Catholic Novenas

Resurrection Parish

Diocese of Yakima

Catholic Church of the Resurrection

Novenas

Novenas are very popular and traditional methods of Catholic prayer. Novena is derived from the Latin "novem", meaning nine. A novena is when a series of private or public prayer to obtain special graces, to implore special favors, or to make special petitions. The prayers are given for nine days straight for the special intention. The novena is offered as a sacrifice to God. God sees a novena as a sign of devotion especially when the person saying the novena asks for a specific reason. There are many novenas to choose from to different saints.

Novenas can be made in public such as in a chapel or church or private in your own home. It takes only a few minutes a day to complete the prayers of the day.

A Calendar of Novenas

While any novena can be prayed at any time, below is a suggested list of novenas for the year:

January: Our Lady of Good Success; St. John Bosco; St. Francis De Sales

February: Holy Family; Our Lady of Lourdes;

March: St. Joseph; Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Francis Xavier Novena of Grace;

April: The Devine Mercy; St. Peregrine

May: Holy Spirit; Our Lady of Fatima; Our Lady of Hope; Pentecost; Corpus Christi

June: Sacred Heart of Jesus; Holy Trinity; Our Lady of Perpetual Help; St. Anthony of Padua

July: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; St. Benedict; St. Anne/St. Joachim; St. John Vianney Novena

August: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

September: Exultation of the Holy Cross; St. Michael the Archangel; Our Lady of Sorrows; St. Theresa the Little Flower

October: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary; St. Francis of Assisi; St. Jude-(Difficult Situations)

November: Holy Souls in Purgatory

December: Immaculate Conception; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Christmas;

Here's How to Begin:

1. Decide on an intention. You can decide a very specific intention or something general. Decide on something that is important to you or someone you care about. You can also pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, the Bishops, etc.

2. Set a certain time everyday you want to say the novena so you won't forget.

3. Look through the novenas to find one that you'd like to say.

4. Say all of the prayers that are listed and required. Don't forget to state your intention.

5. Repeat Step 4 for nine days straight.

6. You can say novenas as often as you'd like. You can say them for your intentions and others.

7. Be thankful even if your intention hasn't been answered immediately. God listens to all of our prayers even if He doesn't respond as we like. You can repeat the novena again for that particular intention too.

8. Be open to hear God especially if it's something you might not want to know or hear.

9. Educate others about novenas and tell them how they help you.

Click on the following links to access a few of the many special devotional novenas.

Ascension of our Lord

Assumption of Mary

Christmas

Christ the King

Corpus Christi

Devine Mercy

Exultation of the Holy Cross

Holy Family

Holy Souls in Purgatory