A novena is nine days of consecutive prayer, often for a specific intention. Some novenas have different prayers corresponding to each day, while others repeat the same prayer all nine days.
Some novenas ask for a specific saint’s intercession, usually beginning or ending on that saint’s feast day. For example, the Novena of St. Therese is traditionally prayed from September 22 to September 30, in anticipation of her Feast Day on October 1.
Novenas can also be repeated in times of particular need. Saint Jude Thaddeus’s feast day is celebrated on October 28, with the Solemn Novena to St. Jude observed the nine days prior. However, due to his patronage of lost causes, desperate situations, and hospitals, he is often invoked following a person’s illness diagnosis or at the beginning of their treatment process. Devotees and/or their loved ones embark on a nine-day journey of focused prayer, asking for St. Jude’s intercession.
Many parishes have perpetual novenas, where prayers are recited weekly. At Our Lady of Guadalupe in South Chicago (where the National Shrine of St. Jude is located!) a perpetual Novena to St. Jude is held with services each Wednesday.
History of the novena
The term “novena” is derived from the Latin root novem, which means “nine.”
The first documented novena takes place in the bible. After Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, His disciples, family, and some other followers devoted themselves to prayer for nine days straight, in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Beginning forty days after Jesus’s resurrection, they prayed from Thursday (Ascension) until the second following Sunday (Pentecost).
“When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” - Acts 1:13-14
Long before Jesus’ time, the ancient Romans also held nine-day prayers for various purposes. Some prayers were specific pleas to their gods or attempts to avoid their wrath, while others served as the official mourning period after the deaths of loved ones. Under Roman Emperor Justinian, it was actually against the law for creditors to approach heirs about the deceased’s debts until these nine days had passed. While the ancient Romans were largely pagan, it is possible that early Christians modeled the Novena after practices observed in surrounding cultures.
As the centuries passed, Christians continued to partake in nine-day periods of prayer. The tradition of a mourning period remained, and novenas leading up to Christmas became popular in the Middle Ages, particularly in Spain and France. More and more novenas were composed–allowing the faithful to prepare for certain feast days and holidays, or to focus their prayer on a special intention.
Jesus and Mother Mary have also been known to reveal novenas to saints and other devout people. Examples include the Surrender Novena, revealed to Father Dolindo Ruotolo by Christ, and the six novenas referred to as the “54-Day Novena,” which Mary revealed to a young Italian girl via an apparition.
Purpose of novenas
“Novenas help us to open ourselves to God, in order to increase our faith and grow in the love of God and neighbor. They aid in inner healing, obtaining special graces, being transformed and growing in virtue and holiness. They bring us peace and joy regardless of the answer we receive to our petition.” –Bro. Dan Magner, CMF
While novena prayer is intentional and centers on a request, good graces, or special favor, it’s important to remember that it is not transactional. Our intention may be granted long after the ninth day of prayer, or maybe it won’t be granted at all.
Novenas allow us to grow in faith. By practicing the focus and discipline they require, we strengthen our trust in God and open our hearts to His will. The specific things we request may not be a part of God’s plan for our lives. When we pray a novena, we are also reflecting in gratitude for our Lord’s divine wisdom.
For this reason, novenas can also help us bridge any distance we may feel from our spirituality or religious communities. Nine days of consecutive and intentional prayer allow us to unite with other faithful people and to dedicate time and effort to reconnecting with God.
Common questions about novenas
Am I allowed to pray novenas outside of their usual dates?
Yes! While it is customary to start or end a novena on its associated Feast/Holy Day, we can pray any novena at any time. Again, this is more common with novenas to saints like St. Jude or St. Peregrine (whose patronage includes the seriously ill), but there are no limitations. If you feel a particular need for a certain saint’s intercession, you are welcome to begin your journey of devoted prayer.
What happens if I miss a day of the novena I’m praying? Do I have to start over?
Not necessarily. While much of the beauty of novenas lies in the consistency and discipline they call for, it’s still possible to complete a novena successfully. You can simply make up the missed prayer along with the next day’s, or add an extra day at the end of the novena.
Can I pray multiple novenas at once, or for more than one intention within the same novena?
Yes! As long as you have defined intentions and pray from a place of gratitude and trust in God, you can commit to novenas and requests as you see fit.
Novena solemne a San Judas
We pray five Solemn Novenas to St. Jude throughout each year. Send your novena prayers to the National Shrine of St. Jude, where they are delivered to the altar of St. Jude and remembered in our Masses and prayers along with the prayers of multitudes of St. Jude devotees.
To pray with us daily during novenas, join us in person at 3200 E. 91st St. in Chicago, or participate virtually by following us on Facebook o signing up for emails from the National Shrine of St. Jude.
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