Prayer Resources · Litanies
Litany of the Saints
Calling upon the communion of saints while asking Christ for mercy and steadfastness
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The Litany of the Saints belongs prominently to the Church’s liturgical life. It joins petitions to Christ with the intercession of Mary, the angels, apostles, martyrs, pastors, doctors, founders, and holy men and women.
The Prayer
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Saint Michael, pray for us. Holy angels of God, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, Saint John, Saint Mary Magdalene, and all holy apostles and disciples of the Lord, pray for us.
Saint Stephen, Saint Ignatius, Saint Lawrence, Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Saint Agnes, and all holy martyrs, pray for us.
Saint Gregory, Saint Augustine, Saint Athanasius, Saint Basil, Saint Martin, Saint Benedict, Saints Francis and Dominic, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Teresa of Jesus, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and all holy men and women, pray for us.
Be merciful; deliver us, O Lord. From all evil, from every sin, and from everlasting death, deliver us, O Lord.
By Your Incarnation, death, and Resurrection; by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, save us, O Christ.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Amen.
Important Catholic Boundary
Liturgical versions vary by rite and occasion and may include additional names and petitions. Use the approved text when the litany is prayed within a liturgical celebration; this page provides a concise form for private devotion.
The Communion of Saints
Asking saints to pray is not worshiping them. The Church on earth remains united in Christ with those already perfected in heaven. Their holiness displays what divine grace can accomplish in human lives.
The litany is catholic in the fullest sense: believers do not face trial as isolated individuals but as members of Christ’s Body.
For Personal and Family Use
- Add a patron saint, confirmation saint, and saints connected to present needs.
- Keep Christ’s saving mysteries at the center of the response.
- Learn one new saint’s story and imitate a concrete virtue.
- Remember persecuted Christians and those nearing death.
A Catholic Practice Plan
Choose one saint named in the litany, read a reliable biography, and practice one virtue from that saint’s life this week.
Sources and Editorial Notes
This page is self-contained. These open sources are supplied for verification and deeper study.
- Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Official principles for devotions in harmony with Scripture and the sacred liturgy. - EWTN: Catholic Devotions
Accessible index for established Catholic prayers and devotions.
This is an abbreviated private devotional form, not a replacement for an approved liturgical text.