The 19th of April is the Feast of Saint Expedite, one of my favorite patron saints. He is the patron saint of speedy resolutions and is called upon when one needs his or her prayers to be answered quickly. Expeditus was a Roman solider who, upon receiving a vision, converted to Christianity immediately on the battlefield after which he was promptly martyred. His willingness to convert immediately and not put it off earned him the reputation as the patron saint of fast responses. He has a particularly large following in New Orleans where he is a tremendously popular folk saint whose help devotees seek for all sorts of reasons. There is a famous statue of him enshrined in Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel on Rampart Street across from Saint Louis Cemetery where people make offerings and request the saint’s help.
I have blogged more extensively about Saint Expedite in the past, but today I wanted to revisit this powerful and miraculous saint partly because his service is one of the most commonly requested of me and also because there is so much misinformation regarding Saint Expedite that many people approach him from a place of fear and intimidation. Many people come to me saying that they’ve heard that St. Expedite will cause you bad luck or take away what he has given you if he is not served properly. This is completely and totally not true! Saint Expedite is kind and loving and wants only to help those who request favors of him. His life is an example of faith and service to God and humankind. There are traditional offerings associated with this saint that should be given as a sign of love, respect and gratitude once a prayer has been granted or anytime in thanksgiving for the saint’s protection and patronage over us, but you need not approach Saint Expedite with fear. Call on him always with love and trust in your heart.
When seeking the help of Saint Expedite, the traditional process is to make your request by lighting a candle in front of his image and once your request is granted, you immediately thank him with an offering. Saint Expedite’s absolute favorite offering in pound cake. It is not exactly clear where this tradition springs from, but it is deeply entrenched in Louisiana popular folklore and religion. It is even believed that it has to be Sara Lee store bought pound cake. Where I currently live, Sara Lee pound cake is not available so I have to make it from scratch. I find that the more effort and love you put into an offering, the nicer and more meaningful it becomes. No matter what, when you present an offering to Saint Expedite or any saint, what’s most important is to do it with love and gratitude in your heart. If you are not able to buy or make a pound cake, some flowers or even making a small donation to charity in his name are wonderful ways to honor and thank this miraculous saint.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you decide to seek the help of Saint Expedite, remember to do so with love and trust and to thank him properly once your request is granted and please share your experiences with St. Expedite and with all things spiritual with me! As always, I thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and I wish you peace, happiness and abundant blessings!
