The Catholic method of petition for intercession of a saint is as follows:
St. Louis, pray for us!
I also recommend asking St Anthony the Great to intercede as most any time St Louis is required you will need Anthony who was the first to object to Clown World back in the 300's.
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved Acts 4 KJV
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2 KJV
Catholics agree with this as the Christian Church founded by the apostle St. Peter. This is valid.
Catholics venerate saints but do not deify saints. As Catholics believe in eternal life, asking a saint to pray for us is as legit as asking anybody else to join you in prayer. Catholics believe that these living saints can and do act on our behalf in furtherance of God's plan, but salvation comes through Christ and not saints.
Consider the, "Hail, Mary," prayer. It acknowledges Mary's unique role as mother of Christ, worthy of veneration, and asks Mary to pray for us sinners. She is not the way, the truth, and the light, but she is first among saints. It is just a request to Mary to pray for us.
If you ask St Louis or St Anthony the Great to pray for us I don't regard that as a prayer to a false deity, you are just talking to them and asking for their help.
You are praying to dead people to hook you up with your saviour who desires that you talk to him.
(post is archived)