St. Wenceslaus Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Wenceslaus was a duke of Bohemia who lived in the 900s. He was murdered by political and religious opponents. His death was considered a martyrdom.
St. Wenceslaus was known for his heroic virtue. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this virtuous martyr in your life!
About St. Wenceslaus
St. Wenceslaus was born around the year 907 in Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic. His father was Vratislaus I, and Wenceslaus’ grandfather was the Duke of Bohemia.
Wenceslaus’ grandfather converted to Christianity because of the efforts of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Though Wenceslaus’ mother was born to a pagan family, she was baptized a Christian when she married Wenceslaus’ father.
Wenceslaus’ grandmother on his father’s side was St. Ludmila. She ensured that Wenceslaus was educated well in the Old Slavonic language and in Christian teaching. When Wenceslaus was still young, he was sent to be educated at the college at Budec.
When Wenceslaus was around thirteen years old, his father died. His grandmother, St. Ludmila, became regent and ruled in place of Wenceslaus until he was old enough. Wenceslaus’ mother was deeply jealous of Ludmila’s power, so she arranged to have Ludmila killed. Ludmila was assassinated soon after, and Wenceslaus’ mother took over as regent.
One of the first actions Wenceslaus’ mother took as regent was to enact measures against Christians. But many Christian nobles fought back against these anti-Christian measures. When Wenceslaus was eighteen, an uprising by these Christian nobles successfully took power from Wenceslaus’ mother. They sent her into exile, and Wenceslaus took the throne.
During Wenceslaus’ rule, he supported the Church and encouraged Christianity to flourish. He brought some German priests into the country to assist the floundering number of priests in the region. He also consecrated a rotunda in the Prague Castle to St. Vitas. This rotunda later became the St. Vitas Cathedral that stands in Prague today.
Wenceslaus also worked toward unifying Bohemia and negotiating peace with Germany. His work toward peace with Germany angered the non-Christians who opposed his rule.
Wenceslaus’ younger brother Boleslav joined the non-Christians who opposed Wenceslaus in a plot against Wenceslaus. In 929, Boleslav invited Wenceslaus to join him in Alt Bunglou for Mass to celebrate the feast day of Sts. Cosmas and Damian.
While Wenceslaus was traveling to Mass, three of Boleslav’s supporters attacked Wenceslaus. They stabbed him, and Boleslav himself impaled Wenceslaus with a lance.
Wenceslaus was immediately considered a martyr when his death became known. His tomb became a shrine for pilgrims. He was remembered for his virtue and his great charity towards orphans, widows, and prisoners.
St. Wenceslaus is also remembered in the Christmas Carol “Good King Wenceslaus,” which may be a translation of a Czech poem.
St. Wenceslaus’ Feast Day: September 28th
Why Pray the St. Wenceslaus Novena?
St. Wenceslaus is the patron saint of Prague and of the Czech Republic. You can ask him to pray for you if you live in Prague or in another area in the Czech Republic. Or you can ask for his intercession if you are planning to travel to Prague or to another area of Czech Republic.
You can also ask St. Wenceslaus to pray for someone you know who lives in Prague or in another area of the Czech Republic. Or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is planning to travel to Prague or to another area of the Czech Republic.
You can pray the St. Wenceslaus Novena for any intention!
St. Wenceslaus Novena Prayers
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed from the time he was a child.
St. Wenceslaus, your grandparents converted to Christianity after hearing the preaching of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Your holy grandmother helped you begin on the path to holiness and serving God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served throughout your life!
You received a strong education in the Christian Faith when you were a child. Though you later faced many difficulties and challenges to your Faith, you held fast and continued serving God.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve God in my life. Pray that I may be strong in my Faith, no matter what difficulties I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed from the time of his upbringing in the Faith.
St. Wenceslaus, you received a strong education in the Faith from your holy grandmother when you were a child. You grew into a mature virtue and Faith, serving God faithfully.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!
When you were thirteen, your father died and some of your family members came into conflict with each other. Despite these difficulties, you persevered in your Faith for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may never allow any difficulties or sufferings to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may be a devoted servant of God each day of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed throughout the many difficulties he faced from the time of his adolescence.
St. Wenceslaus, your father died when you were thirteen years old. After his death, there was a lot of conflict in your family. But you persevered in your Faith despite these difficulties.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You did all you could to continue serving God faithfully. When you became the ruler of your country, you used your power to do a lot of good.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God faithfully amidst any sufferings I might face. Pray that I may persevere in my Faith no matter what difficulties I might encounter.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in working to assist the Church in the wake of his mother’s anti-Catholic policies.
St. Wenceslaus, your mother gained the power of regency by killing your holy grandmother. Though your mother enacted anti-Catholic measures for the country, you did all you could to assist the Church when you came to rule the country yourself.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
During your rule, you supported the Church and encouraged Christianity to flourish. You worked hard to assist the Christians who had been persecuted under your mother’s rule.
Pray for me, that I may always serve God and His Church in whatever ways I can. Pray that I may always persevere in my Faith even if I am persecuted because of it.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in working to resolve political conflicts during his time as ruler.
St. Wenceslaus, your society was full of conflict and division when you became ruler. Though many people opposed your rule and your decisions, you continued to do all you could to bring peace and resolution.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You negotiated peace between your country and Germany, even though this work angered the non-Christians who opposed your rule. You persevered through opposition and conflict to bring about peace.
Pray for me, that I may always work to bring peace wherever I am able to. Pray that I may serve God at every opportunity in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his work for peace during his time as ruler of Bohemia.
St. Wenceslaus, you became the ruler of Bohemia at a time when there was a lot of conflict and division both within your country and with other countries. You persevered through many challenges to work for peace.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
Your work negotiating peace with Germany angered the non-Christian factions in your country. Despite their opposition, you did all you could to bring peace to your society.
Pray for me, that I may always take every opportunity to bring resolution to conflicts around me. Pray that I may serve God in whatever ways He presents before me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his holy leadership of Bohemia.
St. Wenceslaus, you faced many difficulties and challenges during your time as ruler of Bohemia. Despite these obstacles, you did all you could to serve God faithfully in your position of power.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God with such faithfulness!
You supported the Church and encouraged Christianity to flourish in every way you could. You held fast against your non-Christian enemies and worked to lead your people with virtue.
Pray for me, that I may always strive to be virtuous and holy no matter what difficulties I might face. Pray that I may never allow any difficulties to deter me from serving God faithfully.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his great charity towards those in need.
St. Wenceslaus, you were a very virtuous ruler of your country. You worked to improve the conditions of those who were in need, out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so dearly!
After you were murdered, you were immediately considered to be a martyr. You were remembered for your virtue and for your great charity towards orphans, widows, and prisoners.
Pray for me, that I may grow in charity each day towards my brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need. Pray that I may always be eager to serve God through service to those who are in need.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Wenceslaus 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. Wenceslaus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his life of devoted service to You and Your Church.
St. Wenceslaus, your mother brought about the persecution of Christians in Bohemia during her time ruling as regent. As soon as you came to power, you did all you could to support the Church and the flourishing of Christianity.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You tried to lead your country virtuously during your time as ruler. You served God and His Church faithfully for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve God and His Church in whatever ways He calls me to. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to put my gifts to use serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.