This category gathers related prayers and meditations from across the site, organized by theme, saint, virtue, season, or liturgical topic.
A litany is one of the oldest forms of prayer in the Church — a series of short invocations, each followed by a brief response, repeated again and again like a gentle knock at heaven’s door. If you’ve never prayed one before, you don’t need anything special to begin: litanies are traditionally prayed responsively (one voice calls, another answers), but they work just as beautifully prayed alone, quietly, at your own pace.
You’ll find a range of litanies gathered here — prayers honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and various saints, along with litanies built around specific virtues, like the well-loved Litany of Humility. Each one invites you to approach a single theme from many angles, naming it again and again until it settles into your heart.
If you’re not sure where to start, try praying one litany slowly for a week, rather than moving through several quickly. The repetition is the point — it isn’t meant to be rushed. Many people find a particular litany becomes something they return to for years, especially during a specific season of need or growth. When praying public litanies, a leader prays the (versicles or ℣) and the followers pray the (response or ℟).
