St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Agnes of Bohemia lived in the 1200s. Since she lived in what is now Prague, she is also sometimes referred to as St. Agnes of Prague. She was a princess but chose to renounce her life of riches.
St. Agnes of Bohemia was known for her great charity and austerity. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy woman in many aspects of your life!
About St. Agnes of Bohemia
St. Agnes of Bohemia was born in 1211. Her father was King Ottokar I of Bohemia, and her mother was the sister of King Andrew II of Hungary.
When Agnes was three years old, she was put into the care of some Cistercian nuns in a monastery in Trzebnica so that they could educate her. St. Hedwig of Andechs had founded this monastery, and Agnes was placed there at St. Hedwig’s direction.
At age eight, Agnes was betrothed to the son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederic II. Her betrothed was named Henry, and he was ten years old. He had just been crowned as King of Germany.
After six years, the betrothal was called off for political reasons. This eventually led to war between Agnes’ father and the family of the duke who had interfered with the betrothal.
Then, the emperor himself said that he wanted to marry Agnes. Agnes did not want any further part in politically motivated betrothals or marriage, so she appealed to the pope for help. Pope Gregory IX intervened on Agnes’ behalf, and the Holy Roman Emperor said that he was not offended to have Agnes choose the King of Heaven for a spouse over him.
Agnes then set about building a hospital for the poor. She also built a friary and a Poor Clare monastery. She began to correspond with St. Clare of Assisi, and their correspondence lasted more than two decades.
In 1236, Agnes entered the Poor Clare monastery that she had built. Seven other noblewomen entered with her. St. Clare sent four nuns from the monastery in San Damiano to live with them.
In her life as a Poor Clare, Agnes often mended clothes for lepers and paupers. Even when she became abbess, she continued doing such lowly tasks as cooking for the other nuns. She became known for her virtue. She was very obedient and practiced severe mortifications. She was also very strict in practicing poverty. She even turned down an offer of endowment for the monastery from her royal brother.
In 1238, Agnes organized into a religious order of knights a group of laymen who worked at her hospital. This order was called the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, and they primarily dedicated themselves to nursing. They followed the rule of St. Augustine. Agnes gave control of the hospital over to the knights the next year.
Agnes lived as abbess in her monastery for the rest of her life. She died in 1282.
St. Agnes of Bohemia’s Feast Day: March 2nd
Why Pray the St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena?
St. Agnes of Bohemia is the patron saint of the Czech Republic. You can ask her to pray for you if you live in the Czech Republic or are planning to travel to the Czech Republic. You can also ask her to pray for someone you know who lives in the Czech Republic or who is planning to travel to the Czech Republic.
Additionally, you can ask St. Agnes of Bohemia to pray for you if you are discerning a vocation to the Poor Clare religious order, since she established a Poor Clare monastery and entered the order herself.
You can pray the St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena for any intention!
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena Prayers
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you were treated as a political pawn during your childhood. For the sake of political gain, your marriage was arranged when you were very young. But you virtuously chose to leave behind your life of riches in order to serve God wholeheartedly.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all people who are suffering because of the ill use of others.
Pray for us, that we may choose to devote our lives fully to God. Pray that we become God’s faithful servants in every circumstance in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, your family members tried to use you as a political pawn during your childhood. But you refused to take part in their schemes and courageously declared your desire to live solely for God.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in the courage we need for holiness.
Pray for us, that we may always answer God’s call to serve Him in our lives. Pray that we may zealously pursue growth in every virtue that we need for holiness.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you refused to participate in the political schemes of your family and instead chose to live for God. You began to build a monastery and practice charitable works. You eventually chose to dedicate yourself to God as His spouse in the Poor Clare religious order.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all whom God calls to the religious and priestly vocations may respond generously.
Pray for us, that we may devote ourselves more fully to God each day. Pray that we may take every opportunity to grow in holiness.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you built a monastery for the Poor Clare religious order and became a Poor Clare yourself. You corresponded with St. Clare of Assisi for many years, and the holy friendship you shared with her helped you to grow in holiness.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for more holy friendships in our lives and in the lives of all people.
Pray for us, that we may do everything we can to grow to a deeper friendship with God. Pray that we may make use of every help He sends us to grow in holiness.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you renounced your life of nobility in order to serve God wholeheartedly. You built a monastery for the Poor Clares, and you became a Poor Clare nun yourself. You served as the abbess of your convent for many years, and you lived out your vocation in holiness.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all Poor Clare nuns may be holy brides of Christ.
Pray for us, that we make growth in holiness our top priority in life. Pray that we may devote ourselves more fully to God each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you renounced your life of nobility in order to serve God wholeheartedly. You built a monastery for the Poor Clares, and you became a Poor Clare nun yourself. You served as the abbess of your convent for many years, and you lived out your vocation in holiness.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all Poor Clare nuns may be holy brides of Christ.
Pray for us, that we make growth in holiness our top priority in life. Pray that we may devote ourselves more fully to God each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you built a monastery and became a Poor Clare nun. Though you came from a rich noble family, you renounced your worldly possessions to serve God and His poor. As a nun, you practiced charity by mending the clothes of lepers and paupers.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in charity.
Pray for us, that we may love God more each day of our lives. Pray that we may live out all virtues that are necessary for holiness in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you were known for your holiness and virtue during your life as a Poor Clare nun. You practiced works of charity toward lepers and paupers. Even when you became abbess of the monastery, you continued to do such lowly tasks as cooking for the other sisters.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in humility.
Pray for us, that we may always take every opportunity to serve God in our lives. Pray that we may grow in love of God each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Agnes of Bohemia Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Agnes of Bohemia as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate her virtuous life.
St. Agnes of Bohemia, you chose to renounce your life of nobility in order to devote yourself wholly to serving God. You built a monastery for the Poor Clares, and you chose a life of total poverty yourself as a Poor Clare nun.
We ask you to bring all of our prayers before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in holy poverty.
Pray for us, that we may always seek heavenly treasure before earthly goods. Pray that we may make use of every help God gives us to grow in union with Him.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Agnes of Bohemia, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.