St. Ursula Novena
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Show HideSt. Ursula was a holy woman who lived in the 4th century. She lived in Britain. Legend holds that she became a martyr.
St. Ursula’s example inspired St. Angela Merici to dedicate a religious order to her. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy woman in many aspects of your life.
About St. Ursula
Very little is known for certain about St. Ursula, but a lot of legendary material about her life has been passed down.
According to legend, Ursula was born in the 4th century. Her father was a Christian, and he was the king of Britain. She was friendly and well liked as a child. She also began to grow in deep devotion to God from a young age. During her childhood, she dedicated herself to God and decided to remain a virgin out of love for Him.
When Ursula was a young woman, a pagan king asked that she marry his son. The pagan king sent gifts to Ursula’s father and made promises of more if the marriage took place. But he also threatened to bring harm to them if Ursula and her father refused the marriage.
Though Ursula’s father wished that she could marry a Christian, he was fearful of the harm that the violent pagan king could do. He also did not think that Ursula would agree to the marriage. But God inspired Ursula to agree to it on several specific conditions, including that her fiance would receive instruction in the faith and that eleven thousand young women would accompany her.
Ursula thought that the pagan king would not agree to these conditions, but he did. Ursula’s father sent many young men along with them as well.
During the voyage, Ursula instructed her companions in the faith and helped them to convert to Christianity. When they arrived in Germany, an angel appeared to Ursula. The angel told her that she and her companions would eventually be martyred here.
They continued their travels to Rome. There, they met Pope Cyriacus. He asked to join Ursula’s group and travel with them back to Germany.
As the group traveled to Germany, the Huns there became afraid that Christianity would become popular in their land. When Ursula and her companions arrived in Germany, the Huns attempted to take the women for their pleasure. But Ursula and her companions resisted this attack. So the leader of the Huns ordered the women killed.
The leader of the Huns decided not to kill Ursula so that he could marry her. When Ursula refused, he became so angry that he pierced her heart with an arrow. The year of Ursula’s death is not known for certain.
By the early 1500s, Ursula’s story had become so well known that St. Angela Merici chose to follow St. Ursula as her role model. St. Angela Merici established the Ursuline religious order in 1535.
St. Ursula’s Feast Day: October 21st
Why Pray the St. Ursula Novena?
St. Ursula is the patron saint of the Ursuline religious order. You can pray the St. Ursula Novena if you are a member of the Ursuline religious order or are discerning a vocation to the Ursulines. You can also pray the St. Ursula Novena for someone you know who is an Ursuline or who is discerning a vocation to the Ursulines.
Additionally, St. Ursula is the patron saint of Cologne, Germany. You can pray the St. Ursula Novena if you live in Cologne or are planning to travel to Cologne. Or you can pray the St. Ursula Novena for someone you know who lives in Cologne or is planning to travel to Cologne.
You can pray the St. Ursula Novena for any intention!
St. Ursula Novena Prayers
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, we know few things about your life for certain. But legend holds that you began to grow in deep devotion to God from a young age. You chose to dedicate yourself to God during your childhood, and you chose to remain a virgin out of love for Him.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and protect all children.
Pray for us, that we may serve God worthily in every circumstance of our lives. Pray that we may grow closer to God at every opportunity He gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that your father was the Christian king of Britain. Though we know few details about your early life with your family, your father’s care for your soul is apparent in his worries over the possibility of you marrying a pagan king.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all families.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to faithfully carry out the duties of our vocation each day. 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. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that you were very dedicated to God from the time you were a child. Though we know few details about your life for certain, legend holds that you chose to dedicate your virginity to God and that you served Him faithfully for the rest of your life.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow to a deeper friendship with Our Lord.
Pray for us, that we may always make use of all the helps God gives us for our salvation. Pray that we may advance in holiness each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that you chose to dedicate your virginity to God when you were a child. Though the circumstances of your arranged marriage made it seem that this would not be possible, you persevered in serving God faithfully.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to 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 always be eager to carry out God’s will in our lives each day. Pray that we may respond generously to God’s call at all times.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that you were asked to marry the son of a pagan king when you were a young woman. Though you desired to remain a virgin out of love for God, you were inspired by God to accept the proposal on certain conditions. This led to many conversions and to your eventual martyrdom.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and strengthen all marriages.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to serve God in whatever ways He calls us to each day. Pray that we may grow in true intimacy with Our Lord each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that God inspired you to accept the proposal of marriage to a pagan king’s son. Though this was not how you had envisioned your life, you trusted in God and followed His inspiration. He then brought a lot of good out of your trust in His inspiration.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in true trust in our Lord.
Pray for us, that we may grow in every virtue we need for holiness. Pray that we may do all we can to advance in holiness at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that you traveled by sea with thousands of companions on your way to an arranged marriage to the son of a pagan king. During the voyage, you instructed your companions in the faith and helped bring them to conversion.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may grant the grace of conversion to all non-Christians.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to help bring souls to God. Pray that we may offer to God all things in our lives for the good of souls.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, legend holds that you courageously set out from your homeland because of the inspiration of God. When you were eventually attacked by Huns, you courageously resisted their attack. When the Hun leader wanted you to marry him, you refused, despite the danger to yourself.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in the courage we need for holiness.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to grow in virtue each day of our lives. Pray that we may grow in friendship with God at every opportunity He gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Ursula 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. Ursula as an example of holiness. Please hear the prayers she brings before Your throne on our behalf.
St. Ursula, your holy legend has inspired many people to serve God. St. Angela Merici was so inspired by your holy example that she dedicated her religious order to you and took you as the patroness.
We ask you to take all of our petitions to God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and assist all members of the Ursuline religious order.
Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to serve God faithfully in every circumstance. Pray that we may truly strive to live saintly lives every day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Ursula, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.