Litany of Infertility Saints
Infertility can feel like one of the most isolating journeys you have to walk along in life. Around the Feast of All Saints, we wanted to create a Litany of Infertility Saints so you know that, along with us here on earth, you have heavenly companions who not only pray for you, but who deeply understand the cross you are carrying. May your cross feel a little lighter, the grief more bearable, as you pray this litany.
Sts. Anne and Joachim
You two longed for children for years, not knowing if your prayer would ever be answered. You carried that grief and shame, but still held onto each other and to your faith, and God answered that by giving you the most precious gift: Our Blessed Mother Mary. Your sacrifices and grief turned into joy as you held the Theotokos for the first time as an infant, not even knowing fully the gift God gave you. You two had no idea that your waiting, your sorrow, played into God’s great plan for salvation. Mary learned so much from your marriage and faith, help us to learn the same.
Sts. Anne and Joachim, give us patience, trust, and care in our marriage and faith life. Pray for us
St. Joseph
You had to have complete trust in God’s plan, even when things made no sense and felt terrifying. You were not the biological father of Our Lord, but protected Him and His Mother with your life. You taught Jesus how to be a carpenter, how to be a humble man. May we learn how we can impact those around us, how to show that same parental care to those who need it, even if we are not related to them. May your protection be over all of us as we walk through infertility.
St. Joseph, protect us. Help us to accept God’s plan for us and point us always to your son. Pray for us
Sts. Bridget and Catherine of Sweden
St. Bridget, you taught your daughter Catherine how to accompany others even through your own loss of children. You both served others while going through your own losses, whether miscarriages/infant loss or the loss of a spouse. You showed God’s tenderness to others even when going through your own losses. You see our grief and want to sit with us as we mourn, a comfort that we may not always get from those around us. May we learn a lesson from you both on how helping others can help us through our own grief.
Sts. Bridget and Catherine of Sweden, protect us from miscarriages and infant and spouse loss. Help us to see others in pain, help us to have hearts of service. Pray for us
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas, you yourself were an answered prayer after many years of your parents struggling with infertility. Each year, your feast helps start the Advent and Christmas season, a time that can be hard for those who are still longing for children. You have answered many prayers for those who longed for children, and we have not lost faith in your continued generosity. As a patron of those suffering male-factor infertility, may you also give peace to the men struggling with the weight of this cross. May we learn from your generosity and care of your flock to also keep our own spirits up and be joyful with others, even when the weight of infertility can be crushing.
St. Nicholas, protect the men going through infertility. Bring joy to couples trying to conceive. Help us to hold onto our faith as a source of light in the darkness. Pray for us
St. Colette
St. Colette, your parents prayed to St. Nicholas and you were the miracle that resulted from those many prayers. You know the stories of our heartache as well as you know your own parent’s struggles as they desperately longed for you, and their joy when they finally held you in their arms. Look down on us, trying to adhere to a faith as strong as yours and a belief that God will answer our prayers. As St. Nicholas interceded for your parents, please intercede for us so that God’s will will be done and we may feel peace with the result. Give us the faith you had, ready to give up everything in true service to God and His children all around us.
St. Colette, give us resolve in our prayer life. Help us to find strength in God and your fellow saints even when our resolve is tested. Pray for us
Sts. Rita and Jude
You two are the patrons of the impossible. St. Rita, you had to deal with such hardship in your life, your own heart aches as you see our own tears. St. Jude Thaddeus, the “tender-hearted”, you also endured the impossible as an apostle of Christ. Help us to not lose faith, as you and the other faithful apostles held on to your own faith despite witnessing the passion. You faced life with a gentle heart and great courage. Let us learn from you and St. Rita to face our challenges with both loving care and fierce determination and faith.
Sts. Rita and Jude, protect our hearts and faith. Give us hope in the face of the impossible. Pray for us
St. Gerard
St. Gerard, you dedicated your life to service, both in the small and big moments of life. Your own small handkerchief, which you let a little girl keep when it fell, helped that same girl years later as she was a young mother in labor, making you a patron of pregnant women, unborn children and those hoping to conceive. You only had eyes for those in need of care, so we implore you to care for us as we walk along this difficult journey. For when the pain of surgery weighs us down, may we receive our own form of your handkerchief to help heal and relieve us. May your dedication, humbleness and gentleness always be felt in the midst of the darkest parts of carrying our cross. May we learn from you that we receive the grace we give, keeping our eyes on God as we find ways to be fruitful in our lives.
St. Gerard, protect our bodies. Give us the ability to see God in the poor and sick, to know that God sees us and knows what we need. Pray for Us
St. Philomena
St. Philomena, “wonder-worker”, we come to you with the dread that there will be no way to bear infertility. You had such resolve in your own young life that we wish we had a fraction of. Your relics are known to heal all sorts of ailments and protect expecting mothers, so we know your love and care of those going through infertility remains strong even to this day. May you never tire of helping those who are in physical and mental pain, particularly with infertility, and may we always have trust in your intercession and God’s love for us. Give us strength when we have no more.
St. Philomena, give us resolve in our journey and trust in God and His Plan for us. Pray for us
Our Lady
Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and of all saints, you more than any other know the piercing pain that such crosses can be. You who cried as Your own Beloved Son was crucified also weep when you see us shaken, broken by the cross of infertility. Mary, bring us ever closer to Your Son, closer to Love Itself. Never stop interceding for us as your beloved children and always hold us close, even when we want to turn away.
Our Lady, Our Mother, Mary, Queen of Heaven and of All Saints: pray for us
Sts. Anne and Joachim: pray for us
St. Joseph: pray for us
Sts. Bridget and St. Catherine: pray for us
St. Nicholas: pray for us
St. Colette: pray for us
Sts. Rita and Jude: pray for us
St. Gerard: pray for us
St. Philomena: pray for us
All you heavenly saints and angels: pray for us
Know we are praying for you, and that you are never alone in this journey.
