St Longinus
St. Longinus is the Roman soldier who, by tradition, pierced Christ's side with a spear. The Gospel of John records that act but never names the soldier. The name Longinus, his conversion, and his death as a martyr all come from later tradition, including the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus.
Scripture describes a soldier and a centurion at the cross. John 19:34 says one of the soldiers pierced the side of Jesus, and blood and water came out. Matthew 27:54 records a centurion who watched Jesus and said, "Truly this was the Son of God," and Mark 15:39 records his confession in similar words.
Later tradition gives this man the name Longinus. It identifies him with the centurion or with the soldier who held the spear, says he came to believe, and places his martyrdom in Cappadocia. Those details belong to tradition, and the Church does not present them as Scripture or doctrine.
In Rome, Gian Lorenzo Bernini's statue of St. Longinus stands in one of the four great piers beneath the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, and it shows the saint holding a spear. From the Church Fathers on, Christian tradition has seen in the blood and water from that pierced side a sign of Baptism and the Eucharist.
A Short Prayer to St. Longinus
St. Longinus, tradition tells us you stood at the cross and came to believe in the One who hung there. Pray for us, that we may look upon Jesus, whom they pierced, and turn to Him in faith. Ask the Lord to create a clean heart in us and renew a right spirit within us. We adore God alone, and we ask you to pray for us before His throne. Amen.
A Prayer of Repentance and Conversion of Heart
Lord Jesus Christ, at the cross a soldier drove a spear into Your side, and blood and water flowed out. Your Gospel records that wound, and says, "They shall look on him whom they pierced." We look on You whom they pierced, and we confess our sins. We have been careless with Your gifts, quick to judge, and slow to forgive. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Turn us away from the habits that keep us far from You. Let the blood and water from Your side wash the hardness out of our hearts, for Your Church has long seen in them the signs of Baptism and the Eucharist. Reconcile us to You and to Your Church. St. Longinus, whom tradition remembers as a soldier who came to believe, pray for us. Ask the Lord to give us the same change of heart, so that we may say with the centurion, "Truly this was the Son of God," and live each day as people who believe it. Amen.
A Prayer Before the Crucifix
Lord Jesus, we kneel before Your cross and look upon You whom they pierced. We see the wound in Your side that the Gospel of John records, the wound from which blood and water flowed. Hold our attention on You when our thoughts wander and our prayer grows dry. Let this crucifix remind us of the price of our redemption and of the love that kept You on the cross until the end. St. Longinus, whom tradition places beneath this same cross, pray that we may come to believe more deeply each time we look at it. Draw us from the image on the wall to Your living presence in the sacraments of Your Church. Amen.
A Prayer When You Feel Beyond Forgiveness
Merciful Jesus, we come to You carrying something we believe can never be forgiven. The memory of it follows us into every quiet hour, and shame tells us to stay away from You. Yet Your Word says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We hold on to that promise even when our feelings refuse it. Tradition remembers a soldier who pierced Your side and later came to believe in You. Your side was opened, and from it came blood and water. Give us the courage to name our sin, to confess it in the sacrament of Penance, and to receive Your mercy. Where others have been hurt, show us the right way to make amends. Quiet the voice that says we are beyond Your reach. St. Longinus, pray for us. Amen.
A Prayer for Those Who Serve in the Military or as Guards
Lord God, we lift up the men and women who wear a uniform and carry a weapon in service to others. We pray for soldiers, sailors, guards, and all who stand watch through long nights. Tradition remembers St. Longinus as a soldier on duty at the cross who came to faith in Jesus. Give those who serve the same openness to Your truth. Grant them clear judgment under pressure, restraint in the use of force, and mercy toward the people in their care. Comfort their families while they are away. Where they have seen or done things that weigh on them, bring them Your peace and lead them to people who can help. St. Longinus, pray for all who serve. Amen.
A One-Line Prayer to St. Longinus
St. Longinus, pray that we may look on Jesus whom they pierced and believe. Amen.
Scripture to pray
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.— John 19:34 (KJV)
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.— Matthew 27:54 (KJV)
And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.— John 19:37 (KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.— 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
Frequently asked questions
Who is St. Longinus?
St. Longinus is the name tradition gives to the Roman soldier who pierced Christ's side with a spear at the Crucifixion. The Gospel of John records the act in John 19:34 but does not name the soldier. The name Longinus appears in later tradition, including the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. That same tradition says he came to believe in Christ and died a martyr, with his death traditionally placed in Cappadocia.
Who pierced Jesus' side with the spear?
John 19:34 says that "one of the soldiers" pierced the side of Jesus with a spear, and blood and water came out. The Gospel gives no name for him. Later Christian tradition calls this soldier Longinus. John 19:37 adds: "And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."
Is Longinus in the Bible?
The name Longinus does not appear in the Bible. Scripture records a soldier who pierced Christ's side in John 19:34 and a centurion who confessed Jesus as the Son of God in Matthew 27:54 and Mark 15:39. The name, the story of his conversion, and his martyrdom come from later tradition, including the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. Read that tradition alongside Scripture, and keep the two distinct.
Was Longinus the centurion at the cross?
Tradition identifies Longinus with either the centurion or the soldier who held the spear. The centurion is the man who said, "Truly this was the Son of God," in Matthew 27:54 and Mark 15:39. The soldier is the one who pierced the side of Jesus in John 19:34.
When is the feast day of St. Longinus?
The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Longinus on 15 March. The Byzantine tradition commemorates him on 16 October.
What is the Holy Lance, and is it real?
The Holy Lance is the name medieval legends give to the spear that pierced Christ's side, which those legends say survived. Several places claim to hold a relic of it. The Church has made no definitive claim about which relic, if any, is authentic. Treat the stories as legend, and keep your devotion centered on the pierced Christ.
What does the blood and water from Jesus' side mean?
Christian tradition, from the Church Fathers on, has seen in the blood and water from Christ's side a sign of the Eucharist and Baptism. These are the sacraments by which the Church is born. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraph 1225, speaks of the blood and water from the pierced side of Jesus as figures of Baptism and the Eucharist. When you pray before a crucifix, the wound in Christ's side can turn your thoughts to both sacraments.
Is it okay for Catholics to pray to St. Longinus?
Yes, Catholics may ask St. Longinus to pray for them. Catholic teaching holds that the saints, living with God, intercede for us. When Catholics pray to St. Longinus, they ask for his intercession and do not worship him. God alone is adored.