Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel: Text, Meaning and San Miguel’s Patron

Here you will find the exact traditional text in English and the standard Spanish version, a little of its history, who St. Michael is in Scripture, and why he is the patron of our own town, San Miguel de Allende, which celebrates him every September with fireworks before dawn.

The traditional St. Michael prayer

This is the English wording most commonly used today, as published by EWTN:

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

You may come across slightly different translations, for example “cast into hell” instead of “thrust into hell,” or “by the divine power.” They are versions of the same Latin prayer, and any of them is fine to pray.

Who is St. Michael the Archangel?

Michael is one of the few angels named in the Bible, and his name is itself a question: “Who is like God?” The Book of Daniel calls him the great prince who stands guard over God’s people (Daniel 10 and 12). The Letter of Jude names him “the archangel Michael” in a dispute with the devil (Jude 9), and the Book of Revelation describes how “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” (Revelation 12:7).

From those passages comes the familiar image: a winged warrior in armor, sword or spear raised, with the defeated devil under his feet. In the Catholic tradition he is the protector of the Church, a defender in spiritual struggles and a companion at the hour of death. His feast, September 29, is shared with the archangels Gabriel and Raphael, which is why many calendars call it Michaelmas or the feast of the Archangels.

Where the prayer came from

Pope Leo XIII composed the prayer and, from 1886, it was recited after Low Mass as part of what became known as the Leonine Prayers. That practice ended with the liturgical reforms of the 1960s, but the prayer itself never disappeared. In April 1994, Pope John Paul II asked Catholics to pray it again, as a help in the spiritual struggle against evil, opening his address with the words of Ephesians 6:10: be strong in the Lord.

Today many parishes have brought it back at the end of Mass, and families pray it in the morning, before a trip or when they feel afraid. It is short enough to memorize, which is part of its strength.

• Pray it once each morning as a simple act of protection for the day.
• Add it to the end of the Rosary or a family prayer.
• Teach it to children: its strong images make it easy to remember.
• Keep it on a card by the front door or in the car.

Why St. Michael is the patron of San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende was founded in 1542 by the Franciscan friar Juan de San Miguel, and the archangel has been the town’s patron ever since. “Allende” was added in 1826 in honor of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico’s independence. In 2008 the town became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The town’s best-known landmark carries his name: the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the pink neo-Gothic church that rises over the Jardín Principal and appears on postcards, paintings and on every one of our retablos. If you are planning a visit, our guide to things to do in San Miguel de Allende has more about the Parroquia and the center.

The fiesta and the Alborada

The great celebration of the year is the fiesta of San Miguel Arcángel, held around his feast at the end of September. Its most famous moment is La Alborada, a night that turns into dawn. In the small hours, neighbors from barrios such as Valle del Maíz, La Aurora and La Estación walk to the Jardín carrying enormous stars of colored tissue paper on tall poles, lit from inside with candles. Around 4 a.m. the bell rings and, from the atrium of the Parroquia, a fireworks show begins that represents the battle between St. Michael and Lucifer. It ends around first light, when the crowd sings las mañanitas to the archangel.

The fiesta continues for days: Masses, processions, concheros dancers, giant mojigangas puppets and the entrance of the xúchiles, tall offerings made of cempasúchil and a local plant called cucharilla. If you go to the Alborada, bring earplugs and stand back from the church, because the sparks really do fly.