St Expedite (Expeditus) is invoked by Catholics in many countries as the saint of urgent causes, of success in examinations, lawsuits and business, and of matters that cannot wait. His image shows a young Roman soldier holding a cross marked Hodie, "today", while trampling a crow that cries Cras, "tomorrow". In Réunion, Brazil and New Orleans his devotion is intense, and in New Orleans he passed into hoodoo practice, where he is "paid" with a gift once the petition is granted. The steps below follow popular devotional custom.

How to do it§

Prepare a place. Set the image of St Expedite on a clean shelf or table with the glass of water and the flowers. Wash your hands and quiet yourself.
Write the petition. On the paper, write clearly and specifically what you need and by when, for example: "That the contract be signed by the end of this week." Devotees insist the request be honest and that it harm no one.
Light the candle. Light the candle in its holder and place the folded petition beneath or beside it, not touching the flame.
Pray. Begin with the sign of the cross and a prayer you know, such as the Lord's Prayer. Then address St Expedite in your own words. A simple form: "St Expedite, faithful soldier who would not put off your conversion until tomorrow, intercede for me with God in this urgent need. Help me today. I promise to give thanks and make your name known." (This wording is modern; printed prayers vary widely.)
Make a promise. Devotional custom is to promise a specific thanksgiving if the request is granted: flowers, a donation to the poor, a thanks notice in a newspaper or online, or, in New Orleans custom, a slice of pound cake left at his image.
Let the candle burn while you are present. Stay nearby, or extinguish the candle when you leave and relight it the next day.
Give thanks. When your need is answered, keep your promise promptly. Devotees warn that one who forgets to thank Expedite should not expect his help again. Replace the water, give away or compost the flowers, and keep or bury the petition.

Origins and history§

The name Expeditus appears in the martyrologies for 19 April among a group of martyrs of Melitene in Armenia, apparently drawn from early Christian lists, but nothing reliable is known about him. Historians have long suspected that the name may come from a copyist's error or from a misreading. His cult as such seems to have grown from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, particularly in Sicily, where he is honoured as one of the patrons of Acireale. The pun on his name, expeditus meaning "quick" or "unencumbered", made him the obvious patron for haste, and the story of the crow crying cras gave his iconography its memorable image.

In the nineteenth century his devotion spread through France and its colonies. On the island of Réunion, red-painted roadside shrines to St Expedite became one of the island's most distinctive sights, and his cult there blended with Creole and Tamil practices. In Brazil, as Santo Expedito, he became one of the most popular saints of the late twentieth century, with crowds visiting his churches on the 19th of each month. Church authorities have at various times expressed reservations about the uncertainty of his history and about superstitious excesses, yet the devotion has continued.

In New Orleans a statue of Expedite stands in the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (the old mortuary chapel). A well-known local legend claims that the saint's name came from a crate of statues stamped "expedite"; a similar tale is told of relics sent to Paris, and folklorists treat both as jokes rather than history. Carolyn Morrow Long's Spiritual Merchants (2001) shows how spiritual supply shops made Expedite a figure of hoodoo practice, with his own candles, oils and the custom of offering pound cake.

Variations§

In Brazil, devotees often distribute printed prayer leaflets of the saint as their thank-offering. In Réunion, red candles and red flowers are characteristic. Students in many countries pray to him before examinations, and some couple a petition to Expedite with a novena to a more established saint.

Safety and good sense§

Use a stable, non-flammable candle holder, keep the flame away from paper and curtains, and never leave a burning candle unattended. Leaving food at an indoor image attracts pests, so offer it briefly and then share or compost it. Prayer can give focus and calm in a crisis, but urgent legal, medical or financial problems also need prompt professional help.

Sources and further reading§

Spiritual Merchants: Religion, Magic, and Commerce — Carolyn Morrow Long, 2001
A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau — Carolyn Morrow Long, 2006
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints — David Hugh Farmer, 1978
Saints and Their Cults: Studies in Religious Sociology, Folklore and History — Stephen Wilson (ed.), 1983
Hoodoo—Conjuration—Witchcraft—Rootwork — Harry Middleton Hyatt, 1970