Daily Catholic Prayers
Catholic Novena Calendar: When to Start Each Novena
A novena is nine days of prayer, and the first one was prayed in the Upper Room. Between the Ascension and Pentecost the Apostles "were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus" (Acts 1:14). The Church has kept nine-day prayers ever since, above all to prepare for a feast.
This calendar answers a simple question: which novena should I start now? Each line gives the nine days, the feast they lead to, and the prayer on this site to pray each day. Most novenas end on the eve of the feast, so the start date is nine days before the feast day. Fixed feasts fall on the same dates every year. The movable feasts are listed separately with their 2027 dates. For how to pray a novena, see the Novenas page.
January Novenas
-
Jan 12–20, for St. Agnes (Jan 21): Prayer to St. Agnes for Purity and Courage, to the young martyr of Rome named in the Roman Canon.
-
Jan 16–24, for the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan 25): Prayer to St. Paul the Apostle, asking for a living faith and a burning love of Christ crucified.
-
Jan 19–27, for St. Thomas Aquinas (Jan 28): Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Before Study, the Creator ineffabilis, for students and anyone facing exams.
-
Jan 22–30, for St. John Bosco (Jan 31): Prayer to Mary Help of Christians, the title of Our Lady he loved and spread, for young people and all who teach them.
-
Jan 25–Feb 2, for St. Blaise (Feb 3): St. Blaise Blessing of Throats and Prayer, for protection from illnesses of the throat.
February Novenas
-
Feb 2–10, for Our Lady of Lourdes (Feb 11): Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for Healing, recalling her eighteen appearances to St. Bernadette in 1858. February 11 is also the World Day of the Sick.
-
Feb 13–21, for the Chair of St. Peter (Feb 22): Prayer to St. Peter the Apostle, for the Pope and for a faith that rises again after failure.
March Novenas
-
Mar 4–12, the Novena of Grace: Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier, ending on the anniversary of the canonization of St. Francis Xavier. It is one of the best-loved novenas in the Church.
-
Mar 8–16, for St. Patrick (Mar 17): Prayer to St. Patrick, or the ancient St. Patrick's Breastplate, a prayer of protection in the name of the Holy Trinity.
-
Mar 10–18, for St. Joseph (Mar 19): Prayer to St. Joseph, or Pope Leo XIII's To Thee, O Blessed Joseph, entrusting the Church and our families to his care.
April Novenas
-
Apr 17–25, for Our Lady of Good Counsel (Apr 26): Prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel, for light in a hard decision.
-
Apr 22–30, for St. Joseph the Worker (May 1): Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker, offering your daily work to God.
May Novenas
-
May 4–12, for Our Lady of Fatima (May 13): pray a Rosary each day with the Fatima Decade Prayer and the Aspiration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as Our Lady asked the three shepherd children in 1917.
-
May 6–14, for St. Dymphna (May 15): Prayer to St. Dymphna for Anxiety and Mental Health, for anyone carrying a heavy mind.
-
May 13–21, for St. Rita of Cascia (May 22): Prayer to St. Rita of Cascia, to the "Saint of the Impossible."
-
May 15–23, for Mary Help of Christians (May 24): Prayer to Mary Help of Christians, the title St. John Bosco spread around the world.
June Novenas
-
Jun 4–12, for St. Anthony of Padua (Jun 13): Prayer to St. Anthony of Padua, or the St. Anthony Responsory (Si Quaeris), the classic hymn for finding what is lost.
-
Jun 12–20, for St. Aloysius Gonzaga (Jun 21): Prayer to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of young people and students.
-
Jun 15–23, for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Jun 24): Prayer to St. John the Baptist, to the forerunner who said, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
-
Jun 18–26, for Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Jun 27): Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, for confident recourse to Mary in every need.
-
Jun 20–28, for Sts. Peter and Paul (Jun 29): pray the Prayer to St. Peter and the Prayer to St. Paul together, for the Church built on the Apostles.
Help keep every novena on this calendar free to pray: support Daily Catholic Prayers starting at $5.
July Novenas
-
Jul 2–10, for St. Benedict (Jul 11): Prayer to St. Benedict, to the father of Western monks and patron of Europe.
-
Jul 7–15, for Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Jul 16): Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the "flower of Carmel," and a good time to be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.
-
Jul 16–24, for St. Christopher (Jul 25): Prayer to St. Christopher, Patron of Travelers, before a summer journey.
-
Jul 17–25, for Sts. Joachim and Anne (Jul 26): Prayer to St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus, for mothers, grandparents, and families.
-
Jul 22–30, for St. Ignatius of Loyola (Jul 31): Prayer to St. Ignatius of Loyola, or his own Suscipe, "Take, O Lord, and receive."
-
Jul 30–Aug 7, for St. Dominic (Aug 8): Prayer to St. Dominic, asking his love of the truth and of the Holy Rosary.
August Novenas
-
Aug 6–14, for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug 15): pray the Magnificat, Mary's own song of praise, each day.
-
Aug 18–26, for St. Monica (Aug 27): Prayer to St. Monica for Children Who Have Left the Faith, for parents who are still praying and waiting.
-
Aug 19–27, for St. Augustine (Aug 28): Late Have I Loved Thee, the famous prayer from his Confessions.
September Novenas
-
Sep 6–14, for Our Lady of Sorrows (Sep 15): Seven Sorrows of Mary (Brief Form), a Hail Mary for each sorrow, or the Stabat Mater.
-
Sep 18–26, for St. Vincent de Paul (Sep 27): Prayer to St. Vincent de Paul, Father of the Poor, for a heart that serves the poor.
-
Sep 20–28, for St. Michael and the Archangels (Sep 29): Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, or the Chaplet of St. Michael, which honors the nine choirs of angels.
-
Sep 22–30, for St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Oct 1): Prayer to St. Therese of the Child Jesus, asking the Little Flower for a "rose" of favor, or the Collect of St. Thérèse from her Mass.
-
Sep 23–Oct 1, for the Holy Guardian Angels (Oct 2): Prayer to One's Guardian Angel, to the companion God has given you for life.
-
Sep 25–Oct 3, for St. Francis of Assisi (Oct 4): Prayer to St. Francis of Assisi, for detachment and love of the Cross.
-
Sep 28–Oct 6, for Our Lady of the Rosary (Oct 7): Prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary, ideally with a Rosary each day (see the Rosary page).
October Novenas
-
Oct 6–14, for St. Teresa of Ávila (Oct 15): Let Nothing Disturb Thee, her short prayer of trust for anxious days.
-
Oct 19–27, for St. Jude (Oct 28): Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus, the Apostle invoked in desperate cases. It is one of the most popular novenas of the year.
-
Oct 23–31, for All Saints (Nov 1): Prayer for All Saints Day, the collect of the feast, or the Litany of the Saints.
-
Oct 24–Nov 1, for the Holy Souls (All Souls Day, Nov 2): Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, a prayer for each day for the faithful departed. More in Prayers for the Dead and the Grieving.
November Novenas
-
Nov 13–21, for St. Cecilia (Nov 22): Prayer to St. Cecilia, Patron of Musicians, for choirs, singers, and all who make music for God.
-
Nov 18–26, for Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Nov 27): O Mary Conceived Without Sin, the prayer Our Lady gave St. Catherine Labouré in 1830.
-
Nov 24–Dec 2, for St. Francis Xavier (Dec 3): the Novena of Grace can also be prayed before his feast.
-
Nov 29–Dec 7, for the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8): Prayer to the Immaculate Conception, the traditional collect of the feast, honoring Mary preserved from all stain of original sin.
-
Nov 30–Dec 24, the St. Andrew Christmas Novena: St. Andrew Christmas Novena, a short prayer said fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew until Christmas. It is not addressed to St. Andrew; it honors the hour of Christ's birth.
December Novenas
-
Dec 3–11, for Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec 12): Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe, recalling her appearances to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac in 1531.
-
Dec 4–12, for St. Lucy (Dec 13): Prayer to St. Lucy, Patron of Eyesight, for the eyes of the body and of the soul.
-
Dec 16–24, for Christmas: Christmas Novena (December 16–24), a simple daily form for families, ending on Christmas Eve.
-
Dec 17–23, alongside it: The O Antiphons, the seven "O" prayers the Church sings in the last week of Advent. They are not a novena, but many people pray them with the Christmas Novena.
Movable Novenas (2027 Dates)
These feasts depend on the date of Easter, so their novenas move every year. - Divine Mercy, Mar 26–Apr 3, 2027 (Good Friday to the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday, Apr 4): the novena from St. Faustina's Diary, usually prayed with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy each day. Pope St. John Paul II set the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in 2000. - Holy Spirit, May 7–15, 2027 (the Friday after Ascension Thursday to the eve of Pentecost, May 16): Novena to the Holy Spirit (Opening Prayer). This is the original novena of the Upper Room, and Pope Leo XIII asked the whole Church to pray it every year. The dates stay the same where Ascension is kept on Sunday. Pair it with Come Holy Spirit or the Veni Creator Spiritus. - Sacred Heart, May 26–Jun 3, 2027 (before the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, Friday Jun 4): Sacred Heart Novena Prayer, with the Prayer for the Feast of the Sacred Heart on the day itself. - Christ the King, Nov 13–21, 2026, and Nov 12–20, 2027 (before the last Sunday of the liturgical year): Christ the King Prayer, for the reign of Christ in hearts, families, and nations.
Novenas for Any Time of Year
-
Sacred Heart Novena Prayer: "Ask and you shall receive," prayed for any urgent intention, not only in June.
-
Prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague: often prayed as a novena in urgent need, and on the 25th of each month in honor of the Nativity.
-
Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus: for situations that seem hopeless, at any time of year.
-
The Thirty Days' Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary: a classic Marian petition prayed for thirty days rather than nine.
-
New to novenas? The Novenas page explains, step by step, how to pray one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a novena, and why nine days?
A novena (from the Latin novem, "nine") is a prayer repeated for nine days in a row, for an intention or to prepare for a feast. The model is the first novena: the nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost, when the Apostles prayed with Mary in the Upper Room and waited for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). Nine days teaches perseverance. Our Lord told us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking.
How do I work out when to start a novena?
Count back nine days from the feast. Most novenas end on the eve of the feast, so they start nine days before it. For St. Jude (October 28), begin on October 19 and finish on October 27. For the Immaculate Conception (December 8), begin on November 29. A few novenas keep their own traditional dates: the Novena of Grace runs March 4–12, and the Christmas Novena runs December 16–24.
What if I miss a day of my novena?
Simply continue. Pray the missed day together with the next one, or add a day at the end. There is no need to start over. A novena is not a formula to get exactly right. It is a way of staying faithful in prayer, and God sees the intention of your heart. If you are often interrupted, pray at the same time each day, for example after morning or night prayers.
Can I pray a novena at any time of year?
Yes. Any novena can be prayed whenever you have a need, and many people keep one going for a sick friend, a job, or a family situation. Linking a novena to a feast is a beautiful custom, not a rule. The novenas on this calendar are simply the traditional times, when much of the Church is praying the same prayer with you.
Does a novena guarantee that my prayer will be answered?
No. Be wary of chain prayers that promise a result if you pray a set number of times or share them. The Church makes no such promises. God always hears us, but He answers as a Father who knows what is truly good for us. Sometimes He gives what we ask, sometimes something better, and sometimes the grace to accept His will (CCC 2734–2737). A novena deepens our trust, whatever the outcome.
When do the Christmas novenas start?
There are two. The St. Andrew Christmas Novena begins on November 30, the feast of St. Andrew, and is prayed fifteen times a day until Christmas Eve. The Christmas Novena begins on December 16 and ends on December 24. From December 17 it runs alongside the O Antiphons. Many families pray both, adding the Immaculate Conception novena from November 29 to December 7.
Pentecost (c. 1615–1620), Juan Bautista Maíno. Museo del Prado. Public domain.