restoration throughout the years.

Fast Facts

Her feast day is May 27.
She was also known as Monacella, which is the Latin translation.
The hare became a symbol of peace and sanctuary.

Random St. Melangell “merch”

Here are some St. Melangell things I found across the interwebs:

St. Melangell t-shirt: There are also a bunch of long sleeves and sweatshirts that have the same graphic design. There’s also a phone case and pillow with the design.
8×12 artsy poster: I’ve seen this image on Pinterest a lot and love it!
Free 8.5×11 printable: Click the PDF in the right margin of this site to download. It’s essentially a jumbo prayer card.
Freaky pillow design: Not my style, but you may like it!
Book of poems about St. Melangell: It only has a few reviews, but everyone seemed to enjoy it! Pricey beyond my wildest dreams though…
Holy Card and Pendant Gift Set: This is on Etsy, so it seems like a good way to support small business owners and get your rabbit fix. She looks a bit too serious in this one for my taste though!

Prayer

Praying is just like talking.

You can pour your soul out. You can cry. You can beg. You can ask for things.

There are no rules.

When you pray for the intercession of St. Melangell on behalf of your rabbit, you can just say what’s on your heart.

You know that St. Melangell understands and values all creatures, no matter how small.

While others may scoff at your concerns with the classic “It’s just a rabbit,” St. Melangell will take the matter to God in heaven. As the patron of hares, the welfare of your bun is of special importance to her.

In case you are at a loss for words, here is a prayer you can say in your time of need:

Dear Melangell, please watch over my rabbit, (insert name here), just like you did that hare so many years ago.

No matter is too small for God, who loves us so much.

We know all life is precious because each one was made by God.

Please bring our cause before God and remind him just how much we value his little creatures.

Whatever happens, help me to understand God’s will and feel his loving support.

Help me find peace.

Amen.