Litany of the Saints: Full Text, Responses and When It Is Sung

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The Litany of the Saints is the oldest litany of the Church: a long chain of invocations that asks Mary, the angels and the saints to pray for us, and then asks Christ to deliver and hear his people. It is sung at the most solemn moments of Catholic life. You hear it at the Easter Vigil before Baptism, while men lie prostrate before ordination, and when the cardinals walk into the Sistine Chapel to elect a pope, as they did on May 7, 2025. Anyone may also pray it at home. Below is the full traditional text with every response written out, then an explanation of its parts and its uses.

The Litany of the Saints (full text)

The leader says each invocation and everyone answers with the words in italics. When the litany is sung, a cantor sings the invocations and the people sing the responses.

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.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.

St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All ye holy angels and archangels, pray for us.
All ye holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us.

St. John Baptist, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.

St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. John, pray for us.
St. Thomas, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. Philip, pray for us.
St. Bartholomew, pray for us.
St. Matthew, pray for us.
St. Simon, pray for us.
St. Thaddeus, pray for us.
St. Matthias, pray for us.
St. Barnabas, pray for us.
St. Luke, pray for us.
St. Mark, pray for us.
All ye holy apostles and evangelists, pray for us.
All ye holy disciples of Our Lord, pray for us.
All ye holy innocents, pray for us.

St. Stephen, pray for us.
St. Lawrence, pray for us.
St. Vincent, pray for us.
SS. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.
SS. John and Paul, pray for us.
SS. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.
SS. Gervase and Protase, pray for us.
All ye holy martyrs, pray for us.

St. Sylvester, pray for us.
St. Gregory, pray for us.
St. Ambrose, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Jerome, pray for us.
St. Martin, pray for us.
St. Nicholas, pray for us.
All ye holy bishops and confessors, pray for us.
All ye holy doctors, pray for us.

St. Anthony, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Bernard, pray for us.
St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. Francis, pray for us.
All ye holy priests and levites, pray for us.
All ye holy monks and hermits, pray for us.

St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us.
St. Agatha, pray for us.
St. Lucy, pray for us.
St. Agnes, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
St. Catherine, pray for us.
St. Anastasia, pray for us.
All ye holy virgins and widows, pray for us.
All ye men and women, saints of God, make intercession for us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil, O Lord, deliver us.
From all sin, O Lord, deliver us.
From Thy wrath, O Lord, deliver us.
From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver us.
From the snares of the devil, O Lord, deliver us.
From anger, hatred, and all ill will, O Lord, deliver us.
From the spirit of fornication, O Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest, O Lord, deliver us.
From the scourge of earthquake, O Lord, deliver us.
From pestilence, famine, and war, O Lord, deliver us.
From everlasting death, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy coming, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy nativity, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy baptism and holy fasting, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy cross and Passion, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy death and burial, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy holy resurrection, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy admirable ascension, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, O Lord, deliver us.
In the day of judgment, O Lord, deliver us.

We sinners, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us to true penance, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to govern and preserve Thy holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve our Apostolic Prelate and all ecclesiastical Orders in holy religion, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to humble the enemies of Thy holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian people, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us in Thy holy service, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst lift up our minds to heavenly desires, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst render eternal good things to all our benefactors, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst deliver our souls and those of our brethren, kinsfolk, and benefactors from eternal damnation, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously to hear us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear 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, hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

The psalm and versicles after the litany

In the complete traditional form, the litany continues with the Our Father, Psalm 69 (Psalm 70 in modern Bibles) and a series of versicles. When the litany is part of a larger rite, such as the Easter Vigil or an ordination, this section is left out.

Our Father (silently).

V. And lead us not into temptation.
R. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Psalm 69

O God, come to mine assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.

Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.

Let them be turned backward and blush for shame that desire evils to me.

Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me, ‘Tis well, ’tis well.

Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be magnified.

But I am needy and poor: O God, help me.

Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

V. Save Thy servants.
R. Trusting in Thee, O my God.

V. Be unto us, O Lord, a tower of strength.
R. From the face of the enemy.

V. Let not the enemy prevail against us.
R. Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.

V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.
R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

V. Let us pray for our chief bishop N.
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

V. Let us pray for our benefactors.
R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake, to reward with eternal life all those who have done us good.

V. Let us pray for the faithful departed.
R. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.

V. For our absent brethren.
R. O my God, save Thy servants trusting in Thee.

V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place.
R. And from Sion protect them.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

The closing prayers

Let us pray.

O God, Whose property it is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petitions, that we, and all Thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, mercifully be absolved.

Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayer of Thy suppliants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that, of Thy bounty, Thou mayest grant us pardon and peace.

In Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy to us, that so Thou mayest both acquit us of our sins and deliver us from the punishment we deserve for them.

O God, Who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people, who make supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thy anger, which we deserve for our sins.

O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant N., our chief bishop, and direct him, according to Thy clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by Thy grace, he may desire the things that are agreeable to Thy will, and perform them with all his strength.

O God, from Whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that, our hearts being disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies taken away, the times, by Thy protection, may be peaceable.

Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy Ghost; to the end that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that by pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended.

Almighty and eternal God, Who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom Thou foreknowest shall be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have resolved to offer our prayers, whether this present world still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come hath already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the clemency of Thine own goodness and the intercession of Thy saints, obtain the remission of all their sins.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.
R. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us.
R. Amen.

V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.

Where the text says “N.,” name the Pope (and, if you wish, your bishop).

How the litany is built

The litany moves from heaven to earth and back to Christ:

  1. Kyrie and the Holy Trinity. It opens like the Mass, with “Lord, have mercy,” and calls on each Person of the Trinity.
  2. The saints. First come Mary, the archangels and all the angels. John the Baptist, St. Joseph and the patriarchs and prophets follow, then the apostles and evangelists, the martyrs, the bishops and doctors, the monks and hermits, and the holy women. The list ends with “all ye men and women, saints of God.”
  3. “Deliver us.” Christ is asked to deliver us from sin, sudden death, the devil and disaster, by the mysteries of his life: his Incarnation, birth, baptism, Passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
  4. “We beseech Thee, hear us.” Petitions for the Church, the Pope and the clergy, for peace and unity, for benefactors, for the harvest and for the faithful departed.
  5. The Lamb of God, the psalm and the collects.

Only God answers prayer. The saints do not act in his place: they pray with us and for us. The Catechism explains that the saints in heaven “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us” (CCC 956), and that their intercession is “their most exalted service to God’s plan” (CCC 2683).

When the Church sings the Litany of the Saints

  • At the Easter Vigil. When there are baptisms, the litany is sung before the blessing of the baptismal water. The names of the patron saints of the church and of those to be baptized may be added. The next Easter Vigil is on the night of March 27, 2027.
  • At ordinations. The candidates for diaconate, priesthood or the episcopate lie face down on the floor of the church while everyone kneels and sings the litany over them.
  • At religious profession, the consecration of virgins and the dedication of a church.
  • At the conclave. The cardinal electors sing it as they process from the Pauline Chapel into the Sistine Chapel. On May 7, 2025, they sang it before the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV the next day.
  • On the Rogation Days. The old calendar sang it in procession on April 25 and on the three days before Ascension Thursday, to ask God’s blessing on the crops.
  • For the dying. A shorter form is part of the Church’s prayers for the commendation of the dying. See prayers for the dying.
  • On All Saints’ Day, which in 2026 falls on Sunday, November 1. See our guide to All Saints’ Day.

The traditional and the modern forms

The text above is the traditional English form. It comes from a 1911 American prayer book and follows the traditional Latin litany of the Roman Breviary and Ritual. Many people know the shorter modern form used in today’s liturgical books. It keeps the same pattern of saints, “deliver us” and petitions, uses “you” in place of “thee,” adds saints of later centuries, and lets the community add the names of its own patrons. The response to the saints is the same in both: “pray for us.”

Composers have written many sung settings. Searches for the “Litany of the Saints by John D. Becker” are looking for one popular modern setting. Many parishes sing it to a simple chant tone.

How to pray it at home

  • Pray it slowly with others. One person reads the invocations, everyone answers. It takes about ten minutes without the psalm and collects.
  • Add your patrons. It is a long-standing custom to add your own patron saint, your parish patron and the saints of your family before “All ye men and women, saints of God.” If you do not know your patron, try our patron saint finder.
  • Use it in a time of crisis. Popes have ordered the litany sung in procession in times of plague and war. The best-known example is St. Gregory the Great’s procession through Rome during the plague of 590.
  • Pray it for the dead in November, together with the Eternal Rest prayer.

Frequently asked questions

Who is in the Litany of the Saints?

Mary, the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, the twelve apostles with Barnabas, Luke and Mark, and early martyrs such as Stephen and Lawrence. It also names great bishops and doctors such as Gregory, Ambrose and Augustine, the monastic and religious founders Benedict, Bernard, Dominic and Francis, and holy women such as Mary Magdalen, Agnes and Cecilia.

What is the response in the Litany of the Saints?

To the saints, “pray for us.” To Christ, “O Lord, deliver us” and “we beseech Thee, hear us.” The final saint invocation, “all ye men and women, saints of God,” is answered “make intercession for us.”

Why do priests lie on the floor during the Litany of the Saints?

Lying prostrate is a sign of complete self-offering and of dependence on God’s grace. The whole Church on earth and in heaven prays over the candidates before they are ordained.

Is the Litany of the Saints approved for public prayer?

Yes. It is one of the six litanies approved for public use in the Latin Church, together with the litanies of the Holy Name, the Sacred Heart, the Precious Blood, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

More litanies

Texts and sources