St. Bonaventure Novena

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St. Bonaventure was an Italian theologian who lived in the 1200s. He was a member of the Franciscans, and he also became the Cardinal Bishop of Albano. 

St. Bonaventure is well-known for many of his theological writings. He is also a Doctor of the Church!

You can use this novena to seek intercession from this learned saint!

About St. Bonaventure 

St. Bonaventure was born in an area of Italy that was part of the Papal States, in 1221. His parents were named Giovanni di Fidanza and Maria Ritell. Giovanni was a wealthy physician. 

Little else is known about St. Bonaventure’s childhood, except that St. Francis of Assisi is credited with healing Bonaventure of a serious illness when Bonaventure was young.

When Bonaventure was twenty-two years old, he entered the Franciscan order. After he made his vows, Bonaventure was sent to study at the University of Paris. While there, Bonaventure became close friends with St. Thomas Aquinas. He also came to establish a friendship with the French king, St. Louis.

The Franciscan order was beset by internal conflicts at this time. But when Bonaventure was thirty-five years old, he was appointed Minister General of the order. In this role, he brought about peace and order.

St. Bonaventure did a lot for the Franciscan order. He also composed a biography of the order’s founder, St. Francis. 

In 1265, Bonaventure was nominated Archbishop of York by Pope Clement IV, but Bonaventure did not feel worthy of this honor and begged not to be forced to accept it.

After the next Pope, Gregory X, was elected, Bonaventure found himself in such a situation again. Pope Gregory obliged him to accept a post as the cardinal and archbishop of Albano. The Pope also insisted that Bonaventure attend the Second Council of Lyon in 1274.

At the Second Council of Lyon, Bonaventure made great contributions toward the union of the Greek and Latin churches. He died suddenly while assisting at the Council in 1274, in circumstances that some have suggested could be indicative of poisoning. 

Today, the only relic of St. Bonaventure in existence is the arm and hand with which he wrote his Commentary on the Sentences (which was Bonaventure’s most famous theological work). This relic is preserved in Bagnoregio, in the church of St. Nicholas. 

St. Bonaventure left a great legacy of assistance to the Franciscan order. He steered them in an intellectual direction, and his theology is known for attempting to integrate faith and reason.

Pope Sixtus VI canonized Bonaventure in 1484. Along with his close friend St.Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure is considered one of the greatest Doctors of the Church. Many also consider St. Bonaventure to be one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.

St. Bonaventure’s Feast Day: July 15th


Why Pray the St. Bonaventure Novena?

Though there is no official patronage for St. Bonaventure, he can be a great saint to turn to in a lot of situations!

You can ask St. Bonaventure for prayers if you are a student of theology or philosophy, since he was a learned scholar in the fields of theology and philosophy.

You can also seek St. Bonaventure’s intercession on behalf of members of the Franciscan order, since he did a lot for the Franciscan order during his time as Minister General.

Many pray to St. Bonaventure for diseases of the intestines and bowels because St. Francis healed him of one such illness.

St. Bonaventure is also a great saint to turn to for prayers for a bishop or cardinal, since he was a bishop and a cardinal!

You can pray the St. Bonaventure Novena for any intention!

St. Bonaventure Novena Prayers

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the willingness to serve You that he showed in his decision to enter religious life as a Franciscan.

St. Bonaventure, we know very little about your early life except that St. Francis once brought about healing of illness for you. Years later as a young man, you chose to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis by dedicating your life to God in the Franciscan religious order.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!

You continued on in the path of service to God throughout your life. You led your order for many years and faithfully shepherded the people entrusted to you as a cardinal and bishop.

Pray for me, that I may always choose to serve God at every opportunity. Pray that I may be open to serving God in whatever way He might call me.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the desire to serve You that he showed by dedicating his life to You in the Franciscan religious order.

St. Bonaventure, you chose to enter the Franciscan religious order as a young man. You were appointed as Minister General of the order at a time when the order was suffering from conflict. But you faithfully worked to bring about order and holiness.

Please be faithful in presenting my petitions before the throne of God!

While you were in a role of leadership, you did a lot for the Franciscan order. You helped end dissention and bring your brothers back to the path of peace and holiness.

Pray for me, that I may always do whatever is in my power to help others on the path to holiness. Pray that I allow God to work through me to bring others to Him.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in his lifelong commitment to study of You and ensuring others could learn about You.

St. Bonaventure, you are considered one of the greatest Doctors of the Church. You spent much of your life studying theology and writing theological works. 

Please bring my prayers before God Whom you studied so passionately!

You dedicated countless hours to study of God and to composing theological writings. Because of your work, many others have been able to learn more deeply about God’s laws and His nature.

Pray for me, that I may seek to deepen my knowledge of God at every opportunity. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to help others learn to know and love God more deeply.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in dedicating much of his life to writing about You.

St. Bonaventure, you spent a great deal of your life diligently writing about theological and philosophical matters. You continued to serve God in your writing throughout your life.

Please continue to bring my petitions before God!

Your theological writings are still influential today, and they are so well-known that you are considered to be one of the greatest Doctors of the Church. The works you composed are used by many who seek greater understanding of God and His laws.

Pray for me, that I may seek to glorify God in all that I do. Pray that I may never miss an opportunity to serve God in my work.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in the humble service he rendered to You throughout his life.

St. Bonaventure, you entered the Franciscan religious order early in life. As a member of the Friars Minor, you grew in understanding of your own unworthiness. You were faithful to the charism of humble poverty your whole life.

Please be faithful in presenting my intentions before God!

When you were first given the chance to rise in ecclesiastical power by becoming an archbishop, you declined because you did not feel worthy of such a great office. 

Pray for me, that I may grow in understanding of my own unworthiness. Pray that I may be a humble servant of God, as you were.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!  

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the dedication and desire to serve You that he showed in reforming his religious order during his time as Minister General.

St. Bonaventure, you became a Minister General of the Franciscans at a time when the order lacked unity and harmony. You saw that much needed to be done in order to bring your order to unified service of God, and you set out to accomplish the restoration that was needed.

Please continue to intercede for my intentions with such dedication!

You knew that your brother Franciscans needed to reconcile with one another and set aside their differences. You did all you could to help bring your brothers to holiness.

Pray for me, that I may lead others to holiness at every opportunity in my life. Pray that I may be a worthy instrument of God whenever possible.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in choosing to serve You as a Franciscan and in doing all he could to help his fellow Franciscans reach holiness.

St. Bonaventure, the Franciscan order was beset with internal conflicts at the time that you were elected as Minister General. You knew that these conflicts must be set aside in order for your brothers to serve God faithfully, and you did all you could to bring about the resolution of these conflicts.

Please do all you can to bring my petitions before God!

You did a lot to restore peace and unity to your religious order. You sought every opportunity to bring your brothers to deeper holiness.

Pray for me, that I may seek to make peace amidst conflicts around me in my life. Pray that I may take every opportunity to help others reach greater holiness.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in the service he rendered to You during his time as a bishop.

St. Bonaventure, you did not seek the ecclesiastical power of the role of bishop. But when you obediently accepted the role Pope Gregory X insisted you take, you carried out your duties faithfully. 

Please be faithful in presenting my petitions before the throne of God!

You shepherded the people of God with care, as a bishop. You helped bring about greater unity between the Greek and Latin Church, and you died while serving the Church at the Second Council of Lyon.

Pray for me, that I may faithfully serve God in the duties of my own vocation. Pray that I may always seek to glorify God in all that I do.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Bonaventure 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. Bonaventure, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in his lifelong service to You as a Friar, a bishop, and a theologian.

St. Bonaventure, you chose to serve God by entering the Franciscans. You served God as Minister General of the order, and you continued to serve Him and His Church later in your role as a bishop.

Please continue to bring my petitions before God!

Throughout your life, you did a lot for the Church, through your work and your many writings. Today, you are considered one of the greatest Doctors of the Church.

Pray for me, that I may always seek to put my gifts to the service and God and His Church. Pray that I may generously respond to God’s call to serve Him in my life.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Bonaventure, pray for us!

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

Amen.