St. Alexander Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Alexander was a bishop and martyr who lived in the third century. He was the first bishop of the city of Cappadocia!
St. Alexander suffered great torture during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Decius. Despite his suffering, he courageously held fast to the Faith.
You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this courageous martyr!
About St. Alexander
St. Alexander is known as St. Alexander of Jerusalem. He is venerated as a martyr in the Eastern Orthodox Church, in addition to the Roman Catholic Church.
Alexander was born in Cappadocia in the second century. Little is known about his early life, except that he studied at the famous Christian School of Alexandria. At the time he studied there, the famous theologian Origen was a student there as well.
Alexander became the first bishop of the see of Cappadocia. When the Emperor Severus began persecuting Christians, Alexander was imprisoned for several years for refusing to renounce his Faith.
After Alexander was released from prison in the year 212, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The bishop of Jerusalem at the time, St. Narcissus, was one hundred sixteen years old, so he asked Alexander to stay and assist him. Alexander officially became the coadjutor bishop of Jerusalem.
Around this time, Alexander allowed Origen to speak in churches, even though Origen was a layman. Alexander was taken to task for this action by Church authorities. Alexander defended himself by pointing to other examples of similar situations in the Church, including similar permissions that others gave to Origen around that time. Alexander also ordained Origen a priest.
St. Alexander is well-known for building a great theological library in Jerusalem during his time as coadjutor bishop of Jerusalem.
Eventually, the Emperor Decius began persecuting Christians. Along with several other bishops, Alexander was imprisoned. He was very old at this time. Historians say of him, “The glory of his white hairs and great sanctity formed a double crown for him in captivity.”
Rather than renounce his Faith to escape death, Alexander made a public profession of faith. He was condemned to death and sentenced to be thrown to wild beasts. But when he faced the wild beasts, they refused to attack him. Some of them even licked his feet.
Alexander was then taken to Ceasarea. While there, he suffered many tortures. Eventually, he was worn out by his sufferings and died in prison in the year 251, after holding fast to his Faith throughout two separate persecutions of Christians during his lifetime.
Because he refused to renounce his Faith, the Church recognizes St. Alexander as a martyr. He is known as a man of great learning. He is also remembered as an especially mild-mannered man, particularly in his sermons.
St. Alexander’s Feast Day: March 18th
Why Pray the St. Alexander Novena?
There is no official patronage for St. Alexander, but he can be a great saint to seek prayers from in a lot of different situations.
You can ask St. Alexander to intercede for your bishop, since he spent many years of his life serving the Church as a bishop.
St. Alexander is also a great saint to pray to if you are being persecuted for your Faith, since he courageously held fast to his faith during two separate Christian persecutions! You can also seek St. Alexander’s prayers on behalf of any Christians elsewhere in the world who are being persecuted for their Faith.
You can pray the St. Alexander Novena for any intention!
St. Alexander Novena Prayers
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in his pursuit of knowledge of You.
St. Alexander, we know very little of your early life, except that you devoted some of your early years to study of theology at the Christian School of Alexandria.
Please bring my intentions before God Whose laws you studied!
Later in your life, you built a great theological library in Jerusalem. You must have known how very valuable it can be to study God’s laws, and you helped ensure that others would have the ability to pursue more knowledge of Him.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to learn more about my Faith. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to grow in my pursuit of holiness.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in his many years of serving You as a bishop.
St. Alexander, you became the first bishop of the see of Cappadocia. It was while you were serving as bishop of Cappadocia that you were first imprisoned for your refusal to renounce your Faith.
Please bring my intentions before God Whom you faithfully served!
You spent many years as coadjutor bishop of Jerusalem as well, assisting St. Narcissus who was too old to carry out many of his duties as bishop. You faithfully served God in this role throughout persecution, leading others by your courageous example.
Pray for me, that I may serve God as faithfully as you did. Pray that I may never allow obstacles or suffering to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in choosing to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land after he was released from prison.
St. Alexander, you lived through the Christian persecution under Emperor Severus. When you were released from prison, you decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the land where Christ lived and walked.
Please bring my petitions before Christ, whom you sought on your pilgrimage!
Always ready to serve God in new ways, you agreed to become coadjutor bishop of Jerusalem after you arrived in the Holy Land.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to serve God in whatever ways He might call me to. Pray that I may serve Him gladly and worthily.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in traveling to the Holy Land and in accepting the role of bishop there.
St. Alexander, you desired to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where Christ walked and preached during His time on earth. Once you were there, you chose to continue your faithful service to God by accepting the position of Jerusalem’s coadjutor bishop.
Please faithfully continue to bring my prayer intentions before the throne of God!
You served the Church in Jerusalem for many years. You helped lead the Church in the Holy Land throughout a tumultuous time of persecution.
Pray for me, that I may seek to serve God faithfully in my own life. Pray that my faith may withstand any troubles and hardships I may encounter.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in remaining faithful to You throughout the great suffering he endured during persecutions.
St. Alexander, you were imprisoned for many years during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Servus. You could have escaped this imprisonment by renouncing your Faith, but you chose to remain faithful to Christ instead.
Please be faithful in bringing my prayer intentions before God!
You were again imprisoned as an old man when the Emperor Decius began persecuting Christians. Despite many tortures, you remained steadfast in your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may persevere in my Faith each day. Pray that I may continue striving toward holiness, no matter what obstacles may be in my way.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in staying devoted to You throughout the two seperate Christian persecutions he lived through.
St. Alexander, you lived in a society that was hostile to your Christian Faith. Early in your lifetime, you endured a lengthy imprisonment because you were unwilling to renounce your Faith. Later in your life, you faced such opposition once again, but you continued in your pursuit of holiness.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Even though you were very old and had already endured persecution for your Faith once before, you held out courageously during a second persecution. You refused to renounce your Faith, despite the tortures you faced.
Pray for me, that I may be steadfast in my Faith at any cost. Pray that I may persevere to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the great courage he showed in enduring suffering and death for the sake of his Faith.
St. Alexander, you knew that you might face death for refusing to renounce your Faith. You were sentenced to die by wild beasts, yet you refused to abandon your Faith.
Please be steadfast in presenting my intentions to God!
When the wild beasts refused to devour you and instead merely licked your feet, your persecutors found other means of torture. Your spirit and your devotion to God never weakened, even as your body eventually gave in to death from their tortures.
Pray for me, that I may be as courageous in my choice to follow God as you were. Pray that I may never allow fear to deter me from practicing my Faith.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in remaining steadfast to his Faith all the way to martyrdom, even though he was advanced in years.
St. Alexander, you faithfully endured persecution for your Faith as a young man. After serving God for many years as a bishop, you once again faced the prospect of suffering and death for your Faith.
Please be steadfast in presenting my petitions before God, as you were steadfast in your devotion to the Faith!
You were advanced in years when you endured your second persecution. Despite your age, you held fast with great strength, never wavering in your commitment to God and your unwillingness to renounce your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may remain as steadfast to my Faith as you did. Pray that I may never allow my human frailty to prevent me from following Christ.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alexander 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 Your martyr, St. Alexander, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in refusing to renounce his Faith even to save his life.
St. Alexander, you knew that remaining steadfast in your Faith could lead to great suffering and even death. But you did not give in to the temptation to renounce your Faith. You chose heavenly reward over escape from suffering.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You endured many tortures for your refusal to renounce the Faith. You knew that holding fast to your Faith, no matter the cost, would ultimately lead you to heavenly reward.
Pray for me, that I may always choose to follow Christ, no matter the cost. Pray that I may never lose sight of my pursuit of final union with God in Heaven.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alexander, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen