St. Agatha Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Agatha was an early Christian martyr who lived in the 200s. She is one of seven women saints who are mentioned in the Canon of the Mass!
St. Agatha lived in Sicily. She was a consecrated virgin, and she was very courageous.
You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this holy martyr!
About St. Agatha
St. Agatha was born around the year 231 in Sicily. It is said that her parents were wealthy members of the nobility.
When Agatha was just fifteen years old, she made a vow of virginity and chose to dedicate her life to God. But Agatha was very beautiful, and certain men made advances toward her.
A man named Quintianus, who was of a high diplomatic rank, tried to force her to abandon her vow and marry him. Agatha refused him, which made Quintianus very angry.
At this time, Christians were being persecuted under the emperor Decius. So Quintianus had her arrested for her practice of Christianity. Quintianus himself was the judge in her case, and he expected her to give in to his demands to escape torture and possibly death.
But instead of giving in, Agatha prayed aloud, offering herself wholly to God. She also asked Him to make her worthy to overcome the devil. Weeping, she prayed for courage.
Quintianus wanted to change her mind, so he had her imprisoned in a brothel. She suffered there for a month, but her trust in God never wavered. Though she was repeatedly assaulted, she refused to abandon her vow or to act against purity.
When Quintianus heard of her courage, he had her brought to him for interrogation again. She still refused to give in to him and instead told him that her true freedom was in being a servant of Christ.
This enraged Quintianus, so he had her sent to prison. When she continued proclaiming her devotion to God, he had her tortured. He had her put on a rack, torn with hooks, whipped, and burned with torches.
She endured these tortures cheerfully, so he also had her breasts cut off. Then, he sent her back to prison with no food or medical care. But God took care of her. He sent her a vision of St. Peter the Apostle, who healed her through his prayers and comforted her.
Quintianus then had her stripped naked. He forced her to be rolled over hot coals and sharp shards. He then returned her to prison.
Agatha knew she would die soon. She prayed, thanking God for protecting her since she was born and for giving her patience amidst her suffering. Then she asked Him to receive her soul.
St. Agatha is believed to have died around the year 251.
St. Agatha’’s Feast Day: February 5th
Why Pray the St. Agatha Novena?
St. Agatha is the patron saint of Sicily, Spain, and Malta. You can ask for her prayers if you live in one of these places, or for someone you know who lives there.
St. Agatha is also the patron saint of rape victims. You can seek her intercession if you are a survivor of rape, or for someone you know who is a survivor of rape.
You can also ask St. Agatha for prayers if you are suffering with breast cancer, or on behalf of someone with breast cancer. She is often invoked as a patron saint of breast cancer patients!
You can pray the St. Agatha Novena for any intention!
St. Agatha Novena Prayers
St. Agatha Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in choosing to pursue the vocation of consecrated virginity from a young age.
St. Agatha, you chose to make a vow of virginity and consecrate yourself to God when you were just fifteen years old. You must have known that this path was not an easy one, since you lived in a society that was hostile to Christianity. But you desired to dedicate yourself to God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you longed to serve!
You held fast to your vow of virginity, your vocation, and your Faith, despite many sufferings.
Pray for me, that I may hold fast to my Faith no matter the cost. Pray that I may be zealous in my desire to serve God, as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in remaining pure despite trials and sufferings.
St. Agatha, you chose to dedicate your life to God when you were fifteen years old. You made a vow of virginity, and you continued to hold fast to this vow throughout your life.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
Your vow of virginity and your refusal to abandon it led to a lot of suffering for you. You were imprisoned in a brothel, repeatedly assaulted, tortured and killed. But you never wavered in your commitment to God or your purity.
Pray for me, that I may hold fast to my Faith amidst all sufferings, as you did. Pray that I may never waver in my commitment to God, no matter what trials I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in courageously holding fast to her Faith amidst torture, to the point of death.
St. Agatha, you chose to dedicate your life to God at a young age. You must have known this would be a difficult path, but you were prepared to courageously persevere amidst every difficulty.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You endured many assaults and terrible tortures, but you bore your pain courageously. Despite your severe suffering, you held fast to your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be courageous in the practice of my Faith, as you were. Pray that I may persevere amidst all difficulties, even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in courageously bearing terrible sufferings during her imprisonment in a brothel.
St. Agatha, you made a vow of virginity when you were fifteen years old, in order to dedicate yourself more fully to God. Though others tried to force you to abandon this vow, you never wavered in your resolve or your love of God.
Please don’t waver in bringing my petitions before God!
You were imprisoned in a brothel and assaulted repeatedly, but you refused to willingly act against your vow. Despite many sufferings and tortures, you refused to abandon your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may courageously hold fast to my Faith, as you did. Pray that I may never waver in my love of God, no matter what sufferings I might endure.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in courageously enduring her unjust imprisonment.
St. Agatha, your vow of virginity and your dedication to God led to persecution for your Faith. When you refused to abandon your vow and marry Quintianus, you were imprisoned in a brothel. Despite your suffering, you persevered in your Faith.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You were sent to prison and tortured with hooks, whips, and burning, but you refused to renounce your Faith. Not even the terrible torture of having your breasts cut off could move you to abandon God.
Pray for me, that I may be as steadfast in my Faith as you were. Pray that I may never waver in my Faith, no matter what sufferings I might endure.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in holding fast to her Faith despite great persecution.
St. Agatha, you dedicated your life to God, at a time when Christians were often persecuted for their Faith. You must have known that you might suffer for your commitment to God, but you wholeheartedly chose to serve Him anyway.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You endured imprisonment, assault, beating, tearing, and burning. Your breasts were cut off, and you were rolled over hot coals and sharp shards. Despite your terrible suffering, you never wavered in your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be as steadfast in my Faith as you were! Pray that I may never allow persecution or suffering of any kind to lead me from God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in enduring her many sufferings with courage, resignation, and joy.
St. Agatha, you lived in a society that often persecuted Christians for their Faith. Your dedication to God led to a lot of suffering for you, but you joyfully continued in your unwavering devotion.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Despite your many sufferings, you never gave in to bitterness or despair. Not only did you face your suffering with great courage, you even endured your tortures cheerfully, for the love of God.
Pray for me, that I may have the grace to endure sufferings joyfully in my life. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from faithfully serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in continuing to trust You throughout her many sufferings.
St. Agatha, you suffered greatly because of your Christian Faith and your devotion to God. While you were imprisoned in a brothel and assaulted repeatedly, your trust in God never wavered.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you trusted so deeply!
You endured beatings, burnings, and many other terrible tortures. Even when your breasts were cut off and you were sent back to prison with no medical care, you did not despair or falter in your trust in God.
Pray for me, that I may be as committed to my Faith as you were. Pray that I may always continue to trust in God, no matter how severely I might suffer.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agatha Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Agatha, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in choosing to dedicate herself to You and holding fast to her faith amidst persecution.
St. Agatha, you were imprisoned and assaulted because of your Faith. Your refusal to abandon your vow of virginity and your dedication to God led to many great sufferings for you. But you did not waver in your Faith.
Please do not waver in bringing my petitions before God!
You remained joyful and courageous amidst severe suffering. You ultimately died from the tortures you endured because of your Christian Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be as holy and courageous in the face of suffering as you were. Pray that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agatha, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.