A Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite
St. Expedite is one of the most popular and beloved saints in New Orleans. He is the patron saint of those who need fast solutions to problems, who strive to put an end to procrastination and delays, and those who seek financial success. He is also petitioned for prompt solutions to business problems, winning court cases and getting a job, among other things. He has recently been coined the Patron Saint of Nerds due to his association with computer programmers and hackers. He is believed to grant any request within his power provided the petitioner recommends his invocation to others. St. Expedite has become increasingly popular among conjure doctors and the growing practice of Catholic Conjure; but, he has been a fixture in the tradition of folk Catholicism for many years in Louisiana.
In New Orleans Voudou, St. Expedite is closely associated with the lwa Baron Samedi, the spirit of death, guardian of the cemeteries and head of the family of ancestral spirits called the Guede. In Haitian Vodou, the lwa Baron La Croix is often represented by St. Expedite. This association with Baron Samedi makes St. Expedite a favorite among sorcerers, conjure doctors and those who enjoy the saint as a powerful magician. Little is mentioned about this aspect of him anywhere in the literature and scant reference to him exists in the context of Hoodoo with the exception of the Hyatt texts, where he is referred to as the "Saint of Many Colors" and the "Minute Saint." This article, however, focuses on the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite, a strictly Catholic practice that lends itself nicely to conjuring, as well.
Most of St. Expedite’s life is a mystery, as very little has been documented apart from his martyrdom and stories surrounding the discovery of his statue. One version of the story of how St. Expedite came to be in New Orleans is recounted by Father Dan Cambria of the Divine Mercy Chapel in New Orleans. He states it was the Ursuline nuns who received an unidentified statue just prior to the French Revolution. All over the exterior of the crate in which the statue was housed were the words “Expedite.” The nuns proceeded to open up the box and when they saw the statue, none of them recognized the identity of the saint. They asked the bishop to identify the saint; but, the bishop was unable to identify the saint. So, the nuns wrote a letter to the people who sent the statue from France inquiring as to the saints' identity. Unfortunately, the French Revolution had already begun and they never received a reply. So, they placed the statue of the unidentified saint whom they now called St. Expedite in the corridor of their school where it remained for several decades.
The students at the convent eventually developed what is referred to as the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite. Now, novenas are not uncommon in Catholicism; there are nine day novenas to virtually all saints. However, St. Expedite’s novena was for nine hours and according to this story, the students achieved positive results when praying this novena in an expeditious fashion. His devotion continued to grow among the student body and he gained the reputation for bringing fast results to prayers.
Following are instructions for performing the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite and images you may print out for use in your workings with him.
Performing the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite
Setting Up his Altar
St. Expedite’s altar is set up in a triangle pattern. Modern practitioners tend to use red candles when working with St. Expedite; but, any color can be used with him and of course the staple white candle is perfect for the novena. Place the candle at the back of the altar; this is the tip of the triangle formation. In the front and to the left, place an ordinary glass of water and in the front and to the right of the triangle place the statue or image of him in the form of a picture or holy card. An optional silver bell goes in the front of the altar set up.
Once is altar is set up and you are ready to petition him, turn his image upside down. This signifies a work is in progress. Then, ring the bell three times while calling out his name. This is to wake him up and get his attention. If you do not have a silver bell, tap on the glass of water with a fork or spoon three times while calling his name. Then proceed with the novena, reciting the set of prayers on the hour every hour for 9 hours. Once you start, you must commit to nine hours of devotion. Note that the practice of turning the image of a saint upside down comes from New Orleans Voudou and is not a Catholic tradition. Some folks will place the image upside down under the altar itself.
Upon completion of the novena, be prepared to offer him public thanks and recommend his invocation to others by commenting in the comment section below, as well as on any other public forum or advertising section of a newspaper. You may also give him a piece of pound cake if you wish.
Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite
In Catholicism, a novena is a traditional nine day prayer that is said at the same time nine days in a row. Novenas are usually said when petitioning a saint for something, but they can also be said as prayers of thanksgiving. The Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite is performed for nine hours in a row as opposed to nine days in a row and consists of six Catholic prayers each hour. It begins with the Act of Contrition prayer and then each hour a special prayer is said for a specific reason followed by a specific number of Our Fathers, Memorare, and Hail Marys. The individual prayers address faith, hope, freedom, strength, detachment, freedom from anger, grace to pray well, purity and perseverance. The concluding prayer to St. Expedite is said at the end of the 9th hour when all prayers have been said. The standard Catholic prayers follow the novena at the end of this article for those who do not know them.
Note that the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite is effective a road opener novena, so if you are experiencing a significant amount of emotional, situational or conditional blockages in your life, this novena should be very effective if performed correctly.
The Nine Hour Novena is to be said in the following order:
Making the Sign of the Cross (roads)
For those unfamiliar with making the sign of the cross, it is an act of blessing oneself through tracing a cross (roads) shape on the body while saying what is called the trinitarian formula: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen". The formula may be said aloud or to oneself. The sign of the cross is a ritual motion performed using the right hand and using three fingers representing the Holy Trinity (including the thumb). Specific areas of the body may be touched or just symbolically touched. Begin by touching the forehead while saying "In the name of the Father" (In nomine Patris in Latin), then the heart area while saying "And the Son" (et Filii) then touching across the shoulders left to right saying "And the Holy Spirit" (et Spiritus Sanctus), ending with "Amen."
Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) stated we "make the sign of the cross from the left to the right, because from misery (left) we must cross over to glory (right), just as Christ crossed over from death to life, and from Hades to Paradise."
LET'S BEGIN
Act of Contrition
My LORD Jesus Christ, Father of endless charity, I am heartily sorry for my sins. Grant me, therefore, pardon of my sins and the grace I ask of You through the merits of the sorrows of Your loving Mother and the virtues of Your martyr, Saint Expedite.
FIRST HOUR
On the first hour of the novena, it is recommended to pray for the gift of faith.
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the lively faith which was granted you by Bon Dieu (God), I ask you to awaken the same faith in my heart, that I may also believe wholeheartedly that there is a Good God, but most importantly that I may be saved from offending Him.
Follow with:
SECOND HOUR
On the second hour of the Novena, we pray for the gift of hope for ourselves and for those who have trouble believing.
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the admirable hope given you by Bon Dieu (God), pray that those of little belief may be penetrated by some rays of hope so that they also receive eternal blessings; please pray that ardent hope in Bon Dieu be also given me and hold me steadfast in the midst of sufferings.
Follow with:
THIRD HOUR
On the third hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for freedom from worldly cares, so that we can love Bon Dieu (God) more fully.
My Lord Jesus Christ ...
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the endless love which Our Lord planted in your heart, please remove from mine all the shackles tied by worldliness, that without them I may love only Bon Dieu (God) in all eternity. Amen. (Note the prayer specially addresses the removal of obstacles.)
Follow with:
FOURTH HOUR
On the fourth hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for the strength to carry the cross of our passions.
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, who knew fully well the teaching of the Divine Teacher to carry the cross and follow Him, ask Him for the graces I need that I may fight my own passions.
Follow with:
FIFTH HOUR
On the fifth hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for the grace of detachment (an oddly Buddhist concept but very worthwhile nonetheless).
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the bountiful graces you received from Heaven that you may conserve all your virtues, grant also that I may get rid of all the feelings that block my way to Heaven. (Note this is a road opening prayer)
Follow by:
SIXTH HOUR
On the sixth hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for freedom from anger.
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the sufferings and humiliations which you received for the love of Bon Dieu (God), grant me also this grace which is very pleasing to Bon Dieu, and free me from anger and hardness of heart which is the stumbling block of my soul. (Note this is a road opening prayer through the invocation for the removal of emotional obstacles)
Follow with:
SEVENTH HOUR
On the seventh hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for the grace to pray well.
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, you know that prayer is the golden key that will open the Kingdom of Heaven, teach me to pray in a manner which is desirable to Our Lord and to His Heart, that I may live only for Him, that I may die only for Him, and that I may pray only to Him in all eternity.
Follow with:
EIGHTH HOUR
On the eighth hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for purity of heart.
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, through the clean desire that reigned in all your feelings, word and actions, please let them guide me also in my endless search for the glory of Bon Dieu (God) and the good of my fellowmen. (Note this is a cleansing prayer)
Follow with:
NINTH HOUR
On the ninth hour of the Novena to Saint Expedite, we pray for the grace of final perseverance.
My Lord Jesus Christ,
O Glorious Martyr, Saint Expedite, who was so much loved by the Queen of Heaven, that to you nothing was denied, ask her, please my advocate, that through the sufferings of her Divine Son and her own sorrows, I may receive this day the grace I ask of you; but above all the grace to die first before I commit any mortal sin. Amen. (Note this is a prayer that appeals to St. Expedite to specifically petition Mother Mary in the form of Our Lady of Sorrows on our behalf.)
Followed by:
Concluding Prayer (after all hourly prayers are said)
Oh Saint Expedite, my protector, in you I place my hope that my petitions may be granted if they are for my own good. Please ask Our Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, for the forgiveness of my sins, and the grace to change my life, particularly the grace ... (state here your petition or grace desired) and I promise to follow your examples and I will recommend your devotion to others.
Take note of the caveat "if they are for my own good" in this final prayer. This tells us that the Nine Hour Novena to St. Expedite is to be used for positive purposes - blessing, healings, getting a job or getting out of debt for example - as opposed to nefarious reasons like harming an enemy or coercing a person to love you. For these latter purposes, one should appeal to St. Expedite as Baron Samedi and not through a novena or other more traditional Catholic means.
Standard Catholic Prayer used in the Nine Hour Novena
The Our Father
The Our Father is the oldest of Christian prayers, going back to Jesus Christ himself, who, in Matthew 6:9-13, taught his disciples to pray in these words. Because the prayer is believed to have come from Christ, it is used in every Mass.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the best known of all Marian prayers. It is a section of a much longer 15th-century prayer known as the "Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria." By the early 16th century, Catholics had begun to treat the Memorare as a separate prayer, and Fr. Claude Bernard, a French priest who ministered to the imprisoned and those condemned to death, was a zealous advocate of the prayer. He attributed the conversion of many criminals to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked through the Memorare.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Final Instructions
When you are done with your prayers, allow the candle to burn down. Leave his altar set up until your petition is answered. Often results are seen before this novena is even completed. If this happens, be sure to complete the novena anyway. Turn his image right side up when your prayer is answered and post your thanks to him in the comments section below. Throw any ritual remains at a crossroads or in the trash.
"I trust in you St. Expedite, to uplift all those who come to you in their time of urgent need. Glory be to you, St Espidee!" ~ Mama D
This article is excerpted from The Conjurer's Guide to Saint Expedite, copyright 2013-2022 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved.
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