The Litany of The Saints is often recited during important religious celebrations, and especially during baptisms. The litany is used as a closing prayer for the Liturgy of the Word; it is also recited after prayers of the faithful, and before the Liturgy of Baptisms. Discover how and why the litany is included in the celebration of baptism.
During the ceremony, the baptized join the great Christian family by becoming children of God; they are part of the Church on earth (composed of all the living Christians) and in Heaven (composed of all the Christian that precede us), The baptized are introduced to the parish community (or one of its representatives) during Baptism, in the same way that they are being introduced to the celestial family, welcoming them as brother or sister of Christ.
Furthermore, every baptized Christian is called to sainthood. It is a long and difficult path of life that begins with Baptism; during the ceremony, we entrust the baptized to every person that walked or is walking the path to sainthood, asking them to become examples and to support the baptized during their progression. We pray for the baptized, and for the whole assembly that came together to celebrate this day.
Litanies follow a precise order:
Litanies begin by invoking the first saint: the Mother of God.
You can then invoke the Archangels (St. Michael in particular)
Invoke the names of the main Apostles and Disciples of Christ
Invoke a few martyrs, and important figures of Christianity: holy men and women
Finally, invoke the Names of the Saints from the parish and/or diocese of the place of Baptism. You can ask your priest to provide a list of such saints.
You can add to the list of saints the patron saints of the baptized, potentially the patron saints of their parents and Godparents as well.
These saints are usually mentioned at the end of the litany, unless they have already been invoked previously, (St. Mary, Mother of God; St. Michael; St. Paul, etc.), and unless they are Archangels, Apostles, or Disciples: in this case, they are positioned in the litany according to their title.
Make sure that you have checked the patron saint of the baptized: some names don’t have a corresponding saint, but can be associated with another. You can find online resources to learn about the patron saint associated with certain names.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
All you Holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist. pray for us.
Saint Joseph. pray for us.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul. pray for us.
All ye Apostles and Disciples of the Lord, pray for us.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
St Lawrence, pray for us.
All you Holy Martyrs, pray for us.
St. Charles, pray for us.
St. Emily pray for us.
All you Holy men and women, pray for us.
(N.B.: Sts. Charles and Emily are given as examples of saints associated with the baptized and their families.)
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