Pope St. Celestine V Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Celestine V was a pope who lived in the 1200s. He was also a monk. He established the Celestine religious order.
St. Celestine V shepherded the Church during a very tumultuous time. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy pope in many aspects of your life.
About St. Celestine V
St. Celestine V was born in Sicily in 1215 as Pietro Angelerio. Pietro’s father died when he was young, and Pietro began doing fieldwork. His mother wanted a different future for Pietro, who was very intelligent and loving. She helped him develop a rich spiritual life.
When Pietro was seventeen, he felt God calling him to religious life and entered the Benedictine religious order. He felt particularly drawn to a life of solitude and asceticism, which led him to begin living as a hermit. His deeply ascetic lifestyle attracted many followers to join him.
In 1244, he established the Celestine religious order. His rule was approved by Pope Urban IV. The Celestine order eventually grew to have more than six hundred monks and thirty-six monasteries. Though he served as Superior General of the order for some time, he eventually retired from this position in order to return to a life of solitude and penance.
In 1294, the Church was in a very perilous position because the papacy had been vacant for two years. Pietro, who was then in his eighties, was elected pope. He had no desire to be pope but accepted the election for the good of the Church. He took the name Celestine V.
Celestine was a very holy man, but he was not gifted with administrative strength. He found the duties of the papacy to be a distraction from the ascetic lifestyle he felt called to practice. He did not trust his cardinals and came to depend too much upon King Charles II of Naples.
Celestine struggled through his papal duties for five months before realizing that continuing to be pope could be dangerous for the Church and for his own soul. Celestine consulted with his cardinals and made a decree that allowed popes the right to resign. Then he exercised this right and resigned from the papacy.
Celestine planned to return to his life of solitary prayer and asceticism after resigning, but the cardinals advised his successor to force him to remain under supervision. He was not allowed to return to his hermitage because of the fear that some people would view his resignation as unlawful and install him as an antipope.
Celestine attempted to escape back to his hermitage against the wishes of the new pope, but he was captured and sent to be imprisoned in the Fumone Castle. After ten months in captivity, Celestine died at age 81.
St. Celestine V’s Feast Day: May 19th
Why Pray the St. Celestine V Novena?
St. Celestine V is the patron saint of bookbinders. You can pray this novena if you do bookbinding work, or you can pray this novena for someone you know who does bookbinding work.
St. Celestine V is also the patron saint of some regions of Italy: Aquila, Urbino, Molise, and Sant’Angelo Limosano. You can pray the St. Celestine V Novena if you live in one of these regions or are traveling to one of these regions. Or you can pray this novena for someone you know who lives in or is traveling to one of these regions.
You can pray the St. Celestine V Novena for any intention!
Pope St. Celestine V Novena Prayers
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you did not have an easy life as a child. Your father died when you were young, and you began working in the fields after his death. But your mother helped you to form a rich spiritual life and helped you to follow God’s call to religious life.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all families may be holy and loving.
Pray for us, that we may always serve God fully in our daily lives. Pray that we may be eager to carry out His will in every circumstance.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you felt God calling you to serve Him in the religious life when you were a young man. At age seventeen, you entered the Benedictine religious order. You continued to serve God faithfully throughout the rest of your life.
Please bring 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 priesthood and religious life.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to serve God in whatever ways He calls us to. Pray that we may love Him more deeply each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you answered God’s call to the religious life by entering the Benedictine religious order when you were seventeen years old. You answered God’s call to a life of penance and asceticism. You served God devotedly for the rest of your life.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all members of the Benedictine religious order may be God’s holy servants.
Pray for us, that we may always be open to God’s call in our lives. Pray that we may do all we can to serve God faithfully, each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you felt God calling you to serve Him in a life of solitude as a hermit. You answered this call and began living a deeply ascetic life as a hermit. Your holy lifestyle attracted many men to follow you.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless all who serve Him as hermits.
Pray for us, that we may always be willing to embrace sufferings and difficulties in our lives for the love of God. Pray that we may devote ourselves more fully to God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you lived a life of great holiness and virtue. After living as a Benedictine for some time, you answered God’s call to serve Him in an even more wholehearted manner as a hermit. When many chose to follow your holy way of life, you established the Celestine religious order.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may help all Celestines to be His holy servants.
Pray for us, that we may grow in love for God each day of our lives. Pray that we may do all we can to carry out God’s will in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you felt deeply drawn to living a life of penance. You entered the religious life and later became a hermit in order to live a life of deep penance. Even during your time as pope, you continued to do all you could to practice penance and asceticism.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God will help us to grow to a deeper spirit of penance in our lives.
Pray for us, that we may grow in all the virtues we need for holiness. Pray that we serve God more wholeheartedly each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you had a great love for God and His Church. Though you longed to serve God in a life of solitude and prayer, you agreed to become pope because of your love for the struggling Church.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God will help us to grow in our love for His Church.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to serve God and His Church worthily. Pray that we may devote ourselves more wholeheartedly to God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, you faced many difficulties during your short time as pope. You were not gifted with the administrative skills you needed to be an effective leader. Though it was very difficult, you made the courageous decision to resign for the good of the Church and of your soul.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God will help us to grow in the courage we need for holiness.
Pray for us, that we may always do what is right no matter how difficult it might be. Pray that we may do all things out of love for God in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Celestine V 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. Celestine V as an example of holiness. Please hear all of the petitions he brings before You.
St. Celestine V, the papacy had been vacant for two years before you were elected pope. The Church was in a time of great turmoil. Though you did not want to become pope, you did what you could to try to help the Church.
Please bring our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God will bless and strengthen the Church.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to serve God and His Church in whatever ways He calls us to. Pray that we may devote ourselves more fully to God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.