Prayers For the Intercession Of Saints The title of Saint or Blessed Whenever we pray to a saint, recognizes that a person lived a we are asking that person to holy life, is in heaven, and their intercede directly on our behalf life should be an inspiration to to God, knowing that all us. However, there are many answered prayers and miracles more saintly souls in Heaven come from the power of God, who are not known to us on not the saints themselves. earth. Having pictures or statues of This practice of honoring saints saints is not much different came from a long-standing than having pictures in our tradition in the Jewish faith of house or wallet of loved ones honoring prophets and holy who have passed away. It people with shrines. reminds us of the holiness to which we are called. Created by the Hospital Ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington WHO IS PADRE PIO? Saint Padre Pio is one of the greatest intercessors in the Catholic Church today. He was a Capuchin Catholic priest from Italy. During his lifetime, he became known for bearing the stigmata (wounds of Christ), and performing many miracles. His life work was devoted to the suffering and to his hospital. He loved to pray the rosary, encouraging others to pray also. Padre Pio was a Catholic mystic who sought union with God. He taught that through prayer and contemplation, the soul could be brought into union with God. Padre Pio encouraged his Christian followers to seek to do the will of God and to be detached from personal desire. Here are some of Fr. Stefan Starzynski’s favorite quotations from Padre Pio: • “Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry.” • “My usual manner of praying is this: I no sooner begin to pray than my soul becomes enveloped in a peace and tranquility that words cannot describe. All I can say about this prayer is that my soul seems to be completely lost in God and that in those moments it gains more than it could in many years of intensive spiritual exercises.” • “Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him.” https://saintpiofoundation.org Praying this 9-bead chaplet to St. Padre Pio regularly is a beautiful way deepen your relationship with God. Pray on the Crucifix: Oh Jesus, full of grace and charity, victim for sinners, so impelled by Your love of us that You will to die on the cross, I humbly entreat You to glorify in heaven and on earth, the servant of God, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who generously participated in Your sufferings, who loved You so much and labored so faithfully for the glory of Your heavenly Father and for the good of souls. With confidence, I beseech You to grant me, through his intercession, (mention your request here...) which I ardently desire. On each set of the three beads say one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory be. Concluding Prayer on the medal: † Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have Your present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. † Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. † Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light an without You I am in darkness. † Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. † Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. † Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and always be in Your company. † Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. † Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love. † Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes; death, judgment and eternity approach. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that I need You. It getting late and death approaches; I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile! † Stay with me tonight, Jesus; in life with all its dangers, I need You. Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. † Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love. † Stay with me, Lord for it is You alone I look for, Your love, Your grace, Your will, Your heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen. Prayer for the Intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls. With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of (here state your petition). Amen. Glory be to the Father… (three times). Pope St. John Paul II O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for Pope John Paul II (Karol having graced the Church with St. John Wojtyla) was born on Paul II and for allowing the tenderness May 18, 1920 in of your fatherly care, the glory of the Wadowice, Poland. Cross of Christ and the splendor of the He entered the seminary Spirit of love to shine through him. in 1942 during the Nazi’s Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and occupation of Poland, and was ordained in the maternal intercession of Mary, he a priest in 1946 when communists ruled has given us a living image of Jesus the the country. In 1978, he was elected as Pope and took the name of John Paul II. Good Shepherd. He has shown us that He led the Church as Pope for 26 years, holiness is the necessary measure of and was a prolific writer, teacher and ordinary Christian life and is the way of traveler. During his Papacy, the Soviet achieving eternal communion with you. Union dissolved and the revised Grant us, by his intercession, and Catechism of the Catholic Church was according to your will, the graces we published. He died on April 2, 2005 and implore, through Christ our Lord. Amen. was canonized a saint on April 27, 2014. https://www.jp2shrine.org Venerable Nelson Baker Father Nelson Baker was born on February 16, Lord, you gave us Your servant 1842 and ordained a Nelson Baker as an example of priest on March 19, 1876 service to the poor, homeless, and for the Diocese of Buffalo, young. By Father Baker’s ardent NY. In 1882, Fr. Baker concern for those in need, inflame was assigned to Lackawanna, NY, where he our hearts and lives with stayed for the rest of his life. While there, he formed the Association of Our Lady of compassion for the poor, justice Victory, and began to build a new church for the oppressed, hope for the and various homes for unwed mothers, a troubled, and courage for those in hospital, an orphanage and industrial doubt. We pray through the school. Later, he built the Basilica of Our intercession of Our Lady of Lady of Victory and several Homes of Victory, if it be Your will, that Your Charity. He died on July 29, 1936 and the servant, Nelson Baker, may one process for his canonization is underway. On January 14, 2011, he was named day be canonized. Amen. Venerable. http://www.fatherbaker.org St. Damien of Molokai God, we praise you for the gift you gave the Born in rural Belgium lepers through St. Damien. St. Damien, you on January 3, 1840, had to spiritually uplift a forgotten people, Jozef De Veuster was and encourage them through the physical the youngest of 7 and emotional pain involved with their children in a pious disease. You also had to battle the family. In 1863, he depression and lawlessness of such broken took his brother’s place on a mission to people. When you contracted the disease Hawaii, and was ordained a priest there yourself, you taught by example the beauty in 1864. Much of his ministry was and importance of life no matter the helping the sick, and in 1873, he circumstances. St. Damien, give me the volunteered to live on the island of grace to teach through my own pain as Molokai to help the lepers who were well. Help me to use the crosses in my life relocated there by caring for them to inspire others, bring hope, and give God physically and spiritually, building glory. At this time, I also bring you my hospitals, houses, a church and school.