Prayer:Prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino
Stored: Prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino
| Prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino | |
|---|---|
| Author | Unknown |
| Purpose | |
| Recipient | |
| Liturgical Context | |
| Prayer Type | |
| Origin | |
| Length | |
| Season | |
| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
| Tags | |
| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Prayer to St. Joseph of Cupertino is a beloved traditional Catholic prayer addressed to St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603–1663), the Franciscan friar and mystic renowned for his miraculous levitations and his heavenly assistance to students and those facing academic examinations. This prayer is among the most practically oriented intercessory prayers in popular Catholic devotion, invoked by students at every level of education throughout the world.
The prayer draws its inspiration from a celebrated episode in the saint's own life: despite his extreme intellectual simplicity and repeated failures in his early studies, Joseph passed his examination for the diaconate when the examiner, struck with admiration for his answer on one passage, dismissed him without further questioning. This providential circumstance became the theological basis for asking Joseph's intercession in one's own academic trials.
Over the centuries, this prayer has been disseminated through Franciscan parishes, Catholic schools, and university chaplaincies, becoming a cherished part of the annual devotional calendar near examination periods. It remains especially popular among seminary students, university candidates, and those preparing for professional licensing examinations.
The Prayer
O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino, who while on earth didst obtain from God the grace to be asked at thy examinations only the questions thou hadst prepared, obtain for me a like favor in the examinations for which I am now preparing.
In return I promise to make thee known and cause thee to be invoked.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
History and Background
St. Joseph of Cupertino was born Giuseppe Maria Desa on June 17, 1603, in Cupertino, in the Kingdom of Naples (present-day Apulia, Italy). From his earliest years he was known for a certain simplicity of mind that made formal academic study profoundly difficult. His attempts to enter religious life were initially frustrated by this intellectual limitation; he was dismissed from the Conventual Franciscan novitiate and struggled to meet the requirements for sacred orders.
When the time came for his examination before the bishop prior to ordination to the diaconate, Joseph had prepared himself by studying intensively on a single passage of scripture. By what his biographers universally regard as divine providence, the examiner opened the Gospel to precisely that passage and, impressed by Joseph's unexpected eloquence on the subject, dismissed him without further questions. His subsequent examination for the priesthood followed a similarly providential course.
This remarkable history gave rise to a longstanding tradition of invoking St. Joseph of Cupertino before examinations. The Franciscan Order, of which he is a member through the Conventual branch, promoted his cult widely after his beatification in 1753 by Pope Benedict XIV and his canonization in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII. The prayer as it is known today reflects the language and devotional style of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Italian and Franciscan popular piety, later translated and adapted into English for use throughout the English-speaking Catholic world.
St. Joseph of Cupertino is also venerated as the patron saint of aviation and astronauts, owing to his well-documented and officially recognized levitations, which were witnessed by figures as eminent as Pope Alexander VII and the philosopher Leibniz. His feast day is celebrated on September 18.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer is traditionally recited during the period of preparation for any formal examination, whether academic, professional, or ecclesiastical. The following devotional practices are commonly associated with it:
- Before Study: Many students recite this prayer at the beginning of each study session, commending their efforts to St. Joseph's intercession and asking for clarity of mind and memory.
- On the Day of Examination: The prayer is particularly recommended immediately before entering the examination room, as a final act of trust in divine providence.
- Novena Form: The prayer may be incorporated into a nine-day novena leading up to the date of the examination, combined with meditation on St. Joseph of Cupertino's life and virtues of humility and abandonment to God's will.
- Votive Candle: In many Franciscan churches and shrines dedicated to the saint, it is customary to light a candle before his image while reciting this prayer.
- Promise of Propagation: The prayer itself includes a vow to make St. Joseph of Cupertino known and to encourage others to invoke him. Those who receive the favor they sought are encouraged to share the devotion with fellow students, family members, and friends, thus fulfilling the promise embedded in the prayer's text.
Spiritual directors note that the prayer is not a substitute for diligent preparation but rather an act of supernatural trust, uniting one's human effort to divine assistance in the manner exemplified by the saint himself, who studied as faithfully as his limitations allowed before committing his outcome to God.