St. Alphonsa Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Alphonsa was a religious sister who lived in the early 1900s in India. She was the first Indian-born woman to be canonized!
St. Alphonsa suffered a lot from poor health during her lifetime. Almost immediately after her death, reports of miracles from her intercession began.
You can use this novena to seek intercession from this powerful saint in your life!
About St. Alphonsa
St. Alphonsa was born in 1910 in Kudamaloor, India. When Alphonsa was still very young, her mother died.
At age three, Alphonsa contracted eczema. She suffered from this condition for over a year.
When she was young, Alphonsa was educated by her great-uncle, Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. At age six, Alphonsa began school in Arpoorkara. While in school, Alphonsa suffered harsh teasing from the other school children.
When her first cycle of school had finished, Alphonsa joined the household of her maternal aunt, Anna Murickan, whom her mother had entrusted her to before her mother’s death.
The Murickan family was a prominent family, so Alphonsa received many proposals of marriage from other prominent families. But Alphonsa did not want to marry. She cared little for material fortune and instead wanted to dedicate her life to God.
Around this time, St. Therese of Lisieux appeared to Alphonsa. She said that Alphonsa would be a saint. Alphonsa became very devoted to St. Therese.
In 1923, Alphonsa fell into a pit of burning chaff. Her feet were badly burned, and she was permanently disabled from the accident.
As soon as it was possible, Alphonsa entered the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, or the Poor Clares. She completed her schooling in the convent, and she took the name Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, in honor of St. Alphonsus Ligouri.
After taking her vows, Alphonsa worked as an elementary school teacher. But she suffered from poor health, which often prevented her from teaching.
It is said that Alphonsa was cured of her health problems by the intercession of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who was later beatified at the same time as Alphonsa. But two and a half years later, Alphonsa was struck with severe pneumonia, which greatly weakened her.
In 1940, a thief entered Alphonsa’s room at night, traumatizing her so badly that she suffered amnesia and became ever more weakened. From then on, her health deteriorated further.
It is said that reception of Extreme Unction restored her memory and improved her health. Her health continued to improve over the next few years. But in 1945, she developed gastroenteritis and liver problems. These ailments caused her to have convulsions and vomiting.
In 1946, Alphonsa died at age thirty-five. Almost immediately after her death, miracles attributed to her intercession began to be reported. Since then, hundreds of miracles attributed to her intercession have been reported.
St. Alphonsa’s Feast Day: July 28th
Why Pray the St. Alphonsa Novena?
St. Alphonsa is the patron saint against illness. You can ask her for prayers if you have been exposed to an illness that you do not want to contract, or for someone you know who is battling an illness.
St. Alphonsa is also a patron saint of diseases related to the feet, since she suffered permanent disability from a foot injury herself. You can seek her intercession if you are suffering from an illness or injury of the feet, or for someone you know who is suffering from an illness or injury of the feet.
You can pray the St. Alphonsa Novena for any intention!
St. Alphonsa Novena Prayers
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the life of faithfulness to You that she lived, from the time of her grief-filled childhood until her death.
St. Alphonsa, you lost your mother when you were very young. Because of her early death, your life was filled with difficulty. But you sought to serve God in holiness, despite your suffering.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You were raised by your aunt and educated by your uncle. And even though your family members did not understand your calling to religious life, you pursued God’s calling faithfully.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to pursue God’s calling in my life. Pray that I may never allow sadness or difficulty to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in choosing to dedicate herself to You in religious life.
St. Alphonsa, you received many proposals of marriage from men in prominent families, when you were young. Despite the worldly allure of these prospects, you chose to dedicate yourself to God in religious life.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so ardently!
You could have amassed great material fortune by marrying, but you cared little for such wealth. Instead, you threw yourself wholeheartedly into your vocation to the Poor Clares.
Pray for me, that I may never allow the allure of worldly riches to deter me from God’s call in my life. Pray that I may be open to whatever path He calls me to, no matter the cost.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in abandoning worldly wealth in favor of a life dedicated to You.
St. Alphonsa, you had the opportunity to amass great material wealth by marrying one of the prominent men who proposed to you. Instead, you chose to serve God in a life of poverty, as a Poor Clare nun.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You threw yourself wholeheartedly into your vocation as a Poor Clare nun. Despite difficulties and suffering from health problems, you continued to serve God to the best of your ability.
Pray for me, that I may always put holy service to God above pursuit of material wealth. Pray that I may always seek heavenly reward at every opportunity.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in continuing to serve You worthily amidst the terrible suffering she endured from injury to her feet.
St. Alphonsa, your feet were badly injured when you fell into a pit of burning chaff. Though the accident left you permanently disabled, you continued to serve God despite your suffering.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Your health problems did not end with your accident. You continued to suffer from poor health for nearly all of your life, but you did not wallow in your suffering. Instead, you patiently endured your suffering and remained faithful.
Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God no matter how I might suffer in my life. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in choosing to pursue her vocation as a Poor Clare nun.
St. Alphonsa, you had more than one opportunity to choose marriage into a prominent family. But you cared little for material fortune and wanted to dedicate your life to God instead.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so ardently!
You entered religious life in the convent of the Poor Clares as soon as it was possible for you. You lived out the rest of your life carrying out the duties of this vocation faithfully.
Pray for me, that I may serve God to the best of my ability in the path He calls me to. Pray that I may never waver in my love of God or my commitment to serving Him.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in enduring her many health problems with patience.
St. Alphonsa, you endured a lot of suffering in your life, because of your poor health. But you did not wallow in despair or bitterness. Instead, you bore your trials patiently and did your best to continue serving God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
You suffered from a debilitating foot injury, severe pneumonia, loss of your memory, gastroenteritis, and liver problems. Even amidst this suffering, you remained faithful to God and to your vocation.
Pray for me, that I may remain faithful despite any sufferings I might endure in my life. Pray that I may patiently bear any trials I might face, as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in seeking the healing she needed from You.
St. Alphonsa, you suffered a great deal from poor health during your life. At one point your health problems were so severe that they prevented you from teaching. But you turned to God in faith to seek healing.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you trusted!
It is said that your health problems were cured at one point through the intercession of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. Later, you were again cured when you received Extreme Unction. After your death, your intercession brought about hundreds of miracles.
Pray for me, that I may have the faith to ask God for what I need. Pray that I may ask Him in the confidence that He will provide for me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed throughout her life, even as she suffered from loss of her memory.
St. Alphonsa, you suffered a lot from various health problems throughout your life. After a thief entered your room and badly traumatized you, you suffered from amnesia and your health became even more weakened.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Despite your trials and sufferings, you remained faithful to God. You carried out the duties of your vocation and did your best to serve God worthily.
Pray for me, that I may never allow trials or sufferings to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may always seek to do God’s will first in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsa 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 servant, St. Alphonsa, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed throughout her life as a Poor Clare nun.
St. Alphonsa, you eagerly pursued your vocation to be a bride of Christ as a Poor Clare nun. Even though you suffered a lot from poor health, you persevered in holiness throughout your life.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You remained faithful throughout many physical sufferings. After your death, your intercession helped bring about hundreds of miracles for others who turned to you for help.
Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God, no matter what suffering I might face in my life. Pray that I may always seek to serve Him and His Church at every opportunity.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsa, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.