Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity
Contents
Show HideSaints Perpetua and Felicity were two early Christian martyrs who died together. Their examples of holiness and courage during their imprisonment and death can be an inspiration to all of us. Join this novena to ask them to intercede for you!
About Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
St. Perpetua was an early Christian martyr who died during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Severus in Africa.
Much that we know about her and her companion St. Felicity comes from a writing called, “The Passion of St. Perpetua, St. Felicitas, and their Companions.” It was written partially by St. Perpetua herself, and by others who knew them.
Born to a pagan father, Perpetua decided to follow her mother’s example and become a Christian, though she knew it might mean her death under Emperor Severus. Perpetua’s example inspired her brother to become a Christian as well.
When Perpetua was a catechumen being instructed in the faith at age 22, she was arrested. Before her imprisonment, she was baptized. Perpetua wrote that when she was baptized, God gave her a message, telling her to pray for endurance.
At the time of her imprisonment, she was still nursing her young son. The separation from him pained her greatly.
Four other catechumens were arrested and imprisoned along with Perpetua. One of these other catechumens was a pregnant slave named Felicity.
Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions were held in a dark, crowded prison until their trial. At eight months pregnant, Felicity suffered greatly from the conditions.
Perpetua’s father begged her to give in and renounce her faith, and even the judge at her trial tried to convince her to give in. But she held fast to her faith in God. Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions were sentenced to die by wild beasts in the arena.
Felicity feared that she would not give birth before the date of their execution, which would mean she would not die together with her companions (it was not legal for a pregnant woman to be executed).
But she went into labor two days before their execution was scheduled. Her labor was painful, and her jailors mocked her, asking how she would bear the pain of execution. She answered, “Now it is I who suffer what I am suffering; then, there will be another in me who will suffer for me, because I will be suffering for him.” Felicity gave birth to a girl, and a Christian woman adopted the baby.
In the days leading up to their execution, Perpetua’s courage and virtue impressed her jailors. Some of them began to fear her, and her example even brought her jailor to conversion.
Accepting their death for Christ with calmness and joy, the two of them faced wild beasts before eventually dying by a gladiator’s sword.
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity’s Feast Day: March 7
Why Pray the Sts. Perpetua and Felicity Novena?
Saints Perpetua and Felicity are the patron saints of mothers, expectant mothers, widows, butchers, and ranchers.
You can pray to Saints Perpetua and Felicity for a safe pregnancy, or for assistance in labor and in childbirth. Saints Perpetua and Felicity are also great saints to turn to for help in obtaining the graces necessary to carry out the vocation of motherhood.
Ranchers and butchers can pray to Saints Perpetua and Felicity for assistance in their daily work. You could also ask Saints Perpetua and Felicity to pray for holy friendships in your life, in memory of the bond that they shared.
You can pray the Saints Perpetua and Felicity Novena for any intention!
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity Prayers
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you lived in a pagan society but chose to become Christians and to follow Christ. This choice to follow Christ came at a great cost, because the Christian faith was not allowed in your society.
Despite this cost, you did not waver in your faith. Imprisonment, mockery, and threats did nothing to keep you from serving Christ. You remained faithful to Christ and His Church through great sufferings, until you finally gave up your life for Him.
Pray that I may also choose to be as steadfast in my own faith against the influences of the world as you were, no matter what it may cost me.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you willingly endured a brutal imprisonment in a dark, overcrowded prison for the sake of Christ. You were not willing to renounce your Christian faith, no matter how severely you had to suffer for it.
The conditions you endured were so harsh that many would have despaired or given up their faith in order to escape. But you did not let your trials keep you from serving Christ. Instead, you bore your harsh sufferings joyfully, knowing that the reward would be great in heaven.
Help me to endure my trials, no matter how overwhelming they might feel. Help me to embrace them with joyful submission as you did for love of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that we may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that we may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you exhorted one another and your other fellow prisoners to holiness, as you prepared to die together. You thought not of yourselves or of your own sufferings, but instead looked to your brothers and sisters.
You did your best to best to encourage them in their darkest time and to raise their minds and hearts to God amidst their sufferings. Even though you were suffering just as much as they were, you thought more of their struggles than of your own.
Pray that I may be filled with a deep love of neighbor like you showed to your fellow Christian prisoners. Pray that I may show others such a deep charity even when I am suffering myself.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you remained steadfast in your path toward martyrdom. You held fast despite the efforts of family and even those in charge of your punishment to dissuade you from devotion to Christ.
It would have been much easier for you to give up and return to the pagan faith of those around you, but you knew that dying for Christ was worth more than the world could offer you. You knew that the reward for your steadfast faith and courage would be great in heaven.
Pray for me, that I may remain steadfast in my own faith, despite the efforts of the devil and the world to lead me away from Christ.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you said that you could not be called by any other name than what you were: a Christian. You were happy to be called Christians, though you lived in a society that hated and persecuted followers of Christ.
You embraced not only the title given to followers of Christ, but the characteristics of a Christian as well. Your example of love and courage showed others what it means to be a Christian, and you did not let the ill-treatment you received deter you from the path of virtue.
As I strive to follow Christ amidst the hostilities of modern society, help me to joyfully embrace the title of Christian like you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you looked to one another as a source of strength amidst the terrible suffering and persecution you endured. You knew that you could help give one another the strength necessary to die well for the sake of Christ.
Your bond grew closer with one another as the time of your death drew near, and you both grew more fervent in the faith that was leading you to martyrdom. You hoped to be able to die together, knowing that you were gifts from God to one another in this trial.
Help me to see my brothers and sisters in Christ as the gift that they are and as sources of strength, when I am at my lowest.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, we know from recorded eyewitness accounts that you showed great strength and courage as your martyrdom approached. We know that you thought more of your brothers and sisters than of yourself as the time for you to die drew near.
Rather than dwelling on your own suffering, you encouraged your fellow Christians as they went to meet their brutal martyrdom.You called out to them, “Stand fast in the faith, and love one another. Do not let our sufferings be a stumbling block to you.”
Pray for me, that I may be a help and encouragement to my brothers and sister in Christ on their path to heaven.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you so impressed your jailors with your holiness and strength that they began to fear you and to question where your strength came from. They did not expect to see such courage or selflessness among prisoners waiting to meet a brutal death.
Instead of dwelling on your sufferings and fearing to die, you surprised them by showing unimaginable virtue amidst your sufferings. You even led your jailer to faith in Christ by your holy example.
Pray for me, that my example may never lead others astray. Pray that I may instead be a strong example of a holy Christian and lead others to Christ through that example.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to Saints Perpetua and Felicity - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Saints Perpetua and Felicity, you put love of Christ above all other earthly loves, even love for your family. Though it pained you greatly, you even left behind the children that you loved so much, in order to serve Christ.
You knew that your family members were gifts from God, but you did not let the painful separation from them become a stumbling block on your path to serve God. Though you loved your family dearly, you loved Christ even more.
Pray for me, that I may love Christ with a love that places Him above all others. Pray that I may be ready even to die for Him as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intention here).
Lord God, grant that I may love and serve You as faithfully as Your martyrs Saints Perpetua and Felicity, so that I may someday join them to praise You in Heaven.
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.