The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Lighting candles for Blessed Lady and other Saints

My mother used to have statues of the Blessed Mother, Joseph,
Anthony, the Madonna, etc, that were about six or seven feet tall.
They were the same size statues as one would find in a Church. We
used to light a candle in front of the Saints and then say a
prayer to that patron Saint in order to help us. We usually
prayed for the health of our family, grades in school, the
happiness of our family, etc. The only two things my mother
always told me to remember were that the prayers would only work
if we prayed for family members, and that we must have a whole-
hearted belief in our faith or the prayers could not work.

Where learned: NEW JERSEY ; Carlstadt

Date learned: 00-00-1924