Adsumus, Sancte Spiritus
Prayer of invocation to the Holy Spirit for an ecclesial assembly of governance or discernment (thus synodal)
Every session of the Second Vatican Council began with the prayer Adsumus Sancte
Spiritus, the first word of the Latin original meaning, “We stand before You, Holy Spirit,”
which has been historically used at Councils, Synods and other Church gatherings for
hundreds of years, being attributed to Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 4 April 636). As we
are called to embrace this synodal path of the Synod 2021-2023, this prayer invites the Holy
Spirit to operate within us so that we may be a community and a people of grace. For the
Synod 2021-2023, we propose to use this simplified version, so that any group or liturgical
assembly can pray more easily.
Click here find out more information about the Adsumus Prayer (The official prayer of the Synod)
The Vatican has also launched a website and smartphone app to help Catholics pray for the success of the two-
year process culminating in the 2023 synod on synodality. The app can be downloaded via android or apple app store and the Vatican prayer websites can be accessed here and here
Pray As You Go is a daily prayer session, designed to go with you wherever you go, to help you pray
whenever you find time, but particularly whilst travelling to and from work, study, etc.A new prayer session is produced every day of the working week and one session for the weekend. It is not a ‘Thought for the Day’, a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer. Lasting between ten and thirteen minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection.
Sacred Space Daily Prayer online