Almighty and eternal God! With lively faith and reverently worshiping Thy divine Majesty, I prostrate myself before Thee and invoke with filial trust Thy supreme bounty and mercy. Illumine the darkness of my intellect with a ray of Thy heavenly light and inflame my heart with the fire of Thy divine love, that I may contemplate the great virtues and merits of the saint in whose honor I make this novena, and following his example imitate, like him, the life of Thy divine Son.


Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously, through the merits and intercession of this powerful Helper, the petition which through him I humbly place before Thee, devoutly saying, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Vouchsafe graciously to hear it, if it redounds to Thy greater glory and to the salvation of my soul.

Grant us, O God, through the intercession of St. Vitus, a due estimation of the value of our soul and of its redemption by the precious blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ; so that, for its salvation, we bear all trials with fortitude. Give this Thy youthful servant and heroic martyr as a guide and protector to Christian youths, that following his example they may after a victorious combat receive the crown of justice in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Vitus, glorious martyr of Christ; in thy youth thou wast exposed to violent and dangerous temptations, but in the fear of God and for the love of Jesus thou didst victoriously overcome them. O amiable, holy youth, I implore thee by the love of Jesus, assist me with thy powerful intercession to overcome the temptations to evil, to avoid every occasion of sin, and thus to preserve spotless the robe of innocence and sanctifying grace, and to bring it unstained to the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, that I may forever enjoy the beatific vision of God which is promised to the pure of heart. Amen.

My Lord and my God! I offer up to Thee my petition in union with the bitter passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, together with the merits of His immaculate and blessed Mother, Mary ever virgin, and of all the saints, particularly with those of the holy Helper in whose honor I make this novena.

Look down upon me, merciful Lord! Grant me Thy grace and Thy love, and graciously hear my prayer. Amen

St. Vitus belonged to a noble pagan family of Sicily, and was born about the year 291, at Mazurra. His father, Hylas, placed him in early childhood in charge of a Christian couple named Modestus and Crescentia, who raised him in the Christian faith, and had him baptized. He grew in years and in virtue, till, at the age of twelve, he was claimed by his father, who, to his great anger, found him a fervent Christian. Convinced, after many unsuccessful attempts, that stripes and other chastisements would not induce him to renounce the Faith, his father delivered the brave boy up to Valerian, the governor, who in vain employed every artifice to shake his constancy. Finally he commanded Vitus to be scourged, but when two soldiers were about to execute this order their hands and those of Valerian were suddenly lamed. The governor ascribed this to sorcery, yet he invoked Vitus' help, and behold, when the Christian boy made the sign of the cross over the lamed members, they were healed. Then Valerian sent him back to his father, telling him to leave no means untried to induce his son to sacrifice to the idols. Hylas now tried blandishments, pleasures, and amusements to influence the brave boy. He even sent a corrupt woman to tempt him, and for that purpose locked them both together in one room. But Vitus, who had remained firm amid tortures, resisted also the allurements of sensuality. Closing his eyes, he knelt in prayer, and behold, an angel appeared, filling the room with heavenly splendor, and stood at the youth's side. Terrified, the woman fled. But even this miracle did not change the obstinate father.

Finally Vitus escaped, and with Modestus and Crescentia fled to Italy. They landed safe in Naples, and there proclaimed Christ wherever they had an opportunity. Their fervor and many miracles which they wrought attracted the attention of Emperor Diocletian to them. He ordered them to be brought before his tribunal, which being done, he at first treated them kindly, employing blandishments and making promises to induce them to renounce Christ. When this had no effect, they were cruelly tormented, but with no other result than confirming them in their constancy. Enraged, the emperor condemned them to be thrown to the wild beasts. But the lions and tigers forgot their ferocity and cowered at their feet. Now Diocletian, whose fury knew no bounds, ordered them to be cast into a caldron of molten lead and boiling pitch. They prayed, "O God, deliver us through the power of Thy name!" and behold, they remained unharmed. Then the emperor condemned them to the rack, on which they expired, in the year 303.

The heroic spirit of martyrdom exhibited by St. Vitus was owing to the early impressions of piety which he received through the teaching and example of his virtuous foster-parents. The choice of teachers, nurses, and servants who have the care of children is of the greatest importance on account of the influence they exert on them. The pagan Romans were most solicitous that no slave whose speech was not perfectly elegant and graceful should have access to children. Shall a Christian be less careful as to their virtue? It is a fatal mistake to imagine that children are too young to be infected with the contagion of vice: No age is more impressionable than childhood; no one observes more closely than the young, and nothing is so easily acquired by them as a spirit of vanity, pride, revenge, obstinacy, sloth, etc., and nothing is harder to overcome. What a happiness for a child to be formed to virtue from infancy, and to be instilled from a tender age with the spirit of piety, simplicity, meekness, and mercy! Such a foundation being well laid, the soul will easily, and sometimes without experiencing severe conflicts, rise to the height of Christian perfection.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, to graciously grant us through the intercession of Thy blessed martyrs Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia, that we may not proudly exalt ourselves, but serve Thee in humility and simplicity, so as to avoid evil and to do right for Thy sake. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Vitus, St. Modestus, and St. Crescentia
by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877

Mazara, in Sicily, was the native place of St. Vitus or Guy, who, while yet very young, had the happiness of receiving the crown of martyrdom. His father, Hylas, was a pagan, and enjoyed a great reputation on account of his nobility and immense wealth. God so directed it, that the teacher whom Hylas gave to his son, was at heart a Christian, and he instructed Vitus so well in the Christian faith, that he requested most earnestly to be admitted into the Church, and was baptized without the knowledge of his father. No sooner was this accomplished, than the courageous youth, who was scarcely fifteen years old, was unwilling to conceal that he was a Christian, but proclaimed himself without hesitation as one of the faithful. God rewarded this fearlessness with the gift of miracles. Vitus, by only making the sign of the cross, restored sight to the blind, made the dumb speak, healed the sick and released the possessed from the evil spirit. When Hylas heard what his son had done without his knowledge, he called him to his room and asked him if it was true, as was said, that he had really embraced the Christian faith, the practice of which was so strictly forbidden in the whole empire? Vitus unhesitatingly confessed that he had become a Christian, because he was convinced that there was no other God but the God of the Christians.

The father, much incensed, made every possible effort to cause Hs son again to forsake the faith he had so lately adopted. Flatteries and caresses, promises, menaces, nay, even tears were brought to bear, but all to no purpose; for Vitus remained inflexible, and assured his father that he would rather die a thousand deaths, than swerve from the Catholic religion. Hylas was enraged, and being himself a very zealous worshipper of the idols, he led his son to the Governor Valerian, with the request to bring him back to the worship of the old gods by compulsion. Valerian used every argument in his power, but finding it useless he ordered Vitus to be most cruelly scourged. The executioners were about to begin, when suddenly their hands and arms, as well as those of Valerian became so stiff that they were unable to move them and felt the most excruciating pains in them. The Governor declared this to be witchcraft,--as the Christians were commonly thought to be magicians and called for help. Vitus, pitying him, made the sign of the Cross over the stiffened limbs and thus healed them perfectly. Valerian had not the courage to do anything further against Vitus, but restored him to Hylas with the admonition that the father himself should try to persuade his son to return to his former worship.

Hylas now concocted a devilish plan. He endeavored to lead his son to depravity and vice, in order, by this means, to make him more easily yield to his wishes. He locked him up in a magnificent apartment with some wicked women; hoping that might be seduced by them to sin. Vitus at the first moment was horrified; but recovering his self-possession, he raised his hands and eyes on high and called on God to aid him. God sent one of his angels, whose brightness illumined the whole apartment, and who so visibly protected the youth, that none of the women dared to approach him. The father, curious to know the success of his plan, went to the apartment and looked through an opening in the door, but was so overcome by the light emanating from the angel, that he began to cry aloud with the pain in his eyes.

Vitus was moved to compassion, and as his father called vainly to the gods for aid, he made the sign of the Holy Cross over him which not only took away his pains, but also cured his blindness, though it did not soften the obduracy of his will, nor remove the blindness from his soul. Instead of being brought by these miracles to the knowledge of the true faith, he became still more wicked, and ascribing it all to magic, he began to devise other means to turn his Son's mind. But an angel appeared to Modestus, the former teacher of Vitus, and to a certain Crescentia, who both had educated the holy youth, and ordered them to go on board a ship with Vitus and escape into another land. They obeyed the command, and arrived safely in Lucania, a province of Naples, where, repairing to a desert, they led a most holy life.

Meanwhile, God permitted the daughter of the Emperor Dicolesian to be possessed of the Devil, who, one day while tormenting her, declared that he would not leave her until he was forced to do so by a youth named Vitus. They asked where he lived, and the Evil Spirit indicated his abode. Dioclesian had him brought into his presence and requested him to cure his daughter. The Saint said a short prayer, then laying his hands upon the head of the possessed, he made the sign of the Cross over her and said: "In the name of Jesus Christ, the true God, I command thee immediately to leave this body." The Evil One had to obey: he left the princess forthwith, uttering many invectives against the Saint. The Emperor was greatly astounded at this event, but instead of learning by it the truth of Christianity, he endeavored, by flatteries and promises, to persuade Vitus to forsake it.

As he, however could not succeed, his wrath kindled and he gave orders to cast Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia into a dungeon, and after having tortured them there in various cruel ways, he precipitated them into a cauldron filled with boiling tar. Vitus had made the sign of the Cross over it, and the Almighty, who had preserved unharmed the three youths in the furnace of Babylon, wrought upon these three holy Martyrs a similar miracle. All three remained uninjured. The tyrant was not willing to confess himself conquered, and commanded that they should be stretched upon the rack and most barbarously tortured. But so terrible an earthquake, accompanied by a storm, shook the ground under their feet that the assembled people fled away. An angel came and loosening the holy Martyrs from the rack, healed their wounds and carried them back into the desert; where, thanking God for the grace vouchsafed to them, they peacefully slept; going to the Lord Jesus Christ in the year 300.