NOVENA

TO

SAINT TARCISIUS
PATRON SAINT OF ALTAR SERVERS
 LIFE OF ST. TARCISIUS
PATRON SAINT OF ALTAR SERVERS

St. Tarcisius is believed to have been born around the year 263 in
Rome. Little is known for certain about him. Most of what is known
about him comes from a poem that Pope Damasus wrote about him.

Tarcisius was alive during a very fierce persecution of Christians. It is

thought that he lived during the persecution of Valerian. He was an
acolyte and would gather with other Christians in secret at the
catacombs for the celebration of Mass. After these secret Masses, a
deacon would take the Eucharist to Christian prisoners who were
awaiting their martyrdoms. On one occasion, there was no deacon
available to do this. Since Tarcisius was an acolyte, he was sent to
take the Eucharist to the Christian prisoners. On his way to the
prison, Tarcisius encountered a group of non-Christian boys. He had
played with these boys before, so they asked him to join in a game
they were playing. Because Tarcisius knew the importance of his
mission, he refused the invitation to join their game. The boys
noticed that Tarcisius was carrying something. They also somehow
realized that he was a Christian. They wanted to view the “Christian
Mysteries” he was carrying, but he refused. The group of boys
became angry and began to beat him severely. Tarcisius fell to the
ground as they beat him, but he refused to surrender the Eucharist to
them. Though we do not know for certain the details of what
followed this beating, it is thought that another Christian came upon
Tarcisius and saved him from their beating. But by this time, his body
was terribly mangled. The other Christian took Tarcisius’ broken
body to the catacombs. On the way to the catacombs, Tarcisius died
from his many injuries. He was buried in the San Callisto catacombs.
At a later date, his relics were moved to the San Silvestro church in
Rome. Pope Damasus was inspired to write a poem about Sts.
Tarcisius and Stephen during the 300s. In it, he calls St. Tarcisius the
“boy-martyr of the Eucharist.” He also compares Tarcisius to St.
Stephen and says that he chose to suffer death at the hands of a mob
rather than surrender the Holy Eucharist to raging dogs.

The poem can be translated thus: “When an insane gang

pressed saintly Tarcisius, who was carrying the Sacraments of Christ,
to display them to the profane, he preferred to be killed and give up
his life, rather than betray to rabid dogs the heavenly body.”

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 NOVENA TO SAINT TARCISIUS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

OPENING PRAYER
Dear St. Tarcisius you lived in a dangerous time to be a Christian.
Despite the risk, you held fast to your faith and bravely chose to
defend the body of Christ present in the Eucharist at the expense of
your own. To the last moment you cherished Jesus’ gift of Himself.
Intercede and pray for us that we may have courage and a deep faith.
Pray that we may never forget how precious a gift the Holy Eucharist
is for us. You who are now united with the Lord please obtain for us
the petitions we are seeking (mention your request). We thank you
for your intercession and prayers. Amen.

FIRST DAY
St. Tarcisius- Defender of Blessed Sacrament
St. Tarcisius, you defend Jesus on your own, you defend Jesus alone.
You protect Jesus from the enemies without hesitation, you defend
our Lord wholeheartedly no matter what happens. You put Jesus at
the center of your heart, so that no one will harm and hurt him. That
no matter who will hurt you at least you protected the Blessed
Sacrament. St. Tarcisius helps us to emulate what you have done in
praising and loving the Blessed Sacrament and in defending Jesus
without hesitation and serving Him wholeheartedly. Help us to open
our hearts and minds every time we attend the Holy Mass, and talk to
Jesus not only in need, every beat of our hearts. Amen

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

SECOND DAY
St. Tarcisius- Model of Courage Spirit
St. Tarcisius, You Don’t hesitate to present yourself to be the hope of
your fellow Christian who are in prison because of their faith. God
used you as an instrument of love, as God called you to be a bearer of
hope to the prisoner. May you be our Model of encouragement as
well to do the will of God, in doing what is right and to help those
who are in need. Help us to pray as an intercession and source of
strength to those people who have unseen battles. We pray for

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encouragement to serve our King despite the trials we may face along
the way. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

THIRD DAY
St. Tarcisius- Model in the Altar
St. Tarcisius you are truly the model of an Altar on the Altar, you
present yourself wholeheartedly with unconditional Love to our Lord
Jesus. You give reason to love the Holy Eucharist and to defend more
our faith. Altar is the place where we became holy, where we serve
our Lord with dignity, reverence, and love which we see in you.
Intercede for us since you chose God as our model. Please help us to
be more holy, to be more sensitive in our sins we committed, and to
confess our sin to our God thru your priest. Help us to serve our
community that Christ built, like what you've done to help us our sin
to Christ during your time when Christians are persecuted and
offered their life. Help us to be diligent in our duties as an Altar
Server to serve our Lord wholeheartedly and unconditionally. Pray
for us to the Lord to become a living tabernacle being Christ forever.
Amen.

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

FOURTH DAY
St. Tarcisius- Hope of all Prisoners
St. Tarcisius truly you are the hope of Christians. That testified about
believing in Christ would suffer persecution and probably will be
condemned to death. Even until now, many Christians being
persecuted for doing just. But what you have done is a very
wonderful example of unselfish love to our fellow Christians, in that
way you’re truly the hope of every Christians, in bringing the
ultimate hope to them, which is Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Tarcisius
please intercede for us to be the hope of all, to bring Jesus to those
who are in despair, depressed and lonely. To bring the ultimate hope
to everybody which is Christ the Redeemer, Christ the comforter,
Christ the satisfaction of life. Amen.

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St. Tarcisius, pray for us!
(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

FIFTH DAY
St. Tarcisius- Model and Man of Deep Faith
St. Tarcisius you are indeed an example of deep faith. There is a
strong love that no one can separate because of your deep faith: your
actions speak louder than your words. That is why you offer yourself
to deliver the Blessed sacrament to the prisoner who believes in our
Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Tarcisius helped us nourish our faith so that
we may know more of our Lord Jesus Christ with compassion. Help
us to recognize the work of Christ that bestowed in our hearts, that
we will our faith, without conditions. Help us also to be an example to
others to spread the love and hope that we will be an example to
others, to spread the love and hope that we will be wiped of the fruit
of labor of our faith that God planted in our hearts. Amen

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

SIXTH DAY
St. Tarcisius- Example of Humility
St. Tarcisius you are our example of Humility, despite that you are
young, your humility exalts in your actions, you offer yourself
humbly, expecting nothing what will happen in your journey. Saint
Tarcisius help us to exalt our humility in our daily works, helps us to
show our actions with love and compassion so that we will do our
works easily and meaningfully, help us to show kindness, that will
lead us to humbleness, help us to show humility without recognition
to others, help us to please God in doing something without expecting
in return, St. Tarcisius help us to possess your humility to others and
God. Amen.

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

SEVENTH DAY
St. Tarcisius- Example of Voluntariness

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St. Tarcisius, you are our role model of voluntariness, you offer
yourself without condition to deliver Jesus and satisfy our fellow
Christians with comfort coming from the Lord, despite being a
prisoner. Being a volunteer, you are doing something without
expecting in return. You make our fellow Christian more hopeful and
faithful because God uses you to do our ultimate goal to please and
love God unconditionally. Saint Tarcisius intercede for us today as we
face great trials and challenges in this time of crisis, help us to
volunteer ourselves to serve the needs of our society without
expecting in return, as well possessed us with your love, compassion
and mercy like what you’ve done in your time where Christian
persecution accused greatly. Amen.
St. Tarcisius, pray for us!
(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

EIGHTH DAY
St. Tarcisius- Friends of Jesus
St. Tarcisius you are an example of a good and faithful friend. A friend
that doesn’t leave us even in times of difficulties, trials, and
challenges. You are truly the friend of Jesus because you defended
him with your life. The time you delivered Jesus to the prisoners you
embraced him and put it in your heart. Jesus is greatly proud of what
you’ve done to him. Saint Tarcisius, teaches us to love Jesus that we
may also be his friend, that we may talk to him every day, that we
may be open to one another sharing each other’s weakness, joy, and
sadness. Teach us also to defend him all our enemies, teach us to
defend him to all unbelievers, to those who are hypocrites, that we
may be worthy to be called as Friends of Jesus. Amen.

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer (Page 6-7)…

NINTH DAY
St. Tarcisius - Patron saint of the Altar Server
Saint Tarcisius, you are our model, our defender, our patron saint.
We acknowledge your sacrifice for Jesus and die for Him, you are
now with Jesus in heaven which you offered your life to. Saint
Tarcisius intercede our intentions since you are now with Christ,

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helps us to be good and diligent Altar Server so that we may be
worthy to be called as a servants of Christ, teach us our dear Saint
Tarcirius to poured out our love in the Altar, and to be a role model to
younger people and future servers of Christ, help us to be like you to
sacrifice, to give time, and to die and to put Jesus in our Hearts.
Amen.

St. Tarcisius, pray for us!

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, 1 Glory Be)
Litany of St. Tarcisius and Concluding Prayer…

LITANY OF ST. TARCISIUS

Lord, Have Mercy
Christ, Have Mercy
Lord, Have Mercy
Christ, hear us
Christ, Graciously hear Us
God the Father of Heaven, Have Mercy on Us
God the Son Redeemer of the world, Have Mercy on Us
God The Holy Spirit, Have Mercy on Us
Holy Mary- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Most Obedient- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Faithful Servant of ChristPray for us
St. Tarcisius, Model of Altar Server- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Hope of Prisoner- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Model of Voluntariness- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Patron of All Altar Servers- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Protector of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Protector of the Innocent- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Example of Mercy- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Light of the Christian Prisoner- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Model of the Love of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Grateful Servant of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Saviour of the Souls of Prisoner- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Hope of the Persecuted Christians- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Model of Holiness- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Deliverer of Holy Eucharist- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Loyal Son of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Example for the Love of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Defender of Christianity- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Defender of The Blessed Sacrament- Pray for us

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St. Tarcisius, Model of Kindness- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Defender of Christ- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Example of Deep Faith- Pray for us
St. Tarcisius, Living witnessed of Jesus- Pray for us

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving the life of St. Tarcisius for us, thank
you for making St. Tarcisius as an Instrument of love for you, so that
we may have the idea and reflection on how we will praise and love
you even more. Oh, my Jesus through the intercession of St. Tarcisius
help us to follow your footstep that we may be worthy to be called as
your followers, as your faithful servant, to be more diligent to the
needs of your fellow Christians, just like Saint Tarcisius who Loved
and cared Christian Prisoners during his time. We may serve them
wholeheartedly like St. Tarcisius did and in serving you
wholeheartedly in the Holy Mass. Amen.

3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.