Favorite Novenas To The Saints
Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.
Purse- or pocket-size edition of the most popular Novenas in honor of the saints. Printed in two colors. Illustrated.
Novenas include:
St. John of God
St. Joseph
St. Peregrine
St. Dymphna
St. Rita
St. Anthony
St. Anne
St. Liguori
St. Therese
Holy Angels
St. Jude
All Saints
Imprimatur: Patrick J. Sheridan, Vicar General, Archdiocese of New York
St. Alphonsus de Liguori
Feast Day:
Roman Rite Calendar - 08/01
Patron Of:
Moralists, Arthritis, Confessors, Final Perseverence, Theologians, Vocations, Scrupulous People, Against Scrupulosity
Born to the nobility, he was a child prodigy, was extremely well-educated, and received his doctorate in law from the University of Naples at age 16. He had his own practice by age 21, and was soon one of the leading lawyers in Naples, though he never attended court without having attended Mass first. He loved music, could play the harpsichord, and often attended the opera, though he frequently listened without bothering to watch the over-done staging. As he matured and learned more and more of the world, he liked it less and less, and finally felt a call to religious life. He declined an arranged marriage, studied theology, and was ordained at age 29.
Preacher and home missioner around Naples. Noted for his simple, clear, direct style of preaching, and his gentle, understanding way in the confessional. Writer on asceticism, theology, and history; master theologian. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived laxity toward sinners, and by government officials who opposed anything religious. Founded the Redemptoristines women's order in Scala in 1730. Founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Liguorians; Redemptorists) at Scala, Italy in 1732.
Appointed bishop of Saint Agata dei Gotti by Pope Clement XIII in 1762. Worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in a diocese with a bad reputation. He was afflicted with severe rheumatism, and often could barely move or raise his chin from his chest. In 1775 he resigned his see due to his health, and went into what he thought was a prayerful retirement.
In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his Redemptorists, claiming that they were covertly carrying on the work of the Jesuits, who had been suppressed in 1773. Calling on his knowledge of the Congregation, his background in thelogy, and his skills as a lawyer, Alphonsus defended the Redemptorists so well that they obtained the king's approval. However, by this point Alphonsus was nearly blind, and was tricked into giving his approval to a revised Rule for the Congregation, one that suited the king and the anti-clerical government. When Pope Pius VI saw the changes, he condemned it, and removed Alphonsus from his position as leader of the Order. This caused Alphonsus a crisis in confidence and faith that took years to overcome. However, by the time of his death he had returned to faith and peace.
Alphonsus vowed early to never to waste a moment of his life, and lived that way for over 90 years. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.
When he was bishop, one of Alphonsus's priests led a worldly life, and resisted all attempts to change. He was summoned to Alphonsus, and at the entrance to the bishop's study he found a large crucifix laid on the threshold. When the priest hesitated to step in, Alphonsus quietly said, "Come along, and be sure to trample it underfoot. It would not be the first time you have placed Our Lord beneath your feet."
Patron Of:
Sterility, Against Poverty, Cabinet Makers, Canada, Carpenters, Grandmothers, Horseriders, Housekeepers, Mothers, Women In Labor
Mother of Our Lady. Grandmother of Jesus Christ. Wife of Saint Joachim. Probably well off. Tradition says that Anne was quite elderly when Mary was born, and that she was their only child. The belief that Anne remained a virgin in the conception and birth of Mary was condemned by the Vatican in 1677. Believed to have given Mary to the service of the Temple when the girl was three years old. Devotion to her has been popular in the East from the very early days of the Church; widespread devotion in the West began in the 16th century, but many shrines have developed since.
Patron Of:
Belgium, Carpenters, Confectioners, Doubt, Dying, Engineers, Families, Happy Death, Hesitation, Married Couples, Peru, Pioneers, Universal Church, Workers
Also known as Joseph the Betrothed; Joseph the Worker
Profile Descendant of the house of David. Layman. Carpenter. Earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Foster and adoptive father of Jesus Christ. Visionary who was visited by angels. Noted for his willingness to immediately get up and do what God told him.
Died 1st century, prior to the Passion, of natural causes
Profile Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr, and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who anointed Christ's body after death. Brother of Saint James the Lesser. Nephew of Mary and Joseph; blood relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him. May have been a fisherman. Apostle.
Writer of canonical letter. Preached in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia with Saint Simon. Healer. Exorcist. Could exorcise pagan idols, which caused the demons to flee and the statues to crumble.
His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and Judas; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude's help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.
Died beaten to death with a club, then beheaded post-mortem in 1st century Persia; relics at Saint Peter's, Rome, at Rheims, and at Toulouse, France
Name Meaning sweetness or gentleness of character (Thaddeus)
Patron Of:
Against Cancer, Breast Cancer, Open Sores, AIDS Sufferers, Cancer Patients, Sick, Skin Diseases
Also known as Peregrinus Memorial 1 May Profile Born wealthy, he spent a worldly youth, and became involved in politics. Peregrine was initially strongly anti-Catholic. During a popular revolt, he struck the papal peace negotiator, Saint Philip Benizi, across the face. Saint Philip calmly turned the other cheek, prayed for the youth, and Peregine converted.
He received a vision of Our Lady who told him to go to Siena, Italy, and there to join the Servites. After training and ordination, they assigned him to his home town. He lived and worked, as much as possible, in complete silence, in solitude, and without sitting down for 30 years in an attempt to do penance for his early life. When he did speak, he was known as a fervant preacher, excellent orator, and gentle confessor. Founded a Servite house at Forli.
A victim of a spreading cancer in his foot, Peregrine was scheduled for an amputation. The night before the operation, he spent in prayer; that night received a vision of Christ who healed him with a touch. The next morning, Peregrine found his cancer completely healed. Born 1260 at Forli, Italy Died 1345 at Forli, Italy of natural causes; body incorrupt Beatified 11 September 1702 by Pope Clement XI Canonized 27 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII Patronage against cancer, AIDS sufferers, breast cancer, cancer patients, open sores, sick people, skin diseases
Patron Of:
Bodily Ills, Children, Desperate Causes, Forgotten Causes, Giving Birth, Imprisoned, Infertility, Lost Causes, Married Couples, Mother In Need Of Help Raising Children, Orphans, Students Undergoing Exams
Also known as
Filomena; Filumena; Philumena; Philomene; Thaumaturga of the Nineteenth Century; Wonder Worker of the Nineteenth Century
Memorial
11 August; cultus suppressed in 1961 by Pope John XXIII due to the lack of historical information Profile
Little is known of her life, and the information was have was
received by private revelation from her. Martyred at about age 14 in
the early days of the Church.
In 1802 the remains of a young woman were found in the catacomb of
Saint Priscilla on the Via Salaria. It was covered by stones, the
symbols on which indicated that the body was a martyr named Saint
Philomena. The bones were exhumed, cataloged, and effectively forgotten
since there was so little known about the person.
In 1805 Canon Francis de Lucia of Mugnano, Italy was in the
Treasury of the Rare Collection of Christian Antiquity (Treasury of
Relics) in the Vatican. When he reached the relics of Saint Philomena
he was suddenly struck with a spiritual joy, and requested that he be
allowed to enshrine them in a chapel in Mugnano. After some
disagreements, settled by the cure of Canon Francis following prayers
to Philomena, he was allowed to translate the relics to Mugnano.
Miracles began to be reported at the shrine including cures of cancer,
healing of wounds, and the Miracle of Mugnano in which Venerable
Pauline Jaricot was cured a severe heart ailment overnight. Philomena
became the only person recognized as a Saint solely on the basis of
miraculous intercession as nothing historical was known of her except
her name and the evidence of her martyrdom.
Pope Leo XII granted permission for the erection of altars and
churches in her honor. Pope Gregory XVI authorized her public
veneration, and named her patroness of the Living Rosary. The cure of
Pope Pius IX, while archbishop of Imola, was attributed to Philomena;
in 1849, he named her patroness of the Children of Mary. Pope Leo XIII
approved the Confraternity of Saint Philomena, and raised it to an
Archconfraternity. Pope Pius X raised the Archconfraternity to a
Universal Archconfraternity, and named Saint John Vianney its patron.
Saint John Vianney himself called Philomena the New Light of the Church
Militant, and had a strong and well-known devotion to her. Others with
known devotion to her include Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Saint
Euphrasia Pelletier, Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, Saint John
Nepomucene Neumann, Saint Madeline Sophie Barat, Saint Peter Chanel,
Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, and Venerable
Pauline Jaricot. Died
relics discovered on 24 May 1802; relics translated to Mugnano, Italy on 10 August 1805
Canonized
by Pope Gregory XVI
Patronage
babies; barrenness; bodily ills; children; children of Mary;
desperate causes; forgotten causes; impossible causes; infants;
infertility; lost causes; Living Rosary; newborns; orphans; poor
people; priests; sick people; sickness; sterility; toddlers; young
people; youth
Patron Of:
Against Loneliness, Parenthood, Victims of physical spouse abuse, Wounds, Abuse Victims, Bodily Ills, Desperate Causes, Desperation, Difficult Marriages, Forgotten Causes, Healing Of Wounds, Impossible Situations, Infertility, Loneliness, Lost Causes, Sick, Sickness, Sterility, Tumors, Widows
Also known as Margarita of Cascia; Rita La Abogada de Imposibles Memorial 22 May Profile Daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti; known as Peacemakers of Jesus, they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, and showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was twelve, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini, an ill-tempered, abusive individual who worked as town watchman, and was dragged into the political disputes of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18, and was the mother of twin sons.
She put up with Paolo's abuses for eighteen years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on their father's killers, but through Rita's prayers and interventions, they forgave the offenders.
Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life. However, some of the sisters at the Augustinian monastery were relatives of her husband's assassins, and she was denied entry for fear of causing dissension. Asking for the intervention of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, she managed to bring the warring factions together, not completely, but sufficiently that there was peace, and she was admitted to the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalen at age 36.
Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity, and working for peace in the region. She was devoted to the Passion, and in response to a prayer to suffer as Christ, she received a chronic head wound that appeared to have been caused by a crown of thorns, and which bled for 15 years.
Confined to her bed the last four years of her life, eating little more than the Eucharist, teaching and directing the younger sisters. Near the end she had a visitor from her home town who asked if she'd like anything; Rita's only request was a rose from her family's estate. The visitor went to the home, but it being January, knew there was no hope of finding a flower; there, sprouted on an otherwise bare bush, was a single rose blossom.
Among the other areas, Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life - wife, mother, widow, and nun, she buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and fulfilled - and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him. Born 1386 at Roccaparena, Umbria, Italy Died 22 May 1457 at the Augustinian convent at Cascia of tuberculosis Beatified 1 October 1627 by Pope Urban VIII Canonized 24 May 1900 Patronage abuse victims; against loneliness; against sterility; bodily ills; desperate causes; difficult marriages; forgotten causes; impossible causes; infertility; lost causes; parenthood; sick people; sickness; sterility; victims of physical spouse abuse; widows; wounds
Feast Day:
Roman Rite Calendar - 10/01
Tridentine Calendar - 10/01
Roman Rite Calendar - 01/10
Patron Of:
African Missions, AIDS Sufferers, Air Crews, Aircraft Pilots, Aviators, Florists, Flower Growers, France, Illness, Loss of Parents, Missionaries, Missions, Domestic, Tuberculosis
Also known as
Teresa of the Infant Jesus;
Therese of the Child Jesus;
the Little Flower;
the Little Flower of Jesus
Profile Born to a middle-class French family. Her father, Louis, was a watchmaker, her mother, who died of cancer when Therese was 4, was a lace maker, and both have been declared Venerable by the Church. Cured from an illness at age eight when a statue of the Blessed Virgin smiled at her. Carmelite nun at age 15. Defined her path to God and holiness as "The Little Way," which consisted of love and trust in God. At the direction of her spiritual director, and against her wishes, she dictated her famed autobiography Story of a Soul. Many miracles attributed to her. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Therese of Lisieux
Born 2 January 1873 at Alcon, Normandy, France
Died 7pm Thursday 30 September 1897 at Lisieux, France of tuberculosis
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