St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Alice of Schaerbeek was a lay Cistercian sister. She lived in the 1200s. She was from an area that is now part of Belgium.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek lived a life of great holiness amidst suffering from disease. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy Cistercian in many aspects of your life.
About St. Alice of Schaerbeek
St. Alice of Schaerbeek was born around the year 1220. She lived in Schaerbeek in the Dutchy of Brabant, which is near modern-day Brussels. Little is known about her family.
As a child, Alice was frail and unhealthy. When she was seven years old, her parents sent her to a boarding school run by Cistercians at the La Cambre Abbey. She remained at the La Cambre Abbey for the rest of her life.
During her youth, Alice was very loveable. She was pretty and smart. She also had a deep love of God. As a young woman, she chose to become a lay Cistercian sister.
When Alice was about twenty years old, she contracted leprosy. In order to prevent the spread of her disease, Alice was quarantined in a small hut.
Alice endured great sufferings because of her leprosy and her confinement, but she accepted her sufferings with great patience and courage. Her leprosy caused her great physical pain, and her isolation was emotionally disheartening to her. She chose to unite her sufferings to Christ. She offered up her sufferings for the souls in purgatory and for the conversion of sinners.
Alice eventually became blind. She was also paralyzed. In the midst of her physical sufferings, she felt deeply consoled by receiving the Eucharist.
Because of her leprosy and the fear of contamination, Alice was only allowed to receive the Sacred Host and not drink from the cup. It is believed that Jesus appeared to Alice and told her that He was truly present under each species alone.
Alice died around the year 1250 when she was about 30 years old.
Most of the information that is known about Alice comes from a Latin biography that is believed to have been written sometime between 1260 and 1275. It is likely that the author of this biography was either a chaplain at La Cambre Abbey or the abbot of Villers Abbey.
Pope Clement XI gave permission to monks in the Congregation of St. Bernard Fuliensi to practice devotion to Alice in 1702. In 1907, Pope Pius X officially approved devotion to her as a saint.
Alice’s biography has been viewed as a model of the spirituality of the Cisterian order. Though Alice is not very well known in the modern Church, she is viewed by many as an innovator in women’s spirituality during the medieval period.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek’s Feast Day: June 15th
Why Pray the St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena?
St. Alice of Schaerbeek is the patron saint of the blind. You can pray the St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena if you are blind, or you can pray it for someone you know who is blind or having problems with their eyesight. You can also use this novena to seek St. Alice of Schaerbeek’s intercession for all blind people.
Additionally, St. Alice of Schaerbeek is the patron saint of paralyzed people. You can pray the St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena if you are paralyzed, or you can pray it for someone you know who is paralyzed. You can also pray the St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena to seek her intercession for all those who are paralyzed.
You can pray the St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena for any intention!
St. Alice of Schaerbeek Novena Prayers
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you were frail and unhealthy when you were a child. As a young woman, you suffered from leprosy. You endured a lot of suffering because of your health problems, but you persevered in holiness.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may assist and strengthen all who struggle with poor health.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any sufferings to deter us from serving God. Pray that we may advance in holiness at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, when you were seven years old, you went to live at a boarding school run by Cistercians. As a child, you were loveable and intelligent. You had a deep love of God that flourished and grew throughout the rest of your life.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all children may receive the love and formation they need.
Pray for us, that we may always serve God in all that we do. Pray that we may grow in love for God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you lived with the Cistercian nuns of La Cambre Abbey from the time you were seven years old. When you were about twenty, you chose to follow God’s call to serve Him as a lay Cistercian sister.
Please take all of 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 religious and priestly vocations.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to carry out God’s will in our lives. Pray that we may serve God worthily in every circumstance.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you had a deep love of God from the time you were a young child. When you grew up, you chose to serve Him as a lay Cistercian sister. You continued to serve Him in love for the rest of your life.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in true love for God.
Pray for us, that we may always make our relationship with God our top priority in life. Pray that we may do all we can to grow in virtue at every opportunity God gives us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, when you were seven years old, you went to live in a school run by Cistercians. You later followed God’s call to serve Him as a Cistercian lay sister. You served God faithfully as a Cistercian lay sister for the rest of your life.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all Cistercians may be holy servants of God.
Pray for us, that we may always faithfully carry out the duties of our vocations. Pray that we may do all we can to serve God as He asks us to.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you suffered greatly after you contracted leprosy. You were quarantined in a small hut. But you accepted your physical and emotional suffering joyfully. You did all you could to unite your sufferings to the sufferings of Christ.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in our ability to sincerely offer our sufferings to God.
Pray for us, that we may make use of every opportunity God gives us to grow in holiness. Pray that we may truly strive to live saintly lives each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you endured great physical and emotional suffering from leprosy. But you were deeply consoled by receiving the Eucharist. You grew closer to Jesus in the Eucharist throughout your time of suffering.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we may grow in devotion to Our Eucharistic Lord.
Pray for us, that we may always make use of all the helps God gives us for our salvation. Pray that we may do all we can to grow in friendship with Jesus each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you are venerated as the patron saint of the blind. You suffered a great deal from leprosy, and you lost your sight before the end of your life. But you persevered in holiness despite your suffering.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and strengthen all who are blind and all who have eye diseases.
Pray for us, that we may never allow any difficulties to deter us from serving God. Pray that we may offer any sufferings we face to God.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alice of Schaerbeek 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. Alice of Schaerbeek as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers she brings to You on our behalf.
St. Alice, you are venerated as the patron saint of the paralyzed. In the midst of your many sufferings from leprosy, you became paralyzed. Though you suffered greatly from both physical and emotional difficulties, you served God faithfully.
Please take all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and strengthen all who are paralyzed.
Pray for us, that we may serve God faithfully in every circumstance. Pray that we may never allow any difficulties to deter us from striving to live saintly lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alice of Schaerbeek, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.