Novena to All the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Feast: No fixed feast

When to pray: Any nine consecutive days. A novena is prayed on nine consecutive days.

Said every day

Preparatory prayer

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for whom you gave up all things and who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God’s service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, whose beatific vision you enjoy, and whom you praise and glorify for ever. Amen.

Litany title

Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (for private devotion)

Litany

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, one God,
Holy Mary, queen of martyrs,
St. Joseph, helper in all needs,
Fourteen Holy Helpers,
St. George, valiant martyr of Christ,
St. Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor,
St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed,
St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity,
St. Vitus, special protector of chastity,
St. Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers,
St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence,
St. Cyriacus, terror of hell,
St. Achatius, helpful advocate in death,
St. Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity,
St. Giles, despiser of the world,
St. Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith,
St. Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity,
St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying,
All ye Holy Helpers,
All ye saints of God,
In temptations against faith,
In adversity and trials,
In anxiety and want,
In every combat,
In every temptation,
In sickness,
In all needs,
In fear and terror,
In dangers of salvation,
In dangers of honor,
In dangers of reputation,
In dangers of property,
In dangers by fire and water,
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!
From all sin,
From Thy wrath,
From the scourge of earthquake,
From plague, famine, and war,
From lightning and storms,
From a sudden and unprovided death,
From eternal damnation,
Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation,
Through Thy birth and Thy life,
Through Thy cross and passion,
Through Thy death and burial,
Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary,
Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers,
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!
We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou spare us,
That Thou pardon us,
That Thou convert us to true penance,
That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth,
That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church,
That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations,
That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the departed,
That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers,
That through the intercession of St. George Thou preserve us in the Faith,
That through the intercession of St. Blase Thou confirm us in hope,
That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou enkindle in us Thy holy love,
That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou give us charity for our neighbor,
That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou teach us the value of our soul,
That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou preserve us from sin,
That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou give us tranquillity of conscience,
That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou grant us resignation to Thy holy will,
That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou give us patience in adversity,
That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou grant us a happy death,
That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou grant us a merciful judgment,
That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou preserve us from hell,
That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou shorten our purgatory,
That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou receive us in heaven,
That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers Thou wilt grant our prayers,
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, O Lord.
V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Litany prayers

Let us Pray
Almighty and eternal God, who hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius, Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming all temptations against it, and protect us through their intercession in all dangers of soul and body, so that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invocation

Fourteen Holy Helpers, who served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific vision in heaven; because you persevered till death you gained the crown of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our needs and adversities. Amen.
Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor you as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to you in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by your intercession to placate God’s wrath, which I have provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will, to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may join you in heaven, there to praise for ever God, who is wonderful in His saints. Amen.

Day by day

Day 1

We beseech Thee, O Lord, to hear the prayer which we send up to Thee in honor of Thy glorified servants, the Fourteen Holy Helpers: and as we can not rely upon our own justice, grant our petition through the intercession of those whose merits have made them especially dear to Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 2

O God, who according to the decrees of Thy providence hast created man for eternal bliss; grant, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, that I may attain to my destiny by being united with Thee in this life and loving and praising Thee for ever in heaven. Amen.

Day 3

O God, I beseech Thee, through the faith of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace to treasure in my heart the doctrines of our holy faith, to believe them firmly, to confess them bravely, and to live according to their precepts, that through that same faith I may become worthy to be admitted to Thy beatific vision in heaven. Amen.

Day 4

Eternal God of love and mercy, I thank Thee for all the benefits Thou hast conferred upon me, and hope to obtain, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, all the graces necessary for my salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 5

O God of mercy and love, I thank Thee from all my heart for the countless graces which Thy infinite love has bestowed on me. By the ardent love which the Holy Helpers had for Thee, I implore Thee to enkindle in my heart the flame of Thy love, so that I may remain in Thee and Thou in me. Amen.

Day 6

O God of charity, who dost will that I love my neighbor for Thy sake, grant me the grace, through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, to be animated with that spirit of charity which embraces all and excludes none, which “is patient, kind, envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, endureth all things, and never falleth away” (1 Cor. xiii. 4-8). Amen.

Day 7

Merciful God, who gavest the Holy Helpers the grace to fulfil Thy will regardless of human respect; grant that we may obtain through their intercession and merits the courage to despise the opinion of men, and ever serve Thee with a fearless heart. Amen.

Day 8

O God, I implore Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, to grant me the spirit of prayer, that following their example I may walk in Thy presence and ever enjoy the consolation of intercourse with Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 9

O God, whose mercies are infinite and whose goodness is without limit, I beseech Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace of perseverance in Thy love and service to the end. Thou, who dost dispense so many favors through the Holy Helpers, despise not my prayer, but graciously hear and grant it. Amen.

Scripture

Douay-Rheims numbering (modern in brackets): John 1:29. Scripture index

Source

Traditional text, checked word for word against the printed source: Bonaventure Hammer, Mary, Help of Christians (1909), pp. 237–258. Public domain. How we check sources