The Holy Helpers, starting from the top, left and moving clockwise: St. Christopher, St. Dionysius [Denis], St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Blaise,  St. Vitus,  St. George; moving left and counterclockwise: St. Erasmus [Elmo], St. Margaret, St. Barbara,  St. Eustachius [Eustace]; center panel, left, from top to botton: St. Achatius, St. Cyriacus, St. Pantaleon; center panel, right: St. Giles [with the deer]. NOTE: The images of St. Achatius, St. Cyriacus, and St. Pantaleon are  adapted from imagesof unidentified Saints'  images of the time period

 
The Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

For Private Devotion.

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, Queen of Martyrs,
pray for us.

St. Joseph, helper in all needs, etc.

Fourteen Holy Helpers,
St. George, valiant Martyr of Christ,
St. Blaise, 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, etc.
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,
deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath, etc.
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, etc.
 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,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wilt pardon us, etc.
That Thou wilt convert us to true penance,
That Thou wilt give and preserve the fruits of the earth,
That Thou wilt protect and propagate Thy holy Church,
That Thou wilt preserve peace and concord among the nations,
That Thou wilt give eternal rest to the souls of the departed,
That Thou wilt come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers,
That through the intercession of St. George Thou wilt preserve us in the Faith,
That through the intercession of St. Blaise Thou wilt confirm us in hope,
That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou wilt enkindle in us Thy holy love,
That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou wilt give us charity for our neighbor,
That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou wilt teach us the value of our soul,
That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou wilt preserve us from sin,
That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou wilt give us tranquillity of conscience,
That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou wilt grant us resignation to Thy holy will,
That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou wilt give us patience in adversity,
That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou wilt grant us a happy death,
That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou wilt grant us a merciful judgment,
That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou wilt preserve us from Hell,
That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou wilt shorten our Purgatory,
That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou wilt 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.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.

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 irttercession 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 OF THE HOLY HELPERS

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 thou persevered till death thou 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 thee as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to thee in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by thy 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 thee in Heaven, there to praise for ever God, Who is wonderful in His Saints. Amen.

  

AMONG THE SAINTS/MARTYRS who in Catholic devotion are invoked with special confidence, because they have proved themselves efficacious helpers in adversity and difficulties, there is a group venerated under the collective name of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, although many of them have a devoted following as individual Saints:

St. George, Martyr, by custom placed first and not in order of Feast Day; [April 23]
St. Blaise [Blase], Bishop and Martyr; [February 3]
St. Pantaleon, Martyr; [July 27]
St. Vitus, Martyr; [June 15]
St. Erasmus [Elmo],Bishop and Martyr; [June 2]
St. Christophorus [Christopher], Martyr; [July 25]
St. Giles, Abbot; [September 1]
St. Cyriacus [Cyriac], Martyr; [August 8]
St. Achatius, Martyr; [May 8]
St. Dionysius [Denis], Bishop and Martyr; [October 9]
St. Eustachius [Eustace], Martyr; [September 20]
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr; [November 25]
St. Margaret, Virgin and Martyr; [July 20]
and St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr. [December 4]
 

These Saints are invoked as a group, apart from individual patronage, because of the epidemic called the "Black Plague," which devastated Europe between 1346-1349. Among its symptoms were a turning black of the tongue, parching of the throat, violent headache, fever and boils on the abdomen. The malady attacked its victims without warning, robbed them of reason and killed them within a few hours, and many died without the last Sacraments. fear caused many attacks and disrupted social and family ties. To all appearances the disease was incurable.

During this affliction, the pious turned toward Heaven, having recourse to the Saints, praying to be spared or cured. Among the Saints invoked were these 14 who already had patronage over certain illnesses or tragedies:

St. Christopher and St. Giles, plagues, St. Denis, headaches, St. Blaise, ills of the throat [although St. Ignatius of Antioch is also a patron of those with sore throats], St. Elmo, patron of abdominal maladies [and one of the several Saints having patronage over childbirth, which is not an illness, of course, as well as patron of sailors], St. Barbara, against fever, St. Vitus, [with St. Dymphna, against epilepsy], St. Pantaleon, patron of physicians, St. Cyriacus, recourse in time of temptations, especially at the hour of death; Sts. Christopher, Barbara, and Catherine were appealed to for protection against a sudden, unprovided death; the aid of St. Giles was implored for making a good confession; St. Eustace, patron of all kinds of difficulties, especially family troubles. Domestic animals were also attacked by the plague: Sts. George, Erasmus, Pantaleon and Vitus were invoked for their protection. St. Margaret of Antioch is the patron of safe childbirth deliveries [along with St.Gerard Majella and Raymond Nonnantus]. As devotion spread, Pope Nicholas V in the 16th century attached indulgences to devotion of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, which are no longer attached under the modern norms and grants, although their cultus is still efficacious and to be promoted.

THE FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS, Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, O.F.M.
TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, 1995; with Imprimatur, Imprimi Potest and Nihil Obstat.
 

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