How do I pray to saints that I believe are in heaven who have not been canonized? There are no prayers/chaplets/novenas/devotions attributed to them, or composed for them.. I want to pray to Mariette Beco and Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa more formally, but I don’t really know what to say.
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Spontaneous prayer? Talk to them in a more conversational tone? The way you might pray to a departed close family member, like a parent for example.
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Yes, I just talk to them.
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If it is someone you knew in real like, you can just talk to them like you did when you visited with them on earth. I talk to my Grandma (she was a saint) and I ask her to Pray for me.
I do not know these women you mentioned, but you can simply Pray, “Mariette Beco and Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa, Pray for me, in Jesus’ name, Amen ♱”
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Mariette Beco was the visionary of Our Lady, Virgin of the Poor in Banneux. Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa was the visionary of Our Lady of Akita. I believe they are saints in heaven.
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I am a skeptic when it comes to visionaries, but I’m not going to dissuade you from asking for anyone’s Prayers.
but both of these apparitions are approved by the church
The process of formal Canonization doesn’t happen immediately upon a person’s death.
Those that the Church have canonized had taken years, and most often centuries, before canonization happened. But one of the most important thing to remember is that … it were people like you and I who first prayed to the the deceased which led up to the canonization.
Prayer to and intercession of a deceased “saint” is a requirement for canonization.
I enjoyed reading here the several responses to your question. Yes, pray to them as you would do so in dialogue with them, such a deceased parent, sibling, or friend.
It does not mean that I am required to believe them. Private revelation is different from public revelation. But, if it helps you grow in faith, and it is approved by the Church, then you are free to believe in them.
Because neither Mariette Beco nor Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa has been canonized by the Church, Catholics should be cautious about formally invoking them as saints. The Church permits us to pray for the deceased and to thank God for the graces received through their lives. We may also express a pious hope that they share in the glory of heaven, while leaving the final judgment to God.
With that distinction in mind, here is a prayer that respects Catholic theology and your devotion to Our Lady under the titles of Banneux and Akita.
Prayer of Gratitude for the Witness of Mariette Beco and Sister Agnes
Heavenly Father,
You are the Lord of history,
the Author of every grace,
and the One who chooses the humble to reveal the greatness of Your mercy.
We thank You for the witness of Mariette Beco,
through whom the Virgin of the Poor called the world
to trust in God’s compassion for the suffering,
the forgotten,
and the needy.
We thank You for the witness of Sister Agnes Sasagawa,
through whom the messages of Akita invited souls
to repentance,
prayer,
reparation,
and deeper fidelity to Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord, if these faithful women now rejoice in Your presence,
may they join the communion of love that surrounds Your throne
and pray for all who seek to follow Christ with sincerity of heart.
Through their example,
teach us humility before divine mysteries.
Through their perseverance,
teach us fidelity amid trials.
Through their obedience,
teach us to listen attentively to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Virgin of the Poor,
Mother of all peoples,
lead us to your Son.
Our Lady of Akita,
whose tears remind us of the sorrow caused by sin,
help us embrace conversion,
prayer,
and sacrificial love.
May we never seek extraordinary signs for their own sake,
but always seek a deeper union with Jesus Christ,
present in the Holy Eucharist,
alive in His Church,
and reigning in glory at the right hand of the Father.
Grant us the grace to live with faith,
to die in hope,
and to rejoice forever in the communion of saints,
where every tear is wiped away
and every faithful servant beholds the face of God.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
A Personalist Reflection
Saint Pope John Paul II often taught that God reveals His greatness through the dignity of ordinary persons who respond generously to grace.
Mariette was a young girl.
Agnes was a religious sister hidden from the eyes of the world.
Neither possessed worldly power.
Neither sought fame.
Yet both remind us of a recurring Gospel pattern:
God delights in speaking through the little,
the humble,
and the receptive.
Their lives point beyond themselves to Mary.
And Mary always points beyond herself to Jesus.
As Our Lady said at Cana:
“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)
That remains the heart of every authentic Marian apparition,
every genuine visionary,
and every Christian life.