St. Adelaide Novena

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St. Adelaide was an Italian saint who lived in the 900s. She was married to the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great. She was crowned Holy Roman Empress to rule alongside her husband.

Throughout her life, St. Adelaide was known for her holy works. You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this holy woman!

About St. Adelaide 

St. Adelaide was born in 931, in the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy (modern Switzerland). Her parents were the king and queen of Burgundy.

When Adelaide was fifteen years old, she was married to Lothair II of Italy, as part of a political arrangement to bring about peace between their fathers’ countries. She and Lothair had a daughter named Emma.

Three years after they married, Lothair died. He was allegedly poisoned by Berengar II of Italy, who was Lothair’s successor. Berengar then attempted to force Adelaide to marry his son, Adalbert. She refused and fled, but Berengar had his men pursue her. Once she was caught, he imprisoned her for four months. 

Adelaide was able to escape from her captivity, and she hid in some nearby marshes. Eventually, a priest rescued her and brought her to a fortress. From there, she sent word to the East Frankish king Otto and asked him to protect her. She and Otto married in 951. The two of them had four children together.

In 962, Pope John XII crowned Otto Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. Though it was not traditionally done, the Pope also crowned Adelaide Holy Roman Empress. 

Following some conflict that caused Pope John XIII to be displaced, Adelaide and their eleven-year-old son Otto II traveled with Otto to Italy. There, her husband Otto restored the Pope to his rightful place. 

For the next six years, as Otto ruled his kingdom from Italy, Adelaide remained in Rome. In 967, their son Otto II was crowned co-emperor and married a Byzantine princess named Theophanu.

Adelaide and her husband Otto eventually returned to Germany. Otto died here in 973.

After Otto’s death, Adelaide lived with her brother in Burgundy. During this time, she established several monasteries and churches. She passionately devoted herself to serving the Church and working for peace. She also began work in evangelism, particularly working for the conversion of the Slavs.

Though Adelaide had a quarrel with her son Otto II, the two of them reconciled before he died in 983. His son Otto III was next in line for the throne, and Adelaide served as regent for Otto III until he was of legal age to rule, four years later.

In 991, Adelaide retired to the convent at Seltz that she had founded. She died there in 999, days before the turn of the millennium. She was canonized in 1097.

St. Adelaide’s Feast Day: December 16th

Why Pray the St. Adelaide Novena?

St. Adelaide is the patron saint of brides, parenthood, and parents of large families. You can ask her for prayers if you are a new bride or a parent. 

She is also the patron saint of step-parents, widows, and second marriages. You can seek her intercession if you are a step-parent or a widow, or if you are beginning your second marriage.

St. Adelaide is also the patron saint of exiles, prisoners, and abuse victims. You can ask for her prayers on behalf of someone you know who is an exile, prisoner, or abuse victim; or if you yourself are enduring one of these struggles.

You can pray the St, Adelaide Novena for any intention!

St. Adelaide Novena Prayers

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate love of You she showed in remaining faithful amidst the many trials that followed the death of her husband.

St. Adelaide, you married at a young age and lost your husband just a few years later. After this, you suffered a lot at the hands of the man who was accused of killing your husband. But you remained faithful despite your suffering.

Please be faithful in bringing my petitions before God!

Even though you endured suffering and sorrow, you did not give in to despair. Instead, you faithfully continued to serve God and sought to do His will throughout the rest of your life.

Pray for me, that I may not give in to despair over trials I may face in my life. Pray that I may never allow sorrows to deter me from seeking holiness.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate virtue she showed in remaining faithful to You amidst the trials of unjust imprisonment.

St. Adelaide, your first husband was killed when you were very young, after you had been married for only three years. When you refused to marry the son of the man accused of killing your husband, you were imprisoned unjustly for four months.

Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!

Despite your great sufferings, you did not give in to despair. Instead, you fought to escape and find protection, so that you could continue living your life in service to God.

Pray for me, that I may remain faithful despite sufferings in my life. Pray that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate virtue she showed in remaining faithful to You amidst the many trials she faced after her first husband died.

St. Adelaide, when you refused to marry the son of the man who allegedly killed your husband, you were forced to flee for your life. You were soon caught and imprisoned for four months. Despite these sufferings, you remained faithful to God.

Please remain faithful in bringing my petitions before God!

You escaped from your captivity and hid in some nearby marshes. You eventually found safety with a priest, and you found a way to spend the rest of your life in good, holy pursuits.

Pray for me, that I may never allow sufferings to discourage me from seeking to do good. Pray that I may always seek to serve God, even amidst the harshest trials.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate virtue she showed in living as a holy ruler of her people.

St. Adelaide, you married the East Frankish king Otto, after the death of your first husband. Together with your husband Otto, you were crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. During your time as a monarch, you sought to serve God as you carried out your duties.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!

You and your husband Otto worked to serve the Church in your role as rulers. Even after Otto died, you established monasteries and churches, you worked for peace, and you embarked on the endeavor of evangelizing others.

Pray for me, that I may seek to do good for others in the duties of my vocation. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring glory to God in my everyday life.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate virtue she showed in living out holiness despite the turmoil and suffering she endured in her familial life.

St. Adelaide, your first husband died when you had only been married for three years. Rather than wallow in despair or in the sadness you must have felt, you chose to continue being faithful to God.

Please continue to be faithful in bringing my petitions before God!

You later embarked on a new marriage, with Otto. The two of you had four children, and together you strove to become holy and just rulers.

Pray for me, that I may never allow suffering to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may always seek to lead those around me to holiness.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate love of You she showed in choosing to help govern her empire in a holy and Christian manner.

St. Adelaide, you were crowned Holy Roman Empress alongside your husband Otto who was the Holy Roman Emperor. Together, the two of you sought to lead your subjects in a holy manner.

Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!

You spent a lot of your life serving the Church. You devoted yourself to working for peace, and you worked to bring others to conversion. 

Pray for me, that I may seek to bring others to holiness at every opportunity. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to preach the Gospel and lead others to God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). 

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate love of You she showed in choosing to work for peace in her kingdom.

St. Adelaide, your husband Otto was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. Though it was not traditionally done, you were crowned Holy Roman Empress beside him. In this role, you served God by working toward a holy and peaceful society.

Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served!

After Otto’s death, you devoted yourself to holy works. You established churches and monasteries, worked to serve the Church, and worked for peace.

Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to bring about holiness and peace in my society. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring others to holiness.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate love of You she showed in choosing to devote herself to evangelism in the years after her husband Otto died.

St. Adelaide, you spent many years of your life serving alongside your husband as Holy Roman Empress. After your husband died, you devoted yourself to many other holy works, for the love of God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!

You established monasteries and worked for peace. You had a particular interest in evangelizing the Slavic people, and did all you could to work for their conversion. 

Pray for me, that I may always seek to do all I can to evangelize others. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring others to God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

St. Adelaide 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 St. Adelaide as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate love of You she showed in devoting her life to Your service as a ruler.

St. Adelaide, you were crowned Holy Roman Empress alongside your husband Otto. With him, you worked to govern your people and your society toward peace and holiness.

Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!

After Otto’s death, you continued working for peace and holiness in your society. You devoted yourself to service of the Church and to evangelism, out of love for God.

Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God in whatever ways He brings before me. Pray that I may do all I can to work for holiness and peace for those around me.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Adelaide, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.