Litany of the Martyrs

Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
 
Holy Mother of God and Queen of Martyrs,
Pray for us.
St. Joseph, husband of the Holy Mother of God and guardian of Jesus,
Pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, Martyrs of Christ and pillars and foundation of the Church of Rome,
Pray for us. [etc.]
 
MARTYRED POPES
 
St. Callixtus, Pope and Martyr, custodian of the Christian brethren here buried, etc.
St. Pontian, Pope and Martyr, condemned to the mines,
St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, organizer of the Church of Rome,
St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr "a model of humility, patience and goodness",
St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, killed for Christ in the area of these catacombs,
St. Eusebius, Pope and Martyr, merciful towards the lapsi in need of pardon,
 
MARTYRED DEACONS
 
SS. Deacons: Gennarius, Magnus,Vincent, Stephen, Felicissimus and Agapitus, fellow Martyrs of Pope Sixtus II,
 
MARTYRED FAITHFUL
 
St. Tarcisius, youth with great ideals and brave defender of the Faith,
St. Cecilia, courageous maid who offered thy virginity to Christ,
St. Soter, Roman matron, killed for thy faithfulness to the Gospel,
St. Polycamus, glory and ornament of the holy Church,
SS. Calocerus and Parthenius, faithful to Christ even to the point of giving thy lives for Him,
SS. Mark and Marcellianus, true-brothers in life and inseparable in Martyrdom,
SS. Cerealis and Sallustia with thy 21 Companions, defenders of the Faith against the Novatian heresy,
SS. Greek Martyrs, Maria, Neon, Hyppolitus, Adra, Pauline, Martha, Valeria, Eusebius and Marcellus---
gift of the Oriental Church to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus,
All Men and Women Martyrs and Saints, buried in the Catacombs of St. Callixtus,

POPES DECLARED SAINTS
 
St. Zephyrinus, Pope, who wanted this cemetery for the Church of Rome,
St. Anterus, Pope, who lived his short pontificate in prison,
St. Lucius I, Pope, forced into exile because he was Vicar of Christ,
St. Stephen I, Pope, guardian of the purity of Faith,
St. Dionysius, Pope, loving father of his brethren in difficulty,
St. Felix I, Pope, zealous in the work of evangelization,
St. Eutychian, Pope, apostle of orthodoxy,
St. Gaius, Pope, friend of the poor,
St. Miltiades, Pope, defender of the faith against the Donatist heresy,
St. Mark, Pope, pastor of the Church of Rome and promoter of its liturgical calendar,
St. Damasus I, Pope, "pious promoter of the cult of Martyrs",
 
BISHOP-SAINTS
 
SS. Bishops Optatus and Numidian, evangelizers of the African countries,
SS. Bishops, who carried on the mission of the Apostles,
Oh all you, Holy Bishops, buried in the Catacombs of St. Callixtus,
 
FAITHFUL-SAINTS

Holy Priests, who lived and died "during the long peace",
Young Men and Children, who preferred to keep thy virginal purity,
  Ye, too, Sinners, converted to the goodness of the Father, washed in Christ's Blood and sanctified by the Holy Spirit,
All ye, Holy Souls, whose bodies are resting in the cemetery of St. Callixtus,
Men and Women Saints, pilgrims to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus,
SS. Brigid and Catherine of Siena,
SS. Charles Borromeo and Philip Neri,
SS. John Bosco and Blessed Michael Rua,
SS. Theresa of the Child Jesus and Mary Mazzarello,
All ye Saints, pilgrims to the Catacombs of St. Callixtus and admirers of the faith of the early Christians,
 
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
   
LET US PRAY.
 
O God, our Father, Who hast made fruitful with the blood of Martyrs and blessed by their presence the ground of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, by the bright example of so many courageous Witnesses, keep us strong in our faith, that we may pick up and foretaste with joy the fruit of their sacrifice. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.