Saint Alexius, model of humility and service, please help us to live this week in the spirit of love and kindness. May your humility and devotion to God guide us in our daily tasks. Help us to treat our fellow human beings with patience and understanding, and never forget our duty to the poor and needy. Amen.

Prayer for vocations

O Father, through the intercession of Saint Alexius and all our brothers who have gone before us, we ask you to call men to join the Congregation of the Alexian Brothers. Grant that vocations may multiply among those who choose our way of life, so that our ministry, which began more than 800 years ago, may continue to bring healing to this broken world. Amen.

Almighty God, we thank you for the weekend and we are grateful for all the blessings we have received this past week. Please bless this upcoming weekend so that we may find moments of rest and recharge. Grant us strength and wisdom to spend this special time in love and joy. Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us and please guide us in the days ahead. Grant us the courage to let the cares of the week fly away and the weekend bring renewal. Please protect our loved ones and help us to live each moment with an open heart and spirit. We thank you for all your good deeds and blessings. Amen.

Brother Leo and Brother Barry at the St Augustine's Church in Limerick.

Necklace pendant in two sizes and colours, depicting Saint Alexius and on the other side Christ the healer, the work of Brother Valentino Bianco CFA (1923-2013).

Prayer to Christ the Healer

In the comfort of your love,
I pour to you, my Saviour,
the memories that haunt me,
the anxieties that perplex me,
the fears that stifle me,
the sickness that prevails upon me,
and the frustration of all the pain that weaves
about within me.

Lord, help me to see
your peace in my turmoil,
your compassion in my sorrow,
your forgiveness in my weakness,
and your love in my need.
Touch me, O Lord, with your
healing power and strength.

Amen. 

Poem about St Alexius by American writer and poet Joyce Kilmer.

St. Alexis, Patron of Beggars

We who beg for bread as we daily tread
Country lane and city street,
Let us kneel and pray on the broad highway
To the saint with the vagrant feet.
Our altar light is a buttercup bright,
And our shrine is a bank of sod,
But still we share St. Alexis' care,
The Vagabond of God.

They gave him a home in purple Rome
And a princess for his bride,
But he rowed away on his wedding day
Down the Tiber's rushing tide.
And he came to land on the Asian strand
Where the heathen people dwell;
As a beggar he strayed and he preached and prayed
And he saved their souls from hell.

Bowed with years and pain he came back again
To his father's dwelling place.
There was none to see who this tramp might be,
For they knew not his bearded face.
But his father said, "Give him drink and bread
And a couch underneath the stair."
So Alexis crept to his hole and slept.
But he might not linger there.

For when night came down on the seven-hilled town,
And the emperor hurried in,
Saying, "Lo, I hear that a saint is near
Who will cleanse us of our sin,"
Then they looked in vain where the saint had lain,
For his soul had fled afar,
From his fleshly home he had gone to roam
Where the gold-paved highways are.

We who beg for bread as we daily tread
Country lane and city street,
Let us kneel and pray on the broad highway
To the saint with the vagrant feet.
Our altar light is a buttercup bright,
And our shrine is a bank of sod,
But still we share St. Alexis' care,
The Vagabond of God!

 

17 July - Feast of the Patron Saint of the Alexian Brothers

O Saint Alexius, faithful servant of the Heavenly Father, today we remember you with reverence and gratitude, who faithfully served God and helped people. We ask you to protect the communities of the Alexian Brothers throughout the world, including Ireland, Hungary, the Philippines, America, Germany and Belgium, and to send them new vocations. Bless them with Your wisdom and merciful love, that they may walk faithfully in the ways of the Lord and be an example to others in selfless service and love. Bless them with Your mercy and love, that they may faithfully serve God and their fellow people. We also ask your intercession for all the supporters of our Order, for the residents, workers, relatives and loved ones of our institutions, blessing them with health, wisdom and a life of joy. We thank You for always being with us through Your holy intercession. Amen.

Brother Barry and the two Hungarian Alexian Brothers, Brother Leo and Brother Alexius, stayed at St Benedict's Priory in Cobh, County Cork during their visit to Spike Island.

 

Coffee set decorated with the Alexian Brother's coat of arms.

Saint Alexius, radiating faith and humility,

Protector of the homeless and of pilgrims and the Alexian Brothers, look down on us who pray to you this week. You who renounced wealth and comfort to share the lot of the suffering, teach us selflessness and charity. Grant that our hearts may be opened to those in need, that our hands may reach out to those in distress, and that our homes may become a refuge for them. Please be with us every day of the week, that we may follow you in our work and ministry, and in our rest, and that we may serve God's glory with our lives.

Amen.

A pin with the coat of arms of the Alexian Brothers from the American mission.

A beautiful stained glass window in the Knock parish church.

Almighty God, thank you for the weekend and we are grateful for all the blessings we have received this week. Please bless this weekend so that we may find moments of rest and recharging. Give us strength and wisdom to spend this special time in love and joy. Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us and please guide us in the days ahead. Grant us the courage to let the cares of the week fly away and the weekend bring renewal. Please protect our loved ones and help us to live each moment with an open heart and spirit. We thank you for all your good deeds and blessings. Amen.

Prayer for vocations from the prayer book of the Irish Alexian Brothers

We turn to you Mary Mother of the Church, who through your faith opened the door which makes Christ present in the world, in history, and in individual lives. In humble silence and total availability you welcomed the Call of the Most High. May there be many who come to know in our day, the invitation of Your Son 'follow Me', particularly in our Congregation. May they find the courage to leave family, friends and earthly ambitions, and follow Christ along the road He walked. Amen.

Brother Barry and Brother Leo walking in Cobh harbour with the Regal Princess cruise ship in the background.

Dear God,

As we begin this new week, we thank you for the gift of a fresh start, for new opportunities, and for the blessings that surround us. We are grateful for the rest and renewal of the weekend, and we ask for your guidance and strength as we face the days ahead. Help us to be mindful of your presence throughout the week, and to see you in the people and situations we encounter. Grant us wisdom to make good choices, to work with diligence, and to treat others with kindness and compassion. Give us the courage to overcome challenges and the resilience to learn from our mistakes. Fill us with your peace and help us to trust in your plan for our lives. We pray for those who are struggling, for those who are in need, and for those who are working to make a difference in the world. May we be instruments of your love and grace. We offer this prayer in your name.

Amen.

Brother Barry and a member of the Hungarian Alexian community, Brother Leo, in front of the Regal Princess in Cobh Harbour. The Regal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship, that can accommodate 3,560 passengers and 1,346 crew members.

Saint Alexius, coloured engraving, Wellcome Collection, London

St Alexius, in a roundel, holds a pilgrim's staff and raises a lily towards the Virgin and Child. In the background, right, he kneels before a benefactor.

Prayer for vocations from the American Alexian Prayer Book

The Alexian Brothers in America celebrated the 159th anniversary of the founding of the American Mission on June 12. The 19th century was a time of great migrations, with many leaving their homeland for the "New World", the land of opportunity, America. At the beginning of 1866, Brother Bonaventure Thelen, in Aachen, Germany from Aachen arrived in New York. According to European practice, the brothers went out to the houses, ministering to their patients in their own homes, cared for the peoples in their own homes. It is likely that at that time, in Europe, people did not put much trust in the predecessors of our hospitals, the isopotyls. But in America the practice was different, and Brother Thelen soon saw the advantages of this and on 12 June he founded the first Alexandrian hospital in Chicago, in a small wooden house with 12 beds. He himself carried his first patient, in his arms, into the hospital in his arms. 

Kitchen accessories decorated with the coat of arms of the Alexian Brothers.

Saint Alexius, coloured engraving, Albertina Museum, Austria.

Lord,

As we begin this new month, July, we thank you for the warmth of summer, for the longer days, and for the beauty that surrounds us. We are grateful for the blessings of the past month and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. We pray for your guidance and wisdom as we navigate the days ahead. Help us to make choices that honor you and reflect your love. Grant us strength to overcome challenges and the courage to embrace new experiences. Bless our families, friends, and communities. May we be a source of kindness, compassion, and support to one another. We pray for the well-being of our world, for peace, justice, and healing. May we be stewards of your creation, protecting the environment and caring for all your children. We offer this prayer in your name, 

Amen.

 The statue of St Kevin by the Knock Basilica in the morning sunrise