Prayer:Prayer to St. Margaret of Antioch
Stored: Prayer to St. Margaret of Antioch
| Prayer to St. Margaret of Antioch | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Saint Margaret of Antioch, also known in Eastern Christianity as Saint Marina the Great Martyr, is venerated as one of the most beloved virgin martyrs of the early Church. Though her acts are classified among the apocryphal accounts and were declared non-canonical by Pope Gelasius I in 494, her cult flourished throughout the medieval Latin West and the Christian East, and she was celebrated as a fearless conqueror of the demonic. Her feast day is observed on July 20 in the Roman Martyrology, and on July 17 in the Eastern calendar.
The prayer to St. Margaret of Antioch draws upon the rich legendary tradition surrounding her martyrdom, in which she is said to have been swallowed by a dragon — a figure of Satan — and to have burst forth unharmed through the power of the holy cross. This image of triumph over the ancient serpent became the foundation of her spiritual patronage, and the faithful have long invoked her for protection against evil, for safe delivery in childbirth, and for courage in the face of suffering.
She is numbered among the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints whose intercession was considered especially efficacious, and her veneration spread widely from Palestine through Byzantium into France, England, and beyond. Countless churches, chapels, and hospitals bear her name, and St. Joan of Arc is recorded as having heard her voice among those of the heavenly voices that guided her mission.
The Prayer
O glorious St. Margaret, you who overcame the ancient serpent by the power of faith and the sign of the holy cross, look upon us in our struggles against the enemy of our souls.
Intercede for us before the throne of God, that we may be granted strength in temptation, courage in suffering, and perseverance unto the end.
You who are a patroness of those who bring forth new life, pray for all mothers and for the safety of children yet unborn.
By your victorious faith, obtain for us the grace to conquer evil and to one day share in your heavenly crown.
Amen.
History and Background
St. Margaret of Antioch is traditionally identified as a young woman of Antioch in Pisidia (in present-day Turkey) who lived during the era of the Diocletianic persecution in the late third and early fourth centuries. According to her passio, she was the daughter of a pagan priest named Aedesius, but was raised as a Christian by a nurse following her mother's death. Upon publicly professing her faith and refusing the advances of the Roman prefect Olybrius, she was subjected to severe tortures.
The most celebrated episode of her legend recounts that while imprisoned, she was confronted by a monstrous dragon who swallowed her whole. She made the sign of the cross, and the dragon burst asunder, delivering her unharmed. A second demonic encounter followed, in which she overcame a demon in the form of a man. These accounts were interpreted by medieval theologians and preachers as typological images of Christ's harrowing of Hell and of the soul's victory over sin through faith and the sacraments.
Her association with childbirth arose from the account that she promised, before her beheading, that all women who invoked her during labor would be safely delivered. This promise caused her to be invoked by expectant mothers throughout the medieval period, and her image frequently adorned the birthing chambers of noble and royal households in Europe. Her legend also influenced the imagery found in bestiaries and in devotional art across many centuries.
The Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints venerated collectively in the Rhineland from the fourteenth century onward, included St. Margaret among their number, and her cult was particularly strong in England, where over two hundred churches were dedicated to her, and in France, where she was associated with national piety through the experience of St. Joan of Arc.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer may be prayed privately at any time, but is particularly fitting in the following circumstances:
- For protection against evil: The faithful may invoke St. Margaret when facing spiritual temptation, oppression, or fear of the devil's influence, recalling her legendary conquest of the dragon through the sign of the cross.
- For expectant mothers and safe childbirth: Pregnant women and those accompanying them in labor have traditionally sought St. Margaret's intercession for a safe and healthy delivery. The prayer may be offered during pregnancy, especially in times of difficulty or anxiety.
- For courage in suffering: Those facing illness, persecution, unjust treatment, or any form of severe trial may invoke St. Margaret, who endured extraordinary torments with heroic faith before her martyrdom.
- On her feast day, July 20: The prayer is especially appropriate on this day, which may be observed with additional acts of devotion such as the lighting of a candle before her image, the reading of her legend, or attendance at Holy Mass offered in her honor.
- As part of a novena: The prayer may be prayed for nine consecutive days before her feast day, accompanied by a specific intention and a brief meditation on one episode of her life each day.
It is traditional to make the sign of the cross before and after praying, and to accompany the prayer with a brief act of faith recalling that the power of the cross is the source of all victory over evil — the very truth embodied in St. Margaret's legendary triumph.