Pope St. Leo the Great Novena
Contents
Show HidePope St. Leo the Great was a Pope during the 400s. He was the first Pope to be given the title “the Great.” He is also a Doctor of the Church.
Pope St. Leo the Great is well-known for issuing a tome of theological writings and for persuading Attila the Hun to abandon an attack on Italy. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy Pope in your life!
About Pope St. Leo the Great
Pope St. Leo the Great was born around the year 400. Details of his birth and early life are not known, but it is thought that his family was from Tuscany and were aristocrats.
By the year 431, Leo was a well-known deacon. As he served the Church during the papacy of Pope Celestine I, Leo came to be known as intelligent and gifted in bringing conflicting parties to resolution. He was also respected for his sincere love of God.
Under Pope Celestine I and his successor, Pope Sixtus III, Leo was often sent to settle both theological and secular arguments. Leo was on one such trip to Gaul to settle a dispute between a chief magistrate and Gual’s head military commanders when Pope Sixtus III died.
Leo was unanimously chosen as the next Pope in 440. He took his new office very seriously and attempted to carry out his duties faithfully as the successor of St. Peter. He considered himself as the servant of the servants of God. He eventually came to be known as one of the best administrators of the ancient Church.
During his papacy, Leo worked to preserve Church unity, especially by combating heresy. He worked to preach against Pelagianism and Manichaeism, which were both gaining traction in the Church at the time.
Leo also resolved a controversy in which some Eastern Christians were questioning Church teaching on Jesus’ divinity. Leo responded by writing a letter that articulated true Church teaching on the divinity and humanity of Christ. His letter is still praised today because it preserved the true teachings of the Church and brought peace.
Leo was also very courageous in his papacy. He led the defense of Rome against attacks of Attila the Hun in 452, and he was able to persuade Attila the Hun to stop the attack.
Leo also worked to increase charitable work in Rome towards the poor and refugees, as well as those suffering from famine.
During his time as Pope, Leo became well-known for his preaching. He was an eloquent preacher and was able to preach about areas of interest and necessity to his listeners.
Some have described the papacy of Pope St. Leo the Great as one of the most significant papacies in Church history. Many of his letters and sermons are still preserved today, and one of them is still used by the Church in the Office of Readings.
Leo died in 461.
Pope St. Leo the Great’s Feast Day: November 10th
Why Pray the Pope St. Leo the Great Novena?
Pope St. Leo the Great doesn’t have an official patronage, but he is a good saint to seek prayers from on many occasions.
You can ask Pope St. Leo the Great to pray for you if you are attempting to resolve a conflict between two parties, since he was skilled and bringing about peace among conflicting parties.
You can also ask Pope St. Leo the Great to pray for preservation of true Church teaching, since he did a lot to combat heresies that were gaining prominence during his papacy.
You can pray the Pope St. Leo the Great Novena for any intention!
Pope St. Leo the Great Novena Prayers
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to respond to your call to the diaconate and the papacy.
Pope St. Leo the Great, we know little for certain about your early life. But we know that you answered God’s call to serve His Church in the diaconate.
Please bring my petitions before God Whose call you answered!
You served the Church faithfully as a deacon, and you became known for your virtues. Then, you answered God’s call to lead His Church as the Pope.
Pray for me, that I may always be open to doing God’s will in my life, no matter what He might call me to. Pray that I may be as devoted a servant of God as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his faithfulness as a deacon in Your Church.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you answered God’s call to serve Him as a deacon during the papacy of Pope Celestine I and Pope Sixtus III. You served God faithfully during your years as a deacon.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God with such faithfulness!
You were well-known for your sincere love of God, your virtue, and your skill in peacemaking. You became respected in the Church because of these holy qualities.
Pray for me, that I may grow in virtue each day. Pray that I may always serve God faithfully in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his holy service to Your Church as Pope.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you were unanimously elected Pope after Pope Sixtus III died. You were seen by all as a man who would lead the Church well and serve God devotedly.
Please bring my petitions to God Whom you served with such devotion!
You took your office as Pope very seriously and worked to do all the good you could for the Church. You worked to preserve Church unity, to combat heresy, and to promote peace.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted a servant of God’s Church as you were. Pray that I may always do whatever I can to be of service to God’s Church.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed by fighting against the heresies that were gaining prominence in the Church.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you became Pope at a time when many heresies were growing within the Church. You did all you could to fight valiantly against these false teachings, out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved!
You preached against Manicheism and Pelagianism. You worked to ensure that the true teachings of the Church would triumph and be preserved.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to fight for the truth. Pray that I may never be passive when I encounter the opportunity to fight for the truth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in working to bring about peace on many different occasions.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you came to be known for your skill in bringing about peace between conflicting parties during the time you were a deacon. You continued in this peacekeeping task during your papacy.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You worked to resolve a controversy with the Eastern Church over the question of Jesus’ divinity, and you wrote a letter that is still praised today.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to bring peace wherever I am able to in my life. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring the peace of Christ to others.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed through his works of charity towards those in need.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you took your duties as Pope very seriously. You were well-known for your work fighting heresy and for your peacemaking efforts. You also worked to increase charitable works throughout Rome.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You were concerned with the poor, the refugees, and those affected by famine. You worked to insure that these needy people were cared for, out of love for God.
Pray for me, that I may never miss the opportunity to practice charity towards those in need. Pray that I may always be eager to care for the poor, out of love for God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in courageously confronting both dangers to the true teachings of Your Church and physical dangers to Your people.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you were not afraid to correct those who were teaching heresy during your papacy. You faithfully and courageously defended Church teaching.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
When the attack of Attila the Hun was imminent, you courageously chose to confront him. Though you could have been killed, you met him and convinced him to call off the attack.
Pray for me, that I may be as courageous as you were. Pray that I may never allow fear to deter me from faithfully serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed through his eloquent preaching to his flock.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you became well-known for your preaching during your time as Pope. Your words were eloquent and engaging, as you worked to bring your flock closer to God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you preached!
You were skilled in the ability to preach about areas that were interesting and important to your listeners. You worked diligently to bring others to deeper holiness, out of love for God.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to preach the Gospel. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring others closer to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Pope St. Leo the Great 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 Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his life of service to Your Church.
Pope St. Leo the Great, you devoted your life to serving God first as a deacon and then as the Pope. You did all you could to carry out these vocations faithfully.
Please be faithful in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
Your service to the Church left a lasting impact. Your papacy is considered one of the most significant papacies in Church history, because of all the good you did for the Church.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted a servant of God’s Church as you were. Pray that I may never weary in doing all I can to serve God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Pope St. Leo the Great, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.