The Feast of Blessed Pius IX

Today is the Feast Day of Bld Pius IX, Hammer of Liberals. He is the longest-reigning Pope in the history of the Church. He issued the Syllabus of Errors, of which Fr Hardon says in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, 'Every Catholic is expected to give exterior and interior assent to the condemnation of errors expressed in this syllabus.'

He also issued the Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, defining the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception as a Dogma of the Faith and presided over the First Vatican Council that defined Papal Infallibility in the Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Æternus.

Blessed Pope Pius IX (13 May 1792, Senigallia - 7 February 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal infallibility. The Pope defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin. Pius IX also granted the Marian title of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a famous Byzantine icon from Crete entrusted to the Redemptorist priests. In addition to this, Pius IX was also the last Pope to rule as the Sovereign of the Papal States, which fell completely to Italian nationalist armies by 1870 and were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy. He was beatified in 2000.

Here is a Prayer for His Beatification:

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX, who consecrated the Universal Church to you.
(Our Father...)

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you Immaculate.
(Hail Mary...)

Saint Joseph, spouse of the most pure Virgin Mary, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you the Patron of the Universal Church.
(Glory be...)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Mary, our Hope, and Saint Joseph hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX , granting to us through his merits and intercessions the graces which we ardently desire: that the glory of God be revealed through Father's illness.
(Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be...)