A Prayer to Saint Patrick

 The 1874 edition of The Key of Heaven which contains the Litany of Saint Patrick also has an alternative to the more commonly found novena prayer which begins 'O Blessed St. Patrick, glorious Apostle of Ireland, who didst become a friend and father to me for ages before my birth', the full text of which is available at the blog here. The alternative below is taken from a Novena approved at Rome and so I wonder if it might have come from the 1859 Novena in Honour of St Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland composed by Archbishop Tobias Kirby (1803-1895), Rector of the Irish College at Rome.  I am attempting to trace this text but below is the prayer as it appeared in the 1874 edition of The Key of Heaven, attributed to the English penal era Bishop John Milner (1752-1826), but published in New York. There are numerous editions of this prayer book but this is the only one I have come across which contains this particular Prayer to Saint Patrick. Bishop Milner was well-acquainted with Ireland and defended its patron saint in his 1808 work An inquiry into certain vulgar opinions: concerning the Catholic inhabitants and the antiquities of Ireland: in a series of letters from thence, addressed to a Protestant gentleman in England. There is a list of his extensive writings available online here.

 

PRAYER TO ST. PATRICK. 

 [From the Novena, approved at Rome.] 

 GLORIOUS apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick, I beg of you to accept the poor offering which I desire to present to you, during these days, dedicated to your honor. I now offer all the good resolutions I shall make. I propose to devote myself wholly and entirely to the attainment of the end of my creation. Yes, O great Saint, I am resolved, with the divine aid, to save my soul at all hazards. Cost what it may, I am determined to effect that great object. Do you aid me, by your powerful intercession. Obtain for me your spirit of prayer; your detachment from the things of the world; your ardent love for God, and zeal for the salvation of my neighbor. Obtain for me a tender, filial, and constant devotion to the glorious Mother of God, who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope. I commend to you the Holy Catholic Church. Bring back by your prayers, to the embraces of this tender mother, all those poor souls whom error and the fraud of their infernal enemy have torn from her bosom. Convert all poor sinners to the paths of justice, by your powerful intercession. Obtain peace for all Christian people, that we all united together by the unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, may imitate your virtues in this life, and participate in your glory hereafter. Amen. 

 

Rt. Rev. J. Milner, The Key of Heaven; or, A Manual of Prayer (New York, 1874), 551-552.

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LITANY OF SAINT PATRICK. APOSTLE AND PATRON OF THE IRISH RACE.

A fine old nineteenth-century litany which I intend to pray every day during the month of March:

 

LITANY OF SAINT PATRICK. APOSTLE AND PATRON OF THE IRISH RACE. 

 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, Have mercy on us. 

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. 

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity one God, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, Pray for us

Holy Mother of God, Pray for us

All ye holy Angels,  Pray for us

All ye Apostles and Evangelists, Pray for us

All ye holy Saints and Doctors, Pray for us

All ye holy Bishops and Confessors, Pray for us

St. Patrick, Apostle and Patron of Ireland, Pray for us

St. Patrick, vessel of election, Pray for us

St. Patrick, model of penitents, Pray for us

St. Patrick, example of mortification, Pray for us

St. Patrick, meek and humble, Pray for us

St. Patrick, mild and patient, Pray for us

St. Patrick, pure and temperate, Pray for us

St. Patrick, zealous pastor of souls, Pray for us

St. Patrick, ardent lover of Jesus, Pray for us

St. Patrick, singularly devoted to our Blessed Lady, Pray for us

St. Patrick, most constant in holy prayer,  Pray for us

St. Patrick, example of perfect charity, Pray for us

St. Patrick, glory of Ireland, Pray for us

St. Patrick, our powerful protector, Pray for us

St. Patrick, pillar of Catholicity, Pray for us

St. Patrick, confessor of the faith, Pray for us

 St. Patrick, herald of salvation, Pray for us

St. Patrick, our father in Christ, Pray for us

Lord Jesus, we beseech thee to hear us, 

That it would please thee through the intercession of thy servant Patrick, to make thy name glorious to all who know it not, we beseech thee to hear us,

That thou vouchsafe to preserve the Pope, and all ecclesiastical orders in religion, we beseech thee to hear us, 

That thou wilt protect our bishops and clergy, and all who labor in thy holy Church, we beseech thee to hear us, 

That thou wilt preserve and increase the faith among us, we beseech thee to hear us, 

That thou wilt enlighten all those who are in error, and bring them to the knowledge of thy truth, we beseech thee to hear us,

That thou wilt deliver us from all sin, we beseech thee to hear us,

From all pride and impurity, Deliver us, O Lord. 

From all hatred and ill-will, Deliver us, O Lord. 

From all violence and intemperance, Deliver us, O Lord.

From a sudden and unprovided death, Deliver us, O Lord. 

In the day of judgment, Deliver us, O Lord.   

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, Hear us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. 

Lord, have mercy on us. 

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. 

Pray for us, St. Patrick,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray. 

GOD, who hast vouchsafed to send thy confessor and bishop, the blessed St. Patrick, to preach thy glory to nations, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may accomplish in thy mercy what thou commandest to be done. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Rt. Rev. J. Milner, The Key of Heaven; or, A Manual of Prayer (New York, 1874), 551-556.

 

 

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A Novena to Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland.

A Novena to St Patrick, Apostle of Ireland.

O BLESSED St. Patrick, glorious Apostle of Ireland, who didst become a friend and father to me for ages before my birth, hear my prayer, and accept for God the sentiments of gratitude and veneration with which my heart is filled. Through thee I have inherited that faith which is dearer than life. I now make thee the representative of my thanks, and the mediator of my homage to Almighty God. Most holy father and patron of my country, despise not my weakness: remember that the cries of little children were the sounds that rose, like a mysterious voice from heaven, and invited thee to come amongst us. Listen, then, to my humble supplication: may my prayer ascend to the throne of God, with the praises and blessings which shall ever sanctify thy name and thy memory in the Irish Church. May my hope be animated by the patronage and intercession of our forefathers, who now enjoy eternal bliss, and owe their salvation, under God, to thy courage and charity. Obtain for me grace to love God with my whole heart, to serve Him with my whole strength, and to persevere in good purposes to the end. O faithful shepherd of the Irish flock, who wouldst have laid down a thousand lives to save one soul, take my soul, and the souls of my countrymen, under thy especial care. Be a father to the Church of Ireland and her faithful people. Grant that all hearts may share the blessed fruits of that Gospel you planted and watered. Grant that, as our ancestors of old had learned, under thy guidance, to unite science with virtue, we, too, may learn, under thy patronage, to consecrate all Christian duty to the glory of God. I commend to thee my native land, which was so dear to thee while on earth. Protect it still, and, above all, direct its chief pastors, particularly those who teach us. Give them grace to walk in thy footsteps, to nurture the flock with the word of life and the bread of salvation, and to lead the heirs of the saints thou hast formed to the possession of that glory which they with you enjoy in the kingdom of the blessed: through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. Patrick.

R. And obtain for us the intention of this Novena.


The Augustinian Manual (Dublin,1885), 208-209.

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To Saint Patrick - a prayer from Connacht

We continue the octave of posts in honour of Saint Patrick with the text and translation of a prayer collected in the west of Ireland by Douglas Hyde:

Do Naomh Pádraig

A Pádraig atá i bParthas Mhic Dé gan locht,

A bheir sláinte le do ghrásta

Do'n té a bhíos bocht,

Tháinig mé ann do láthair-se

A's mé lag gan lúth,

Tabhair árus dom i bParthas

'n áit a bhfeicfidh mé thú.

TO SAINT PATRICK.

 Patrick in the Paradise of God on high, 

 Who lookest on the poor man 

 With a gracious eye. 

 See me come before thee 

 Who am weak and bare, 

 O help me into Paradise 

 To find thee there. [1]


[1] Literally. Patrick who art in the Paradise | Of the Son of God without fault | Who givest help with thy grace | Unto him who is poor | I have come into thy presence | And I weak without activity | Give me a dwelling in Paradise | Where I shall see thee.


Douglas Hyde, ed. and trans., The Religious Songs of Connacht: A Collection of Poems, Stories, Prayers, Satires, Ranns, Charms, etc., Volume II, (Dublin and London, 1906), 228-229. 

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A Prayer to Saint Colum Cille for Emigrants

M.F. Cusack, An Illustrated History of Ireland (1868)

A common motif in the story of Saint Colum Cille was the pain that he endured for the sake of Christ in being exiled from his native land. As an illustration of the link in the Irish mind between Saint Colum Cille and the sorrow of living in exile, here is a short prayer from the classic collection Prayers of an Irish Mother. Prayers for emigrants were a staple of Irish prayer books in the nineteenth and in the first half of the twentieth century. Alas, the current economic crisis has brought forced emigration once again to the people of Ireland, although in these days of air travel and the worldwide web, the parting does not have to be quite so final as it once was.

For Our Loved Ones far away

St. Colmcille, who suffered the pain and grief of exile, watch over the children of Ireland, scattered throughout the world. Obtain for them solace and courage, and keep them true to God in every trial and temptation!

Prayers of an Irish Mother compiled by Mary T. Dolan (Dublin, 1934), 50.

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Prayers to Our Patrons: Saint Colum Cille

Below is a selection of prayers in honour of Ireland's tertiary patron, Saint Colum Cille (Columba), taken from the 1941 edition of Saint Anthony's Treasury. This edition contains many prayers to Irish saints, which have been successively whittled down in later printings. The 1975 edition preserves only the Novena Prayer to Saint Columba but there is a litany and a short prayer in the older printing too. I would think that these prayers were probably composed in the 19th century, and as the litany invokes the saint as 'shield of our city', probably in Derry itself. There is a fascinating glimpse of what Saint Columcille meant to the Catholics of late nineteenth-century Derry in an 1897 commemorative book preserved by the Internet Archive here.  Indeed, the prayers may well have been written for this anniversary. They present a very different view of Saint Columba to that of the modern 'Celtic Christianity' movement, for here he is sited very firmly within Irish Catholicism as a saint of the Eucharist.

Novena to St. Columba

O Glorious St. Columba, in remembrance of the love you bore your native land in the golden days, when you declared your spirit would always be with us, we beg of you to intercede for us that we may worthily imitate your virtues, especially your great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Turn to Jesus on the altar, and never cease to pray for us until the fire of Divine Love burns brightly and steadfastly in every Irish heart. Obtain for our rulers and for all, the true spirit of charity. Let not your interest in the schools of Ireland be less than it was formerly. Bless the labours of those who work in them that the land you loved so well on earth may become again the "Isle of Saints and Scholars". We invoke your powerful intercession against the dread evils of intemperance and for the preservation of the faith and virtue of the Irish people. Pray for us now and always, that faithfully fulfilling the duties of our state, we may love Jesus and Mary with our whole hearts, and thus prove worthy of your love and protection. Amen.

Litany of St. Columba

(For private recitation only)

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, pray for us

Queen of Angels, pray for us

Queen of all Saints, pray for us

St. Columba, greatest of Irish-born Saints, pray for us

St. Columba, most illustrious of Irish Scholars, pray for us

St. Columba, founder of Derry, pray for us

St. Columba, patron of Ireland, pray for us

St. Columba, apostle of Scotland, pray for us

St. Columba, dove of the Church, pray for us

St. Columba, Saint of the Eucharist, pray for us

St. Columba, companion of the Angels, pray for us

St. Columba, mirror of purity, pray for us

St. Columba, model of humility, pray for us

St. Columba, lover of temperance, pray for us

St. Columba, father of the poor, pray for us

St. Columba, protector of the innocent, pray for us

St. Columba, advocate of the oppressed, pray for us

St. Columba, friend of the children, pray for us

St. Columba, guardian of schools, pray for us

St. Columba, shield of our city, pray for us

St Oran, monk of Derry, pray for us

All ye holy Monks of Iona, pray for us

St. Bran, Nephew of St. Columba, pray for us

All ye holy Dead of Derry, pray for us

St. Martin, pray for us

All ye Patrons and Friends of St. Columba, pray for us

V. Pray for us, O dearest St. Columba.

R. That we may love the Sacred Heart of Jesus daily more and more.

Let us Pray

O God, Who didst vouchsafe to unveil to Thy Servant, Columba, the Angels who guard Thy Tabernacle, grant that we, whose privilege it is to pray where he knelt, may, through his intercession, be enabled to lead such lives of purity and holiness as will one day entitle us to behold those same Angels in the mansions of bliss, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of St. Columba

(Feast, June 9th)

May the fire of God's love burn brightly and steadfastly in our hearts like the golden light within the sanctuary lamp. (Prayer of St. Columba in the Dubhregles of Derry.)

St. Anthony's Treasury - A Manual of Devotions (Anthonian Press, Dublin, 1941), 278-81.

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Prayers to Our Patrons: Saint Brigid

I felt it my duty while browsing in a charity bookshop to pick up a battered prayerbook, sitting forlornly on the shelves. It turned out to be a 1941 edition of Saint Anthony's Treasury, a volume still in print, although like many classic prayerbooks (the Garden of the Soul comes to mind) it is not what it used to be. The 1941 edition, however, had a comprehensive selection of prayers to Irish saints, which, alas, have been gradually whittled down in successive editions. Below are the prayers in honour of Saint Brigid which I have reproduced exactly as they appear in the book:

1. A prayer composed in 1902 by Cardinal Moran.

2. A prayer whose source is unknown to me.

3. A Novena to Saint Brigid which remains in popular use.

4. A collect.

5. A Litany of St Brigid. The wording is slightly different to that found in the collection of litanies by Benjamin Musser O.F.M which circulates online. The Musser version also concludes with the collect above, whereas the version in St. Anthony's Treasury concludes with two different prayers.

Cardinal Moran's Prayer to St. Brigid

O Glorious St. Brigid, Mother of the Churches of Erin, patroness of our missionary race, wherever their lot may be cast, be thou our guide in the paths of virtue, protect us amid temptation, shield us from danger. Preserve to us the heritage of chastity and temperance; keep ever brightly burning on the altar of our hearts the sacred Fire of Faith, Charity, and Hope, that thus we may emulate the ancient piety of Ireland's children, and the Church of Erin may shine with peerless glory as of old. Thou wert styled by our fathers " The Mary of Erin," secure for us by thy prayers the all-powerful protection of the Blessed Virgin, that we may be numbered here among her most fervent clients, and may hereafter merit a place together with Thee and the countless Saints of Ireland, in the ranks of her triumphant children in Paradise. Amen.

Prayer to St. Brigid

Dear St. Brigid, brilliant star of sanctity in the early days of our Irish faith and love for the omnipotent God Who has never forsaken us, we look up to you now in earnest, hopeful prayer. By your glorious sacrifice of earthly riches, joys and affections obtain for us grace to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice" with constant trust in His fatherly care. By your life of laborious charity to the poor, the sick, the many seekers for light and comfort, obtain for us grace to be God's helpers to the utmost of our power during our stay on earth, looking forward, as you did, to our life with Him during eternity. By the sanctified peace of your death-bed, obtain for us that we may receive the fulness of pardon and peace when the hour comes that will summon us to the judgment seat of our just and most merciful Lord. Amen.

Novena to St. Brigid

Foundress of Religious Women in Ireland

(To begin on the 23rd January)

O Glorious St. Brigid, Patroness of Ireland and Mother of the Churches, protect the Irish Church and preserve the true Faith in every Irish heart, at home and abroad. Obtain for us the grace to walk faithfully in the path of Christian perfection during life, and so to secure a holy and happy death, with life everlasting, in thy blessed company, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to St. Brigid

Patroness of Ireland

(Feast, February 1st.)

O God, Who givest us joy by the power of the intercession of Blessed Brigid the Virgin, graciously grant that we may be assisted by her merits by the example of whose chastity we are enlightened. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of St. Brigid

(For private recitation only.)

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Eternal Father, have mercy on us.

Divine Son, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Virgin of Virgins, Pray for us.

Blessed St. Brigid, Pray for us.

Consecrated spouse of the King of Kings, Pray for us.

Corner-stone of the Monastic Institute in the Island of Saints, Pray for us.

Brigid, Patroness of Ireland, Pray for us.

Model of Irish Virgins, Pray for us.

Mother of Religious, Pray for us.

Pattern of holiness, Pray for us.

Intercessor for the Irish clergy, Pray for us.

Mediatrix for the Irish people, Pray for us.

Protectress of the faith preached by St. Patrick, Pray for us.

Enjoying with him the clear vision of God, Pray for us.

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.

Let us Pray

O God, the Author of all sanctity, grant that we who inhabit the Island of Saints, may, through the intercession of St. Brigid, walk in their footsteps on earth, and so arrive with them to the possession of Thee in Heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pour forth on us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the spirit of Thy wisdom and love, with which Thou hast replenished Thy holy Servant, St. Brigid, that sincerely obeying Thee in all things, we may by a zealous imitation of her virtues, please Thee in faith and works. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Anthony's Treasury - A Manual of Devotions (Anthonian Press, Dublin, 12th edition, 1941), 275-278.

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Prayers to Our Patrons: Saint Patrick

Below is a prayer to our patron saint taken from a manual of prayers, instructions and meditations originally issued in the nineteenth century for the seminarians of All Hallows College:

A Prayer to Saint Patrick

O great ambassador of God, we praise thy name. Rejoicing we recall how all things worked together unto good for thee and for thy children in the faith. When thou wert young, our fathers did gird thee and lead thee where thou wouldst not; but the Father of all did not suffer thy soul to dwell a captive in the woods and on the mountain. Rather did he convert it to himself and, lifting up thy mind to heavenly desires, vouchsafe thee princely entry into the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free. How incomprehensible are his judgements and how unsearchable his ways! For when thou wert at home again, a free man, he bound thee in the spirit to return to the land of thy captivity, there to expend thy residue of years in the embassy of Christ. Hearkening to the great word, thou didst come, an envoy of Rome, and didst walk once more with those whose dwelling was by the western sea. Wherefore now we give, with thee, unwearied thanks to God. Before thy years were spent, he gave thee to record that a whole people had been reborn to him and confirmed; that priests had been ordained in every place; that the sons and daughters of the Scots had become monks and virgins of Christ. And to that first swift testimony that God is true, succeeding generations have been privileged to attach the great seal of blood. O wondrous mercy of God our Father! O how blessed is the nation that has received fellowship in the sufferings of Christ and known the power of his resurrection! Dear apostle, zealous patron, we are not worthy to be called thy children; but thou art still our father. Behold thy foes make tumult and they that hate thee proudly raise their head. Remember, we beseech thee, how God has bound thee to us in the spirit. Withstand the wrath. Compass our hearts about with truth and that mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity; be thy merit our strong cry and tears before the great and holy God. Thy children have resisted unto blood, striving against sin; let them not now faint or fail. Inspire them, rather, with zeal for the better gifts. Show them the more excellent way, so that, doing the truth in charity, they, with all the faithful, may grow in grace and persevere to the end in the truth and life, the justice, love and peace of Jesus Christ our King.

V. Pray for us, O glorious Saint Patrick.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O God, who didst graciously send the blessed confessor and pontiff Patrick to preach thy glory to the peoples; grant, through his merits and intercession, that what thou dost bid us to do, we may by thy merciful assistance be able to accomplish. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Breviary of Piety for Clerics being the Seventh Edition of the All Hallows Manual, revised and enlarged, (Dublin, 1948), 116-117.

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A Travel Blessing

A Brigit bennach ar sét

nachar táir bét arar cúairt;

a challech a Lifi lán

co rísem slán ar tech úait.

O Brigit bless our road

May misfortune not find us on our journey;

O nun from the full Liffey

until we reach our house safely because of you.

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