The Holy Innocents
Martyrs of Bethlehem
Feast Day: December 28
Biography
The Holy Innocents are the young children of Bethlehem whose deaths are recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18). After the Magi came seeking the newborn King of the Jews, King Herod the Great, fearing a rival to his throne, tried to find the child. When the Magi, warned in a dream, returned home another way, Herod ordered the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under. An angel had already warned St. Joseph, who took Mary and the Child Jesus and fled into Egypt. Matthew sees in the mourning of Bethlehem's families the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be consoled. Scripture does not give a number. Later traditions spoke of thousands, but Bethlehem was a small village, and historians suggest the number of children was likely small. The event fits what is known of Herod's cruelty in his final years. From the early centuries the Church has honored these children as martyrs: they could not yet speak of Christ, but they died in His place and for His sake. Their feast has been kept since at least the fifth century. Today the Church remembers them with special tenderness, praying for grieving parents, for children who suffer, and for the protection of every human life, especially the most vulnerable.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
Holy Innocents, you gave glory to God not by speaking but by dying for the newborn Christ. Pray for all children in danger, for the unborn, and for parents who grieve the loss of a child. Help us to protect every human life and to comfort those who mourn with the hope of the Resurrection. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. The Holy Innocents, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “The Holy Innocents, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.