Lifting Your Prayer Intentions to God: A List of Churches and Sites for Prayer Requests

Our need for prayer is constant, much like the air we breathe, the water that quenches our thirst, and the knowledge that clears our ignorance. When prayer is absent, it can leave a void in our lives that is difficult to fill.

We pray to ask for forgiveness, to express gratitude, to ask for favors, healing, guidance, protection, success, and other intentions. Petitions can also include prayers for our departed loved ones—that they may have crossed over peacefully, that their souls may have eternal life, and that their spirits have rejoined the Father in heaven, their earthly sins forgiven.

I myself, whenever I go to churches where petition requests are available, make requests, usually with small donations. These intentions—whether for thanksgiving, healing, the repose of the souls of departed loved ones, or other special intentions—are included before the Mass of a given schedule begins.

But it is not always that a requester can be physically present. So, I compiled a list of websites where one can send a petition or request, usually by filling out an online form.

Before you begin

Make sure to write your request clearly and concisely. For example, if you are requesting a prayer for healing, you may state: “Pray for the healing of my teacher, Maria, from migraines. Thank you.” Or, “Pray for the success of my job interview. Thank you.” Alternatively, you may include your name or the name of the person for whom you are requesting prayer, such as, “Pray for the success of John’s college entrance exam. Thank you.” While there are no strict rules on how to write prayer requests or intentions on these sites, it is important to be mindful that many requests are read at a given time by priests or nuns.

My personal advice is that when you send your request, make sure to pray for your petitions as well before submitting them. In addition, include a short prayer for the community who will pray for your intentions and with you. It is believed that when the community prays for you and with you, it not only strengthens your faith but, in my opinion, also brings more positive energy to your intentions.

For example: I pray that my petition for… (state the request) may be granted according to Your will, through Your mercy and grace, in Your perfect time and wisdom. Grant also that my seeking heart may remain patient and steadfast as You unfold Your providence. May the prayers, petitions, and intentions of the community who pray for me and with me likewise be heard and answered in Your time. Amen.

You may also request for Spiritual Healing. This is an example of my own prayer request: “Please pray for my spiritual healing, that all parts of me not yet touched by God’s mercy and grace may be healed so I may be made whole and be a blessing to others.”

To quote Matthew 18:19–20:
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

For now, may we also request prayers for world peace and an end to violence, atrocities, carnage, and terrorism amid ongoing global conflicts, including geopolitical tensions involving various world powers and alliances, as well as rising ideological and political divisions.

Where to send your prayer intentions/request

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a Roman Catholic church located in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré near Quebec City, Canada, and is a major pilgrimage site. The basilica is also known for housing three notable relics associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary and has been designated a national shrine by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with only a few other sites. Prayer requests are accepted.

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Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno – Saint John the Baptist Parish 

The Philippines’ Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno is a beloved church where devotees and pilgrims gather to offer prayers and seek favors, often for healing, fertility or success in exams and job interviews. You can submit your prayer request through an online form, and it will be included in the Masses; there is also an option to keep your message private or make it public, where it can be viewed alongside other posted intentions on the main prayer request page.

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Basilica Minore del Sto Nino de Cebu

The Minor Basilica in Cebu City, Philippines, founded in 1565 by Augustinian friars Andrés de Urdaneta and Diego de Herrera, is the country’s oldest church, built on the site where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu was rediscovered during the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi. Devotees commonly offer prayers for healing, health, relationships, finances, children, jobs, education, and other concerns, and can submit their petitions free of charge, with the basilica community committed to praying for these intentions.

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St John Paul II Shrine

The Shrine was conceived in response to St. John Paul II’s call for a “new evangelization,” later echoed by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, and is intended as a place of encounter with God that fosters renewal in individuals, families, societies, and cultures, where God, who “entered history” (John Paul II, Homily, Dec. 24, 1999), heals and restores every dimension of human life. Designated a national shrine by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on March 14, 2014, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. was established in 2011 by the Knights of Columbus as a major pastoral initiative honoring and continuing the legacy of Pope John Paul II. Prayer requests are remembered daily at Mass and the prayer at the Hour of Mercy.

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St Ann’s Monastery and Shrine Basilica

St. Ann’s National Shrine in Philadelphia was declared a Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II on October 27, 1997. It is the new home of the Passionist Community and is dedicated to Saint Ann, the mother of Mary. Submitted prayer requests are given to the Passionists at St. Ann’s and placed before the shrine of St. Ann and the Passionist saints in the Basilica.

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Franciscan Friars of the Atonement

The Society of the Atonement, also known as the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement or Graymoor Friars and Sisters, is a Franciscan religious congregation in the Catholic Church founded in 1898 by Paul Wattson and Lurana White as a religious community within the Episcopal Church. The order is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the Marian title of Our Lady of Atonement.

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Franciscan Mission Associates (FMA)

Based in New York, FMA  is an office of the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception (IC Province). Prayer requests may be submitted. FMA accepts prayer intentions, personally responds to each one, and places them on the altar for remembrance at Mass for a full month.

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National Centre for Padre Pio

The National Centre for Padre Pio, founded in Philadelphia by Vera and Harry Calandra, formally transferred its headquarters to “The Barn” in Barto, Pennsylvania under the auspices of the Most Reverend Thomas J. Welsh, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown. In 1999, during the week of the Beatification Ceremony of Padre Pio in Rome, Italy, the newly constructed Centre officially opened. The Centre also accepts prayer requests.

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The National Shrine of St Rita of Cascia

Founded in 1907 by the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a Roman Catholic community of prayer and worship inspired by Saint Rita—an Augustinian known as a healer, reconciler, and peacemaker. Devotees from all walks of life entrust their prayers to her intercession, with requests kept confidential and placed in a petition basket beneath her relic in the Lower Shrine, where these intentions are remembered during daily Masses.

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Our Lady of Lourdes

The Lourdes prayer requests follow a long-standing Catholic tradition of offering prayers in memory and hope. At the sanctuary, a prayer intentions box stands beside the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, where petitions are placed, read by priests, and often included during Mass. You can also submit your prayer requests online for free, with your intentions placed at the Grotto and prayed for by a priest as soon as possible joining the millions of pilgrims who visit Lourdes each year and leave their prayers there.

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The National Shrine of St Jude

Founded in 1929 by the Claretian Missionaries, the Chicago, Illinois–based National Shrine of St. Jude and the St. Jude League unites hundreds of thousands of devotees in a shared community of prayer and hope. Prayer requests are accepted on their website.

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St Anthony Shrine

St. Anthony Shrine is a sacred space in the heart of downtown Boston, also known as the “Church on Arch Street,” and has served as a cornerstone of the community since 1947, offering a sanctuary for prayer, healing, and outreach. Operated by the Franciscan friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Shrine continues the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi through service, simplicity, and spiritual renewal. The friars are happy to pray for your intentions in their community prayer; you may submit your intention below, and it will be placed in the friars’ chapel at the Shrine.

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Dominican Sisters of Hope

The Dominican Sisters of Hope, based in New York, were founded in 1995 from three communities in Newburgh, NY; Fall River, MA; and Ossining, NY, and are now based at The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY. Living across 13 states, they serve in diverse ministries including community organizing, social work, education, environmental advocacy, and retreat ministry. They accept prayer requests on their website.

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Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles

The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, a Catholic religious institute of the Discalced Carmelite Order, was founded in 1904 by Mexican-born Venerable Maria Luisa de la Peña (Mother Luisita) and is based in Alhambra, California. To submit a prayer request, simply fill out the form, and the sisters will present your intentions to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.