Family and personal devotions
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5.3 Family and personal devotions
5.3.1 The Archangel protector of home and family
The presence of St Michael's image in homes
Since antiquity, the image of Saint Michael the Archangel has been considered a powerful sign of spiritual protection, so much so that it occupied a privileged place in the homes of the faithful. In many homes - especially in southern Italy and in rural contexts - one can still find icons, prints, paintings and statuettes depicting the Archangel in the act of defeating the devil.
Often placed near the entrance, the effigy of the Archangel symbolises his function as guardian against evil and guardian of the family. This practice is based on the trust that Michael, prince of the celestial militia, continues to exercise his defensive power even in domestic settings.
Domestic Blessings and Spiritual Protection
In many parishes and dioceses, especially on 29 September or 8 May, moments of blessing of families and homes are organised, accompanied by specific prayers to St Michael. The priest, or in some cases a lay person in charge, carries an image of the Archangel and blesses the rooms, reciting formulas of protection.
There is also a widespread custom of leaving blessed medals, small crosses or scrolls with prayers, often hidden above doors, behind paintings or in bedrooms. These tangible signs act as spiritual shields against negative influences and sources of disturbance.
Daily invocations and small devotional practices
Personal devotion to St Michael is also expressed through small daily acts of entrustment. Many believers recite a short invocation prayer every morning or evening, often accompanied by the sign of the cross or a silent invocation in times of distress.
Among the most common practices:
the recitation of the prayer to St Michael by Leo XIII,
the novena for the protection of the family,
the lighting of a candle or incense before the image of the Archangel,
the storage of protective symbols (swords, wings, consecrated stones) on furniture or home altars.
These practices, however simple, represent concrete, everyday gestures of faith, capable of strengthening the spiritual bond between the person, the family and the heavenly defender.
Multimedia Content
Images
St Michael Archangel medal in 18 kt gold
Image of a gold medal depicting St Michael the Archangel, often used as a domestic devotional object.
Statue of St Michael Archangel in the Grotto of Monte Sant'Angelo
Photograph of the venerated statue of St Michael Archangel located in the sacred grotto of the sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo.
Byzantine Icon of St Michael Archangel
Image of the ancient Byzantine icon of St. Michael the Archangel, preserved in the Museum
Devotional of the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo. View image
Video
Invoke Mary and St Michael for a Blessed House!
Video guiding prayer for the protection and blessing of the home through the intercession of Mary and St Michael the Archangel.
St Michael and the Angels of God
Spiritual reflection on the figure of St Michael the Archangel and his role as protector of families and communities.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - 'Domestic Spirituality' Section
Prayers for the Family - Pauline Editions
Diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste - Family pastoral care
Vatican News, Avvenire - Articles on family spirituality
Traditional Catholic prayers - Liturgical and devotional collections
5.3.2 Personal prayers and acts of entrustment
Leo XIII's prayer and its dissemination
One of the best known prayers dedicated to St Michael the Archangel is the one composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, invoking his protection against the forces of evil. In the past, it was recited at the end of every Mass and, although it is now optional, it has remained vividly present in the personal devotion of the faithful.
The text, which invokes St Michael as a 'defender in battle', is spread all over the world, including through sacred images, booklets and religious apps, and is considered one of the most powerful spiritual tools against the temptations and pitfalls of everyday life.
Novenas, rosaries and formulas of consecration to St Michael
Alongside the prayer of Leo XIII, many people dedicate more structured devotional practices to St Michael, such as:
the Novena to St Michael, often recited in the nine days preceding 29 September or 8 May,
the Angelic Rosary, composed of nine Salve Regina in honour of the angelic choirs,
the Personal Consecration to St Michael, by which the faithful entrust themselves totally to the protection of the Archangel.
These formulas, handed down by brotherhoods and spiritual movements, represent true inner paths of spiritual growth, based on the fight against evil and reliance on divine light.
Experiences of faith and graces received
There is no shortage of testimonies of graces attributed to the intercession of St Michael, received as a result of personal prayers or acts of entrustment. Many tell of healings, conversions, protection in dangerous situations, or even simply of rediscovered inner peace.
These experiences - often kept in spiritual diaries or shared in prayer groups - are a fundamental component of popular devotion, which finds in personal contact with the sacred a life-transforming force.
Multimedia Content
Images
Prayer to St Michael Archangel by Leo XIII - Illustrated text
Image of the prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII, often used in devotional booklets.
Novena to St Michael Archangel - Devotional booklet
Cover of a booklet containing the novena dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.
Angelic Rosary - Chaplet with St Michael medal
Image of a chaplet used for the recitation of the angelic rosary, with a medal depicting St. Michael.
Video
How to pray the Angelic Rosary to St Michael - A Practical Guide
Video guide on reciting the angelic rosary dedicated to St Michael the Archangel.
Testimonies of protection and graces - St Michael today
Video collecting testimonies of people who attribute protections and graces received to St Michael the Archangel.
Sources and References
Prayer of Leo XIII - CEI and Latin Versions
St Michael's Way - Liturgical materials and novenas
Holy Mass and Liturgy of the Hours - Supplications to St Michael
Collections of devotional prayers - Edizioni Paoline, Shalom, Segno
Testimonies on online Catholic forums and groups - Digital Prayer Community
5.3.3 Devotional objects and household symbols
Medals, scapulars, statues and sacred images
Among the most widespread forms of personal devotion to St Michael the Archangel is the use of sacred objects: medals, scapulars, images and statues that accompany the faithful in their daily lives. These objects are not merely religious ornaments, but visible signs of trust and spiritual protection.
Medals with the effigy of the Archangel - often depicted in the act of defeating the devil - are worn around the neck, hung in cars or distributed to children as a form of blessing. Statues, on the other hand, occupy symbolic spaces in homes, churches or votive chapels.
Personal iconography and home altars
In many families, especially in rural or traditional contexts, the practice of setting up a small domestic altar dedicated to St Michael is preserved. There are sacred images, candles, flowers and sometimes votive offerings as a sign of grace received. This prayer space becomes a place of spiritual recollection, used for the recitation of daily prayers.
Personal iconography takes on a special significance: alongside the more classical images in the Baroque or Byzantine style, one now also finds contemporary depictions, works by young artists or digital reproductions testifying to the continuity of devotion over time.
Use of blessed oil, water and salt in private worship
Alongside material objects, practices related to the use of blessed natural elements persist: oil, water and salt, which in Catholic and Micaelic traditions take on a sacramental value. In particular:
Blessed water is used to mark the foreheads of children or to sprinkle the house in times of trial.
Exorcised salt is used as a symbol of purification.
Blessed oil is used as a sign of protection on doors, beds or hands before prayer.
These practices, rooted in popular spirituality, recall St Michael's protection over every sphere of daily life, keeping alive an embodied, concrete religiosity, close to domestic reality.
Multimedia Content
Images
Capodimonte-effect resin statue of St. Michael Archangel
Italian handcrafted statue depicting St. Michael the Archangel, made of resin with Capodimonte effect and gold-coloured finish.
Home altar dedicated to St Michael - Family devotion
Image of a domestic altar dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, used for family prayer.
Set of blessed water, oil and salt - Private devotional use
Set containing blessed water, oil and salt, used in domestic devotional practices.
Video
Build an altar - Practical guide
Video tutorial on how to build a home altar for personal prayer.
Blessed Water, Salt and Oil - Weapons Against Evil
Insight into the use of blessed water, salt and oil as instruments of spiritual protection.
Tips on how to position and set up a home altar according to Feng Shui principles.
Sources and References
St Michael's Way - Iconography and devotional objects
Holyart.it, Edizioni Segno - Catalogues of sacred art and devotional instruments
R. Turchi, Encyclopaedia of Italian Popular Religions
Vatican News - Articles on home altars and personal worship
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Use of the Sacramentals
5.3.4 Family testimonies and oral tradition
Tales passed down between generations
At the heart of popular devotion to St Michael the Archangel lives a precious heritage of family tales and oral narratives. In many Italian families, especially in the southern regions, stories of apparitions, dreams, signs and protections are handed down from father to son, grandmother to granddaughter.
These tales are not mere legends, but testimonies of lived faith, capable of giving shape to a shared spiritual identity. Sometimes they are memories linked to difficult times - wars, illnesses, calamities - in which St Michael's protective presence was perceived as tangible and saving.
The 'pledges' at St Michael's in situations of need
A distinctive feature of popular tradition is the 'promise' to St Michael, i.e. a vow made in exchange for his intercession in times of need. Such promises can take different forms:
annual participation in the patronal feast,
symbolic offering (oil, bread, candles),
pilgrimage to the Gargano sanctuary or other micaelico sites,
service to a fraternity or community.
These practices, deeply rooted in family spirituality, reveal a personal relationship of deep trust with the Archangel, experienced not as a mechanical ritual, but as a response of gratitude.
Memories of miracles, healings and protective interventions
The testimonies of miracles attributed to St Michael the Archangel are numerous and varied: inexplicable healings, salvations from accidents or dangers, sudden spiritual conversions. These events are preserved in letters, votive offerings, photographs, or recounted in prayer groups and shrines.
Near the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo and in other places of worship, there are archives rich in devotional memories, in which the accounts of the faithful who have experienced the protection of the Archangel are collected. These memories not only nourish the faith of those who receive them, but also renew the cult of St. Michael as a powerful intercessor even in the present time.
Multimedia Content
Images
Framework of St Michael Archangel in bilaminate silver
Sacred image used in homes as a symbol of protection and family devotion.
Altar with image of St Michael Archangel - Bell tradition
Domestic altar set up with the image of the Archangel, testimony to family devotion.
Video
San Michele and the Souls in Purgatory (Orsara di Puglia)
Documentary exploring devotion to the Archangel Michael and oral traditions in the village of Orsara di Puglia.
Unexplained healings, when faith works miracles
Insight into the testimonies of healings attributed to the intercession of St Michael the Archangel.
The Apparition of St Michael Archangel at Monte Sant'Angelo
Service recounting the apparitions of the Archangel Michael and the devotional traditions associated with the shrine.
Sources and References
Sanctuarysanmichele.co.uk - "Thanks Received" section
Archive of Pledges - Local Michaelic Brotherhoods
TV2000 - Documentaries on miracles and family traditions
Orality and devotion - Anthropological studies on popular worship
R. Turchi, Encyclopaedia of Italian Popular Religions
5.3.5 Personal devotion in the digital age
Online prayer groups and social initiatives
With the advent of digital, devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel has also found new spaces of expression: prayer groups on WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook, dedicated pages on Instagram and TikTok, and even thematic YouTube channels. These tools have become new places of spiritual aggregation:
reciting live novenas,
share prayer intentions,
listen to daily reflections and meditations,
testify thanks received.
Many of these groups are moderated by lay people, religious or priests and act as bridges between tradition and contemporaneity, bringing the cult of St Michael to those who are physically far from the sanctuaries.
Apps and sites dedicated to daily prayer to the Archangel
In recent years, mobile applications entirely dedicated to Catholic spirituality have sprung up, some of which include specific sections on Michaelic devotion. These apps offer:
texts from the Prayer of Leo XIII,
novenas and angelic rosaries with audio,
daily notifications for personal prayer,
liturgies dedicated to the Archangel.
Catholic portals such as La Luce di Maria, Radio Maria, Vatican News or Santuariosanmichele.it also offer up-to-date content on celebrations, digital events, testimonies and prayers.
Digital spiritual diary and faith sharing
Finally, an increasingly widespread practice is that of the digital spiritual diary: blogs, posts, voice notes or stories shared on social networks that recount one's faith experience with Saint Michael. Some believers create prayer reels, others publish quotes and images, and still others use platforms to visually accompany their spiritual journey.
This intimate yet shared form of devotion reflects a new way of living faith on the web, transforming the algorithm into a space for proclamation, catechesis and mutual support.
Multimedia Content
Images
Prayer to St Michael Archangel - BuongiornoConGesu.it
Image depicting the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, used in online prayer groups.
Prayer to St Michael Archangel - GesuTiAma.it
Image of the prayer to St Michael the Archangel, shared on digital platforms.
Prayer to St Michael Archangel - BuongiornoConGesu.it
Image of the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, disseminated through social media and apps by
Video
Daily prayer to St Michael Archangel
Video guiding the daily recitation of the prayer to St Michael the Archangel.
Miraculous night prayer to St Michael Archangel
Video proposing a night prayer to St Michael the Archangel for protection and spiritual guidance.
Sources and References
The Light of Mary, Radio Maria, Vatican News - Digital Sections and Spirituality
App Store / Google Play - "San Michele Arcangelo Prayer App", "Rosario Angelico"
Santuariosanmichele.it - Digital resources for prayer
Centre for Digital Spirituality - Analysis on faith and technology
TV2000 - Documentaries and columns on devotion 2.0