The guardian angel is probably the most familiar figure of faith in everyday life. Many children say a short prayer to their guardian angel in the evening. The idea that an angel stands at every person’s side is ancient.
What is a guardian angel?
The guardian angel is not a human being but a creature of God. The Bible speaks in several places of angels who accompany people: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11). Jesus says: “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). In Acts 12 an angel frees Peter from prison.
The Church teaches that every person is accompanied by an angel from the beginning of their life. The feast of the Holy Guardian Angels has been in the Roman calendar since the 17th century.
Legend and tradition
The guardian angel also appears in legends and folk art, for example as the companion of children crossing a bridge or going through a dark wood. Such images are artistic interpretations of the belief in God’s companionship, not reports.
Feast day
The feast day of the Holy Guardian Angels is 2 October. Regional and denominational calendars may differ.
Whom the guardian angels accompany
- According to Catholic teaching, every person, from the beginning of their life
- In devotion, children above all
Guardian angels are not saints but creatures of God. People ask for their help; no guarantee or promise of miracles is attached to it.
Attributes and depiction
Guardian angels have wings and shining robes. The classic picture shows the angel leading a child across a narrow bridge over a chasm or watching over a sleeping child.
A short prayer
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Traditional prayer.
Customs
On 2 October the Church remembers the guardian angels. Many families pray a guardian angel prayer with their children in the evening.
Guardian angel pictures traditionally hang above the child’s bed. They are popular as a gift for a christening or a birth: an angel symbolically accompanies the child through life.
Today
For many people the guardian angel prayer is one of the first prayers they learned as children. It gives the day a calm beginning or end. Anyone who gives a guardian angel is not giving technical security but a sign: you are not alone. Guardian angels suit a birth, a christening, the start of school, recovery from illness or as a companion for a journey. What matters are the thought behind it and the small gesture that shows care.
Matching items at LUNEXUS
- Guardian angel picture 12 × 17 cm – motif “Angel leads child across bridge”
- Guardian angel keyring, silver-coloured metal, 9.5 cm – blessed
- Guardian angel with lantern magnet 6.5 cm – blessed & velvet pouch
- Olive wood angel cross necklace with dove – handcrafted in Bethlehem
- The Archangel Raphael as guardian angel – hand-carved statue from South Tyrol
The wooden statues from our woodcarving workshop are hand-carved in Val Gardena (South Tyrol) and come directly from the workshop: delivery time approx. 3–4 weeks, insured shipping to Germany and Austria only (€6.90). The statues are not blessed in our warehouse, and the 14-day statutory right of withdrawal applies to them.
Many, but not all, of our items are blessed in our own warehouse by a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Fulda. A business-card-sized certificate card showing the date of the blessing is then enclosed; whether an item is blessed is stated in its title or description. Shipped via Amazon's logistics network – free within Germany, €5.90 to Austria and France; Italy €6.90, Spain €6.90. Returns are possible within 30 days.
More to choose from: all guardian angel items and all patron saints. Parishes and groups will find an offer on request on the quantity discount page (does not apply to wooden statues from the woodcarving workshop).
Keep reading in the magazine: Giving a guardian angel: ideas and small rituals · Christening gifts with a guardian angel
Frequently asked questions
When is the Feast of the Guardian Angels?
On 2 October.
Does everyone have a guardian angel?
According to Catholic teaching, yes: every person is accompanied by an angel from the beginning of their life.
What do you give for a christening with a guardian angel?
Guardian angel pictures for the nursery and small companions such as magnets are popular.
Sources: Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon (Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints), the Martyrologium Romanum and the regional calendar for the German-speaking area. We flag legends as such; prayers are, unless stated otherwise, our own simple wording. Compiled by Denis & Belinda, as of October 2026.
