St. Dominic Church is blessed to have several parish shrines with votive candles. Whenever you stop by, we invite you to light a candle for your special intention. 

It is customary to leave a small donation to help cover the cost of the candles, or to help out the poor. If you are unable to come to the church, we are happy to light a candle for you. Simply choose from the shrines listed below and then send your offering of $3.00 to:

St. Dominic Church
77 E. Lucius Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44507
attn: candles
(Please indicate in which shrine you would like your candle to be lit)

Our shrines:

The Blessed Mother Shrine
St. Anthony of Padua
The Divine Infant of Prague
St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
St.John Paul II
St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
St. Martin de Porres
Bl. Imelda Lambertini
St. Dominic
St. Margaret of Castello
St. Jude
Our Lady, Undoer of Knots

Prayer when lighting a candle

Lord, may this candle which I light illuminate all my difficulties and decisions. May this candle be a fire that burns away all my pride, selfishness and all my other sins. May this candle be a flame that warms my heart and incites me to love. 

Lord I cannot stay long in this Church, but in lighting this candle I leave a symbol of myself which I want to give to you in love and praise. Help me, Lord, to prolong this prayer during the activities of this day. Amen.

Why do Catholics light prayer candles?

The sight of burning votive candles is common in most Catholic churches. The candles are usually placed before statues of saints or at shrines. But how did this tradition get its start?

According to A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals, by Ann Ball (Our Sunday Visitor Books), the practice of lighting candles probably has its origins in the custom of burning lights at the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs. The lights burned as a sign of solidarity with Christians still on earth. Because the lights continually burned as a silent vigil, they became known as vigil lights.

Vigil lights (from the Latin vigilia, which means "waiting" or "watching") are traditionally accompanied by prayers of attention or waiting. Another common type of candle offering is the votive light. Such an offering is indicative of seeking some favor from the Lord or the saint before which the votive is placed.

Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.

By lighting candles we remember and truly live the words of Our Lord: "I am the Light of the World."  We not only pray, but our prayers become smaller symbols of the one light of Christ. In burning candles, our prayers rise up to Heaven day and night. Prayers for a saint's intercession are also common because of their friendship with God in heaven.