Tired of trying to find the special someone on the internet or at a singles bar?

Saint Raphael, an archangel and the patron saint of happy encounters, is ready to help, the Catholic Enquiry Office, a branch of the Catholic Church in Britain, says in a Valentine's day prayer campaign for singles.

When people pray, God listens, the office's website says, urging singles to say a prayer to the archangel for nine straight days.

"Chocolates, cards, flowers and gifts fill shops in the weeks preceding the big [Valentine's] day," the website says. "But what do you do if you're not with someone?

"Well, for generations of singles looking for their soulmate, Saint Raphael, has proved himself to be a powerful spiritual friend. Many have testified that prayers to him have resulted in their finding a life-long partner."

Saint Raphael, whose name means "god heals," is one of seven archangels. He makes an appearance in the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament.

Monsignor Keith Barltrop, enquiry office director, told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that Saint Raphael has been known to be helpful in matters of the heart.

However, the site cautions, sometimes what people want and what they receive are different things.

On the site, Barltrop says: "You might be praying for a tall, dark and handsome person to come into your life, or a beautiful brunette, but God may have prepared someone quite different but wonderful for you."

For those whose prayers are answered, the site offers 10 tips, including a warning that sex is not everything. "Far more important is whether … you have overall compatibility and accept each other without wanting to change one another," it says.

Saint Raphael, though, had to intercede to make a marriage work. He helped Tobias marry Sarah.

But because seven of her previous husbands had died on their wedding night, the archangel drove out the "evil spirit" within her so their marriage could proceed safely. He is credited with their happy meeting.