St. Columba Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Columba was a missionary who lived in the 500s. He was also an abbott. He worked and preached in both Ireland and Scotland.
St. Columba did a lot of work to spread Christianity in Scotland. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy missionary in many aspects of your life.
About St. Columba
St. Columba was born in 521 in Ireland. His father was a descendent of royalty. Little is known about Columba’s childhood except that he was tutored by the priest who baptized him. Columba eventually attended a monastic school that was established by St. Finnian of Moville.
As a young man, Columba entered monastic life and was ordained as a deacon. Before long, he entered a different monastery that was established by St. Finnian of Clonard. Here, Columba was ordained to the priesthood. Columba and eleven other monks from this monastery came to be known as the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland.”
In 544, an epidemic led Columba to return to his homeland. Over the next fifteen years, he devoted himself to preaching, traveling, and establishing monasteries.
In 563, Columba left Ireland. Historical sources are unclear about whether he left in order to preach elsewhere or because of a war between tribes.
Columba and the companions who had traveled with him landed on Iona, an island off the coast of Scotland. There, they built a simple monastery and church. Columba soon began missionary work in Dalriada. The Celtic Christians there were in great need of instruction.
After this, Columba turned his attention to the task of converting the Picts who lived in northern Scotland. At one point, he sought to enter the castle of the king there, but the gates were locked. When he made the Sign of the Cross over the gates, they miraculously opened. He gained welcome from the king, instructed him, and baptized him.
During the next thirty years, Columba continued to evangelize in northern Scotland. Some native Druids resisted the missionary efforts of Columba and his companions. But despite this resistance, Columba and his companions were able to make great progress in building churches and baptizing people.
Throughout the time that Columba was doing this work, the monastery that he and his companions had built on the island of Iona continued to serve as his home. Many pilgrims traveled to this monastery, hoping to receive counsel and prayers from Columba.
Columba made occasional trips back to Ireland until he was too weak to travel. He continued to communicate with the Church there.
Even in Columba’s weakened old age, he lived a life devoted to fasting, prayer, and study. In 597, Columba died a short time after giving a final blessing to the monastery on the island of Iona.
St. Columba’s Feast Day: June 9th
Why Pray the St. Columba Novena?
St. Columba is the patron saint of Ireland, Scotland, and Derry in Ireland. You can pray the St. Columba Novena if you live in one of these areas. Or you can pray this novena to seek St. Columba’s intercession for someone you know who lives in one of these areas.
St. Columba is also the patron saint of bookbinders and poets. You can pray the St. Columba Novena if you are a bookbinder or a poet. Or you can pray the St. Columba Novena for someone you know who is a bookbinder or a poet.
You can pray the St. Columba Novena for any intention!
St. Columba Novena Prayers
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you entered monastic life and became a deacon when you were a young man. You were eventually ordained to the priesthood. You spent the rest of your life faithfully serving God and His Church.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may inspire more men and women to serve Him in the religious and priestly vocations.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to carry out God’s will in our lives each day. Pray that we may serve God faithfully in every circumstance.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, we know few details about your early life. But we know that you were educated by monks and that you followed God’s call to serve Him in the monastic life when you were a young man.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all monks may be holy servants of God.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to faithfully carry out the duties of our vocation each day of our lives. Pray that we may advance in holiness at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you were ordained to the priesthood at the monastery established by St. Finnian of Clonard. As a priest, you did a lot of important missionary work for the Church. For the rest of your life, you served God faithfully as a priest.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all priests may be holy servants of God.
Pray for us, that we may always be open to serving God in whatever ways He calls us to. Pray that we may grow closer to God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you experienced the effects of an epidemic during your time in the Clonard monastery. Because of the epidemic, you returned to your homeland. You remained open to God’s will and continued serving Him faithfully for the rest of your life.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may strengthen and bless all who suffer from sickness.
Pray for us, that we may always rely on God for all that we need in our lives. Pray that we may do all things out of love for God each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you became known as one of the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland.” You devoted yourself to preaching and evangelization work for many years. You helped instruct Christian converts, and you brought many to conversion in Scotland.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all missionaries in their holy work.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to bring souls to God. Pray that we may preach the Gospel at every opportunity God gives us each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you did a lot of important missionary work in Ireland and Scotland. You became known as one of the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland” because of your missionary work there. You made great progress in converting the people of northern Scotland despite the resistance of the Druids.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in zealousness for bringing souls to God.
Pray for us, that we do all we can to help build the kingdom of God each day of our lives. Pray that we may serve God and His Church faithfully in every circumstance.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, you lived a life of deep prayer as a monk. Even as you neared the end of your life at an advanced age, you continued to devote yourself to a life of prayer and fasting.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow to a deeper life of prayer.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to grow closer to God each day. Pray that we may always place our relationship with God above all else in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, for many years you devoted yourself to serving God faithfully. Near the end of your life, you were weakened with old age. But despite this, you continued to live a penitential life devoted to fasting and prayer.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in a holy spirit of penance.
Pray for us, that we may always make use of all the helps God gives us for our salvation. Pray that we may grow in holiness and virtue each day of our lives
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Columba 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. Columba as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers he brings to You on our behalf.
St. Columba, for years you served the Church as a monk and a priest. You brought many souls to the Church through your missionary work. You continued serving the Church faithfully until the end of your life.
We ask you to take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that the Church may be strong and her members holy.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to serve God and His Church faithfully. Pray that we may be open to serving God in whatever ways He calls us to.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Columba, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.