MIRACULOUS MIRACLES^™

Prayer — Liturgical & Canticle

Litaniae Sanctorum

The Litany of the Saints

Late 7th century; in current liturgical form by the 11th century

The principal litany of the Catholic Church — chanted at every papal Mass, baptism, ordination, religious profession, dedication of a church, conclave, and at the Easter Vigil.

The Prayer

English · Original

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Saint Michael, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel, pray for us.
Saint Raphael, pray for us.
All holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
All holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.

Saint Peter, pray for us.
Saint Paul, pray for us.
Saint Andrew, pray for us.
[…each apostle, evangelist, martyr, confessor, virgin invoked by name…]

All holy men and women, saints of God, intercede for us.

Be merciful — spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful — graciously hear us, O Lord.
From all evil, deliver us, O Lord.
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From everlasting death, deliver us, O Lord.
[…each petition for protection…]

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
  spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
  graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
  have mercy on us.

When the Prayer is Said

Every papal Mass, papal conclave, ordination, religious profession, baptism, canonization Mass, dedication of a church or altar; the Easter Vigil during the baptism of catechumens; processions in times of public crisis.

History & Background

The Litany of the Saints is the oldest and most universal Catholic litany — its earliest forms are attested in the late 7th-century Stowe Missal of Ireland and the early Frankish liturgical sources. It is structured as an invocation of the saints by name (the Virgin Mary, the archangels, John the Baptist, the apostles, the martyrs, the bishops and confessors, the doctors and priests, the virgins and widows), followed by a series of petitions for protection from evils and gifts of grace.

It is liturgically chanted at: every papal Mass and at the opening of every conclave; the Easter Vigil (during the baptism of catechumens); every baptism; every ordination (where the candidates lie prostrate while it is sung); every religious profession of perpetual vows; the dedication of every Catholic church and altar; the canonization Mass of every new saint.

The form is adaptable: a particular religious community may add the names of their distinctive saints, a particular diocese the names of its local patrons. The standard Roman form invokes approximately 60 saints by name; expanded forms can run to over 300.

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