Suffrages of the Saints
Suffragia Sanctorum
Suffrages are brief individual prayers to saints, each consisting of an antiphon, a versicle and response, and a collect (oratio), appearing in all Books of Hours immediately after the Hours of the Virgin or at the manuscript's close. A typical noble Horae includes a dozen or more saints, the selection personalised to reflect the owner's name-saint, dynastic patrons, and locally venerated figures, making the Suffrages the most individually tailored section of any Book of Hours. The cumulative effect of praying through one's personal roster of saints each day reinforced both a sense of heavenly companionship and of belonging to a specific lineage and place. This customisation means no two Books of Hours carry exactly the same Suffrage sequence, making the section a fingerprint of its original owner.