Pope St. John XXIII Novena
Contents
Show HidePope St. John XXIII was a Pope who lived in the 1800s-1900s. He was Italian by birth. He came to be known as the “Good Pope.”
Pope St. John XXIII was most well-known for calling the Second Vatican Council. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy Pope in your life!
About Pope St. John XXIII
Pope St. John XXIII was born as Angelo Giuseppe Roncallo in 1881, in Italy. His parents were poor sharecroppers, and he was one of fourteen children.
In his mid-teen years, Angelo was enrolled into the Secular Franciscan Order. Soon, he began studying at a university. He graduated with a doctorate in theology and was ordained to the priesthood.
About a year later, Angelo became the secretary to his bishop. His bishop soon died, and Angelo was drafted to serve in the Italian army in World War I. He served as a chaplain and a stretcher-bearer until he was discharged in 1919.
Then, Pope Benedict XI named Angelo as the Italian president of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He was later made an Apostolic Visitor to Bulgaria, an apostolic delegate to Greece and Turkey, and finally the archbishop of Mesembria.
As racial tensions began to escalate and Jews began to be persecuted, Angelo began working to save Jews.
After World War II, Angelo was sent to France as a Papal Nuncio to deal with the bishops who had cooperated with the Nazis. In 1952, he was made Patriarch of Venice and the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca.
In 1958, the Pope died and Angelo traveled to Rome for the new papal election. When he was elected Pope, he took the name John XXIII.
Though many assumed that Pope John XXIII would reign only a short time and do little for the Church, he set to put positive changes into practice immediately. On his first Christmas as Pope, he reinstated the practice of visiting the poor, the sick, and prisoners. He also formally apologized for the incidences of anti-Semitism that had occurred through Church officials in the past.
In 1959, Pope John XXIII announced his decision to call the Second Vatican Council. This Council would come to have a great lasting effect on the Church.
John XXIII was also bold in confronting the challenging issues for the laity of his time. He upheld the Church’s view on the immorality of artificial contraceptives, despite their increasing acceptance in society. He also upheld Church teachings on divorce.
In 1962, John XXIII was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. As his death approached, he offered to negotiate peace between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. His offer was declined, but news of it caused him to become the first Pope named Man of the Year by Time Magazine.
Pope St. John XXIII died at age eighty-one in 1963, two years before the completion of the Second Vatican Council.
Pope St. John XXIII’s Feast Day: October 11th
Why Pray the Pope St. John XXIII Novena?
Pope St. John XXIII is the patron saint of the Second Vatican Council. He is a great saint to seek prayers from if you are studying the Second Vatican Council or seeking to learn more about it.
Pope St. John XXIII is also the patron saint of papal delegates. You can ask him to pray for any particular papal delegate, or for all papal delegates.
Additionally, Pope St. John XXIII is the patron saint of Christian unity. You can definitely ask him to pray for unity among Christians and unity in the Church today.
You can pray the Pope St. John XXIII Novena for any intention!
Pope St. John XXIII Novena Prayers
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed from the time of his childhood.
Pope St. John XXIII, few details are known about your early life with your family. But you must have grown up in a holy environment since you were eager to serve God from the time you were young.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so eagerly!
You were enrolled in the Secular Franciscan Order during your mid-teens. After this, you continued serving God and His Church for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be as eager to serve God as you were. Pray that I may do all I can to devote my life to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed by choosing to serve You as a priest.
Pope St. John XXIII, you felt called to serve God in a wholehearted way from the time you were a youth. You entered the Secular Francican Order, and you began studying for the priesthood.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you longed to serve!
After you graduated with a doctorate degree in theology, you were ordained a priest. Then, you continued faithfully serving God and His Church for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be eager to serve God in whatever ways God calls me to serve Him. Pray that I may be eager to devote my life to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his service to You as a military chaplain.
Pope St. John XXIII, you were drafted into the Italian army as a young man during World War I. Since you had already been ordained a priest, you selflessly served as a chaplain and stretcher-bearer throughout the rest of the war.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
After the war, you continued your faithful service to God. You worked in many roles of service to the Church until you eventually became Pope.
Pray for me, that I may never weary of serving God. Pray that I may be as eager to serve God as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his charitable service towards those in need.
Pope St. John XXIII, you were a young priest during the start of the Holocaust in Europe. You did not hesitate to begin working to save the Jews from persecution and death, out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so selflessly!
You lived through a terrible time in the world and a tumultuous time in the Church. Despite these trials, you persevered in faithful service throughout the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve God through service to my fellow man. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to serve God through service to those in need.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his service to You as leader of Your Church.
Pope St. John XXIII, you were elected Pope late in your life. Many assumed that you would reign as Pope for only a short time and do little for the Church, but you were determined to do as much good as you could for the Church.
Please bring my petitions before God Whose Church you served so faithfully!
You worked to put positive changes into practice immediately during your papacy. You cared for those in need, worked to bring about reconciliation with the Jews, and called the Second Vatican Council.
Pray for me, that I may be as willing a servant of God’s Church as you were. Pray that I may be eager to put my gifts to use serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in working for Church unity during his papacy.
Pope St. John XXIII, many thought that you would do little for the Church during your brief time as Pope. But worked to serve the Church faithfully and to do as much as you could for the Church.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
You saw the lack of unity in the Church during your papacy. You worked to unite the faithful through upholding Church teachings and through the calling of the Second Vatican Council.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve the Church in whatever ways I am able. Pray that I may be as faithful a servant of God as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in working to strengthen the Church’s teachings on critical moral issues of his day.
Pope St. John XXIII, you became Pope in a time when society was rapidly changing. As the Church’s leader, you did all you could to promote the true teachings of the Church in even the difficult areas of life.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You upheld the Church’s teachings against contraception, and you upheld the Church’s position on divorce. Your positions were probably not popular with all, but you persevered in preaching the truth.
Pray for me, that I may always be submissive to the teachings of the Church in my life. Pray that I may grow in love for the Church’s teachings, even in areas that are at times difficult for me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in continuing to serve You faithfully despite his sufferings from cancer.
Pope St. John XXIII, you contracted terminal stomach cancer near the end of your life. You must have suffered greatly, but you continued serving God and His Church.
Please continue bringing my petitions before God Whom you served!
Even as your death approached, you offered to help negotiate peace in the Cold War. You did all you could to serve God despite your many sufferings.
Pray for me, that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may always do all I can to carry out God’s will, no matter how difficult it might be.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. John XXIII 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 Pope St. John XXIII as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his lifetime of service to Your Church.
Pope St. John XXIII, you began on the path to holiness and service to God at a young age. You continued to faithfully serve God and His Church for the rest of your life.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God with such faithfulness!
You served the Church in many roles throughout your life, and you did a lot of good during your short time as Pope. Because of you and your work, the Second Vatican Council was convened.
Pray for me, that I may always be an eager servant of God’s Church. Pray that I may always be willing to serve God in whatever ways He calls me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.