St. Henry Novena

New here? Join us in Prayer! Click here to get novena reminders by email!

St. Henry was a king who lived in the 900s-1000s. He became the Holy Roman Emperor in 1014. He was well-known for his holy leadership. He also showed great concern for the welfare of the Church during his reign.

You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy saint in your life!

About St. Henry 

St. Henry was born in 973. Both of his parents were members of the nobility. During Henry’s childhood, his father spent a lot of time in exile because of political conflicts. 

Henry was educated in the Catholic Faith by a bishop. Then, Henry studied at Hildesheim Cathedral. 

Henry succeeded his father as Duke of Bavaria in 995. Henry’s cousin, Otto III, was Holy Roman Emperor at the time. When Otto died in 1002, Henry was elected the new Holy Roman Emperor.

Henry did not view his new political power as a reason for arrogance or pompous behavior. Rather, he was eager to use his new station for the glory of God.

Henry took his duties toward his subjects and the Church very seriously. He attempted to care for the welfare of the Church and to maintain order through ecclesiastical discipline carried out by bishops.

Henry fought several battles against political enemies. His forces continually came out victorious against hostile Saracens, Greeks, and others. When his troops were victorious in battle, Henry was known for clemency and moderation toward his enemies. 

Henry was widely recognized for his humility and his spirit of justice. On one occasion, Henry even cast himself at the feet of a bishop, begging pardon for treating the bishop coldly because of a misunderstanding. 

Both Henry and his wife, St. Cunegundes, made vows of perpetual chastity. Henry also gave generously to charity, establishing several pious foundations and donating a large sum to build a cathedral. On one occasion, he vowed to establish a monastery if his wife recovered from a serious illness. When she did recover, he had construction begin on Kaufungen Abbey.

As the years of Henry’s reign progressed, he longed to retire to a monastery rather than continue as the Holy Roman Emperor. But an abbot advised Henry to continue in his temporal role, so Henry remained Holy Roman Emperor.

Near the end of Henry’s life, he began speaking with the Pope about convening a Church council to establish a new system of relations between the imperial government and Church government. 

Before these efforts could be completed, Henry died at age fifty-one. He suffered from a painful chronic urinary infection for some time before his death. HIs death is said to have been a holy one, occurring shortly after he celebrated Easter.

Henry was canonized in 1147 by Pope Eugenius III. His wife was canonized just over fifty years later by Pope Innocent III.

St. Henry’s Feast Day: July 13th

Why Pray the St. Henry Novena?

St. Henry is the patron saint of handicapped people. You can ask him for prayers if you are handicapped, or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is handicapped.

St. Henry is also the patron saint of the childless. You can seek his intercession if you are childless, or you can seek it on behalf of a childless couple whom you know. 

Additionally, St. Henry is the patron saint of those rejected by religious orders. You can ask for his intercession if you have been rejected by a religious order, or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who has been rejected by a religious order. 

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

St. Henry Novena Prayers

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed throughout his life.

St. Henry, you did not have the benefit of a stable family life during your childhood because your father was in exile for many years. Despite this suffering, you began to devote your life to serving God.

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

As a young man, you were elected to the office of Holy Roman Emperor after the death of your cousin. You did all you could to serve God in your new role.

Pray for me, that I may be as devoted to God in my life as you were. Pray that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate his devotion to You that began to grow during his education in the Catholic Faith.

St. Henry, you were educated in the Catholic Faith during your childhood by a bishop. This early formation in the Faith shaped you greatly for a life of devotion to God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved with such devotion!

During your time as Holy Roman Emperor, you continually worked to protect the Church and to do all you could to promote virtue. You never wavered in your commitment to God and your Faith.

Pray for me, that I may never waver in my commitment to God and my Faith. Pray that I may be as eager to devote my life to God’s service as you were.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his leadership as Holy Roman Emperor.

St. Henry, you were determined to lead as a virtuous ruler when you became Holy Roman Emperor. Though your power was mostly temporal, you were very concerned with justice and with the protection of the Church.

Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!

You fought many battles against enemies, but you exercised virtue even in war by practicing clemency and moderation towards your enemies. You worked hard to make sure you were leading as virtuously as you could.

Pray for me, that I may seek to serve God in the duties of my daily life. Pray that I may never waver in my commitment to God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed through the humility he practiced.

St. Henry, you had great temporal power as the Holy Roman Emperor, but you did not allow this power to make you grow arrogant. Instead, you were known for your humility as you pursued holy service to God.

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

On one occasion, you threw yourself at the feet of a bishop to beg forgiveness over a misunderstanding. Though you had great worldly power, you did not hesitate to humble yourself when necessary.

Pray for me, that I may grow in humility each day. Pray that I may never give in to temptations of pride in my life.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in seeking to rule his people with justice.

St. Henry, you took your duties as Holy Roman Emperor very seriously. You knew that your great power could be used for good for your people, and you sought to serve God through a just rule.

Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you sought to serve!

You worked to ensure that your subjects had justice in their society. You cared for your subjects to the best of your ability, out of love for God.

Pray for me, that I may work for justice whenever I am able to. Pray that I may never weary of serving God in the ways He puts before me.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed through his charity towards those in need.

St. Henry, you were known for giving generously to charity during your time as Holy Roman Emperor. You did not hesitate to give money wherever it was needed, out of love for God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so deeply!

You established several pious foundations and provided the money for a cathedral to be built. You used your wealth to establish a monastery out of gratitude to God for bringing your sick wife to recovery.

Pray for me, that I may grow in charity each day. Pray that I may be eager to use my material wealth for the good of others, out of love for God.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his support of religious life and his longing to serve You himself in a monastery.

St. Henry, you provided generous financial support to the Church. On one occasion, you even provided for the building of a monastery, so that others might have the opportunity to serve God there.

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

Later in life, you longed to retire to a monastery yourself. You longed to serve God in a wholehearted manner as a religious.

Pray for me, that I may be as eager to serve God as you were. Pray that I may always be ready to serve Him as He calls me to.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed through his constant service to Your Church.

St. Henry, you were devoted to the Church throughout your life. You did all you could to serve and to assist the Church through your powers as Holy Roman Emperor, out of love for God.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so deeply!

You worked tirelessly to promote the good of the Church through your political power. Near the end of your life, you were still working to improve relations between temporal power and the government of the Church.

Pray for me, that I may be as devoted a servant of the Church as you were. Pray that I may do all I can to be of service to God and His Church throughout my life.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.

St. Henry 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. Henry as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed throughout his whole life until the time of his death.

St. Henry, you gave your life to God and devoted yourself to His service. You worked constantly to practice virtue, to serve the Church, and to persevere in seeking holiness.

Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!

Even as you neared death, you were still working to serve the Church. After you suffered from a painful infection for some time, it is said that you died a holy death.

Pray for me, that I may devote my life to serving God, as you did. Pray that my death may be a holy one when my life comes to an end.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Henry, pray for us!

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

Amen.