14 Holy Helpers Novena
Contents
Show HideThe 14 Holy Helpers is a group of fourteen saints who are venerated together. Devotion to the 14 Holy Helpers began in the 1300s in what is now Western Germany. It is likely that devotion to them began because of the spread of the Black Plague.
The intercession of the 14 Holy Helpers can be very powerful against certain diseases. You can use this novena to seek intercession from these powerful saints in your life.
About the 14 Holy Helpers
Devotion to the 14 Holy Helpers began with devotion to three virgin martyr saints: St. Margaret of Antioch, St. Barbara, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. As the bubonic plague pandemic raged throughout Europe and North Africa in the 14th century, the faithful began to seek the intercession of these three saints.
Along with these three, several other saints were added to the devotion. All but one of the 14 Holy Helpers were likely martyrs. Since the devotion began in Germany, the 14 Holy Helpers were originally called “Nothelfer” which means “helpers in need” in German.
During the following centuries, devotion to the 14 Holy Helpers spread to other areas as the plague resurfaced. Pope Nicholas V eventually attached special indulgences to the devotion to the 14 Holy Helpers.
These are the saints who are called the 14 Holy Helpers:
St. Margaret of Antioch was a martyr who lived in the fourth century. She was a convert to Christianity, and she refused to renounce her faith. She was ordered to be burned and boiled alive, but God miraculously preserved her life. She was killed by beheading.
St. Barbara was a martyr who lived in the third century. Her conversion to Christianity angered her father, so he handed her over to the authorities and she was killed.
St. Catherine of Alexandria lived in the fourth century. She was the daughter of a queen. Both she and her mother eventually converted to Christianity. Catherine tried to convert Emperor Maximus, who was persecuting Christians. She was imprisoned, scourged, and beheaded for her faith.
St. George was a martyr from the fourth century. He was a soldier, and he was ordered to sacrifice to Roman gods. When he refused, he was tortured and killed.
St. Blaise was a bishop in the 4th century. He is known for miraculously saving a boy who was choking on a fishbone. Blaise was tortured and beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith.
St. Erasmus was also a bishop who lived in the 4th century. He was persecuted for his faith but was miraculously saved by an angel multiple times. It is likely that he was eventually martyred.
St. Pantaleon was a physician who lived in the 4th century. He was denounced as a Christian, and he was tortured in many ways. Christ appeared to him in the form of a priest, rescuing him from many tortures. Pantaleon was eventually beheaded.
St. Vitus was a 4th century convert to Christianity who performed miracles. After he was denounced as a Christian, he was sentenced to death but was miraculously rescued multiple times. He was eventually martyred on the rack.
St. Christopher was a 3rd century convert from paganism. Legend says that he carried people across a stream for which there was no bridge and that he once carried the Christ Child across. He then returned to his home in Turkey and converted almost fifty thousand people. He was martyred by beheading.
St. Denis was a martyr from either the 1st or 3rd century. Though there is a lot of conflicting information about him, it is known that he was a zealous missionary who was martyred.
St. Cyriacus was a deacon in the 4th century. He miraculously cured the emperor’s daughter. But when a new emperor came to power, Cyriacus was martyred by beheading.
St. Acacius was a convert who lived in the 4th century. He was zealous for his new faith and tried to convert soldiers. Before long, he was denounced as a Christian. He was tortured and miraculously healed, but he was eventually beheaded.
St. Eustace was a martyr and convert who lived in the 2nd century. Little is known for certain about him except that he and his wife were killed by being burned to death because they refused to participate in a pagan ritual.
St. Giles is the only one of the 14 Holy Helpers known to not have been a martyr. He was an Athenian monk who lived in the 7th century. He lived in the wilderness and followed St. Benedict’s rule. He was known for performing miracles.
14 Holy Helpers’ Feast Day: August 8th
Why Pray the 14 Holy Helpers Novena?
The 14 Holy Helpers are the patron saints against several diseases. Their intercession was notably sought during the time of the Black Plague in the 1300s. You can ask the 14 Holy Helpers to pray for you if you are suffering from a disease. You can seek their intercession if you’re seeking to be healed from a disease or to avoid contracting a disease.
You can also ask the 14 Holy Helpers to pray for someone you know who is seeking healing from a disease or who is trying to avoid contracting a disease.
You can pray the 14 Holy Helpers Novena for any intention!
14 Holy Helpers Novena Prayers
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, most of you endured a lot of suffering during your time on earth, but you held fast to your faith and your love of God. You are invoked as patrons against disease, and your intercession has helped many who are suffering from physical ailments.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all who are suffering from disease might find comfort and relief.
Pray for us, that we may grow in love for God each day of our lives. Pray that we may serve God worthily in every circumstance we might face.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, your intercession is known to be very powerful in helping those who are suffering from disease. You yourselves endured many physical sufferings. Many of you were tortured and killed for your faith. You know how difficult physical suffering can be.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all who care for the sick may be compassionate and may bring relief to their patients.
Pray for us, that we may offer all that we do to God. Pray that we may grow in holiness and virtue at every opportunity.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, you showed great faith in the power of God by enduring torture and living out heroic virtue. You know that God has power even over nature. Through your intercession, you can help all who are seeking a miracle to be cured from disease.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all who are seeking a miraculous cure from disease.
Pray for us, that we may grow in our faith in God each day. Pray that we may always trust in God, no matter what difficulties we might face.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, your intercession is often invoked by those who are suffering from disease. Because you suffered so much for your faith during your lives on earth, you know how difficult physical sufferings can be. Your intercession can help all who are becoming discouraged in the midst of their suffering.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all who are becoming discouraged from lengthy suffering.
Pray for us, that we may always persevere through any trials we might face. Pray that we may become truly holy, no matter the cost.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, you are the patrons of those who are suffering from disease. Many who are suffering from disease seek your powerful intercession on their behalf. On account of your faith, you yourselves suffered a lot during your time on earth. Your intercession can help us all to grow in charity toward those who suffer.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in charity toward our suffering brothers and sisters.
Pray for us, that we may truly strive to grow in virtue each day. Pray that we may do whatever is necessary to grow in friendship with God.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, you lived out your great love for God over the course of your lives. Many of you suffered a lot because of your faith, but you held fast and refused to renounce your faith. Living and dying as you did required great trust in God.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in trust in Him.
Pray for us, that we may always grow in holiness at every opportunity in our lives. Pray that we may strive to imitate your heroic virtue at every opportunity.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, you endured a lot of suffering during your lives on earth. You are invoked as the patrons of those suffering from disease. Your deep holiness would not have been possible without the virtue of perseverance in the face of your sufferings. Your intercession can help us to grow in the perseverance we need for holiness.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in perseverance.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to devote ourselves more fully to God. Pray that we may make growth in holiness our top priority in life.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, many of you faced harsh challenges to living out your faith. In many instances, you knew that living out your faith would be difficult and could even lead to death. Despite the possibility of great suffering, you courageously devoted yourselves to serving God.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in courage.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any difficulties we might face to deter us from serving God. Pray that we may hold fast to our faith devotedly, no matter the cost.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
14 Holy Helpers 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 the 14 Holy Helpers as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate their heroic virtue in our own lives.
Holy Helpers, many of you suffered greatly on account of the faith. Many of you endured great tortures before you were killed for the faith. Your intercession is now invoked by those suffering from disease. Your intercession can help all who suffer to offer up their sufferings to God.
We beg you to bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may be able to offer our sufferings in union with Our Lord.
Pray for us, that we may always make holy use of any sufferings we might face. Pray that we may make use of every opportunity to grow in holiness.
And we especially ask you to pray for (mention your intentions here).
14 Holy Helpers, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.