For an urgent cause, address your prayers to Saint Expeditus

Saint Expeditus the Martyr is invoked for urgent and desperate causes. Here is how his cult originated and spread

Praying for a grace should never be done in haste. Yet it is also true that today, and even more so in the past, men and women found themselves in immediate danger and sought help from Heaven that could save them as quickly as possible. Therefore, we should not consider Saint Expeditus of Melitene, a Christian martyr of the 4th century, as the patron saint of the hasty, but rather as the one to whom people turn when there is an urgent need for something.

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St. Expeditus plaster statue 20 cm hand painted Arte Barsanti

The statue is made of hand painted plaster at Arte Barsanti, an Italian company.

Little or nothing is known about this Saint, often confused with or identified as Elpidius, another martyr who died in Melitene during the same period. Both are said to have been part of the group led by Saint Hermogenes, who lived and died in Melitene in ancient Armenia (present-day Malatya, now in Turkey) during the terrible persecutions of Diocletian.

His very name may cast doubt on his existence. Expeditus is a Latin adjective meaning “free from burdens”. This is what the light infantry in the Roman army were called, *Expediti*, “unencumbered, agile”. For this reason, popular tradition has passed down that Expeditus was a Roman soldier, commander of the “Fulminating” Legion, who later converted and suffered martyrdom at the beginning of the 4th century.

Venerated by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, today devotion to him is particularly widespread in Austria, France, Spain and Italy, but also in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela), in Russia and in the Philippines.

He is considered the patron of merchants eager to conclude a deal as quickly as possible and of sailors, but also of programmers and hackers, protector of soldiers, students and young people. In general, he watches over urgent and desperate causes, provided they are noble and just, over emergencies and impossible cases.

His liturgical memorial falls on 19 April.

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Saint Expeditus wooden paste 30cm, aged finish

The statue is made of wood paste and is hand painted with dark oil colors, similar to the ancient sculptures.

The story of Saint Expeditus the Martyr

What we know about Saint Expeditus is very little and mostly linked to popular accounts. He is mentioned in the Hieronymian Martyrology (Martyrologium Hieronymianum), considered the oldest catalogue of Christian martyrs of the Latin Church, whose compilation is attributed to Saint Jerome, a key text in hagiography, though subject to criticism and controversy.

Legends handed down by popular devotion instead tell that Saint Expeditus was a contemporary of Saint Philomena, a princess of the island of Corfu, who died a martyr at just 13 years of age for refusing the love of Diocletian himself. Expeditus is said to have been the commander of a Roman legion tasked with fighting the barbarians in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Among his duties in the service of the Emperor was also that of persecuting Christians, but upon hearing about Jesus, he was deeply struck. Nevertheless, faithful to his duties towards Rome, he continued to postpone his conversion.

On the eve of a battle against the barbarians, whose outcome seemed hopelessly unfavourable for him and his men, the latter, already exhausted by thirst due to a long drought, knelt down and began to pray as they had seen Christians do, invoking a swift divine intervention. The enemies, astonished by that strange behaviour, stopped, and at that moment the sky darkened and from the clouds poured a torrential rain, which allowed the Roman soldiers to drink and regain their strength in order to fight and win the battle.

Subsequently, many of those soldiers truly converted, and their commander, Expeditus, also decided not to delay any longer. A demon appeared to him in the form of a crow to dissuade him, croaking: “Cras, cras, cras” (“tomorrow” in Latin). But Expeditus trampled it, saying “Hodie, hodie, hodie” (“today” in Latin). For this reason, the iconography of Saint Expeditus shows him holding in one hand the palm of martyrdom, in the other a cross bearing the word “Hodie”, and under his feet the crow crying “Cras”.

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St. Expeditus’ cross pendant, “Hodie” inscription, 925 silver

Cross pendant of 925 silver inspired by Saint Expeditus of Metilene, with the inscription “Hodie” engraved by hand.

Saint Expeditus was baptised and lived the rest of his life as a monk, dying a martyr on 19 April 303 in Melitene, together with many former legionaries converted like him. His decapitated body was hidden so well by his companions that his remains were never found.

Some legends attribute to him the miracle of water, actually performed by Saint Constantius of Perugia, who, martyred in the time of Marcus Aurelius, was immersed in boiling water but emerged unharmed.

Prayer to Saint Expeditus

One may pray to Saint Expeditus to ask for his intercession before God in the most urgent and desperate situations.

Jesus Christ, my Lord, I come to your aid; O Most Holy Immaculate Virgin, help me!

Saint Expeditus, you who were courageous and opened your heart to God and did not yield to temptations set before you so that your heart might not be unworthy before the Almighty, I ask you to help me to do today what I will need tomorrow,

that the actions I need today I may use tomorrow, all done for love of Jesus.

May he grant me his heavenly help, so that I may no longer depend on vices and addictions, to keep them far from me with the strength God has given you. I wish to be a devoted servant, honourable and of great dignity for the Lord, to serve and praise only His name, and not to fear the trials that present themselves to me.

You who are the Saint of justice and needs, today I present my request to you. (Make a petition with great devotion).

Above all and beyond everything I may ask, I ask You to intercede for me, so that faith may be the greatest virtue of my being, and thus lead me to the Kingdom of God, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and the archangels.

Amen.

There is also the Novena to Saint Expeditus, which is recited for nine days starting from 10 April.

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St. Expeditus plaster statue 30 cm hand painted Arte Barsanti

The statue is made of hand painted plaster at Arte Barsanti

10 April – 1st Day

Almighty and eternal God, who always listens to the prayers of the Saints in granting the most singular graces, deign to hear the humble supplications we offer you through the glorious martyr Saint Expeditus and, by his merits and his fidelity, grant us your love and the grace always and in everything to do your Most Holy Will.

11 April – 2nd Day

O Saint Expeditus, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, who, professing amid the disorders of idolatrous wickedness the most perfect Christianity, showed through your deeds that you sought no other glory than that of a true disciple of the crucified Redeemer, obtain for us all the grace to preserve in our hearts the holy Catholic faith that we received in Baptism, to practise it publicly, following your example, without human respect, and to cooperate in the best way in the salvation of souls, while we dedicate ourselves to the sanctification of our own soul.

12 April – 3rd Day

Incomparable Saint Expeditus, who, having become in the Church a noble example of holiness because you fearlessly endured torments and death in the name of Jesus Christ and merited the palm of martyrdom and the crown of glory, which you now enjoy in heaven, and became the powerful protector of all who turn to you with trust, deign to increase in us that piety which forms the true character of the Children of God, and obtain for us to listen today, always and promptly, to the Word of the Lord.

13 April – 4th Day

O unconquered martyr Saint Expeditus, who, as a reward for your readiness in divine service and your fidelity to Christ, received from God the power to swiftly assist your devotees in their needs, turn your gaze upon each of us who, oppressed by many illnesses, tribulations and anxieties, invoke your patronage.

Provide, O great Saint, for all the spiritual needs of our souls and for the material needs of our human existence. Grant that the consolations of the spirit, goodness, health, peace, joy and holiness of life, which we implore from Divine Mercy, may all contribute to the attainment of our eternal salvation.

14 April – 5th Day

Uniting ourselves to the holy strength of faith with which you so courageously endured martyrdom for the glory of Jesus Christ, we pray to you, O great Saint Expeditus, to intercede for us, so that Our Lord may increase His glory on earth by granting us His providence.

Grant that we may be comforted by the particular grace we ask, if it is beneficial for the salvation of our souls.

15 April – 6th Day

O most faithful support of our hope, glorious Saint Expeditus.

We pray you to present our sufferings and needs before the throne of God, through the Most Holy Mary, our powerful advocate and most tender Mother. May her prayers and merits, united with yours and those of all the Saints of the heavenly court, obtain for us, from the goodness of God, that abundance of gifts which, because of our great unworthiness, we cannot obtain on our own.

16 April – 7th Day

To your constant and particular assistance and protection we commend, O loyal and strong Saint Expeditus, those people and young individuals who serve in the military. Defend them from the danger of losing their lives, their faith, their integrity and their honesty of conduct, and obtain for all soldiers that spirit of fortitude which, making them faithful to God, renders them brave and fearless in the defence of their country, in the protection of freedom, in safeguarding human rights and in promoting peace.

17 April – 8th Day

Extend also, O distinguished Saint Expeditus, your protection to those who suffer and trust in your patronage.

We particularly commend to you those who seem unable to be relieved in their tribulations without a special help from God.

Deign to exercise on their behalf that special prerogative granted to you by God, to promptly and effectively assist the urgent needs of those who trust in you.

18 April – 9th Day

Saint Expeditus, just and faithful, turn your merciful gaze upon poor sinners who, close to death, do not think to provide effectively for their salvation. May your prayer sincerely convert them to the Lord before they appear at the righteous judgement of God.

Pray, O Saint Expeditus, that at the hour of death we may be made worthy to hear the words that came from the divine heart of Jesus addressed to the good thief: “Today you will be with me in Paradise”.

Help us to imitate you in love and fidelity to Christ the Redeemer, crucified and risen, so as to merit sharing in your glory in heaven.