St. Alphonsus Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Alphonsus Ligouri was an Italian priest and bishop who lived in the 1600s-1700s. He is well known for his spiritual and theological writings. He was a very prolific writer during his lifetime!
St. Alphonsus was also the founder of the Foundation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Redemptorists.
You can use this novena to seek intercession from this great saint in your life!
About St. Alphonsus
St. Alphonsus was born in 1696 in Marianella, Italy. He had seven younger siblings. His parents were members of the nobility, but their family had become impoverished. His father was an officer in the navy.
As a boy, Alphonsus learned how to ride and fence. He never became very skilled at shooting because he had very poor vision. He also suffered from asthma, so a career in the military like his father’s would not be possible for him.
Alphonsus’ father arranged for Alphonsus to be educated in the law. Alphonsus studied under tutors and then entered the University of Naples. When he was sixteen years old, he earned doctorate degrees in civil and canon law.
At age eighteen, Alphonsus entered the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy. As a member of this confraternity, he assisted in caring for those who were considered incurable in hospitals, bringing God's Divine Mercy to them through Our Lady.
Alphonsus became a successful lawyer, but he was not happy in the profession. After he lost a case for the first time in eight years, he decided to leave the profession and enter the Oratory of St. Philip Neri as a novice, to become a priest.
Alphonsus’ father was not happy with this choice. Eventually, he and Alphonsus compromised: Alphonsus left the Oratory but continued studying for the priesthood. Alphonsus was ordained when he was thirty years old.
Alphonsus spent the early years of his priesthood living among the homeless and marginalized. His sermons were simple and effective at bringing people back to the Faith.
During this time, he worked to establish “Evening Chapels,” which were centers for prayer, community, and education. He arranged for these centers to be managed by young people.
Alphonsus soon moved to the Chinese Institute in Naples, where he began missionary work among the poorest of the poor.
In 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Redemptorists. The order’s charism was preaching in the city and countryside, particularly in slums. The Redemptorists also worked to combat the heresy of Jansenism (an excessively rigorous moral teaching).
In 1762, Alphonsus was instated as the bishop of Sant'Agata dei Goti. As bishop, he worked to address abuses within the diocese and reform the seminary. He also worked to reignite the devotion of both the clergy and the laity in the diocese. He sold his carriage and his episcopal ring in order to give the money to the poor.
Near the end of his life, Alphonsus suffered from a painful sickness. He also endured persecution from his fellow clergy. He died in 1787.
Alphonsus left a legacy of many spiritually rich writings. He authored 111 works on theology or spirituality. He made a great contribution to Catholic moral theology and is one of the most widely-read Catholic authors of all time.
St. Alphonsus’ Feast Day: August 1st
Why Pray the St. Alphonsus Novena?
St. Alphonsus is the patron saint of theologians. You can ask for his prayers if you are a theologian, if you are studying to be a theologian, or for a theologian you know.
He is also the patron saint of arthritis. You can seek his intercession on behalf of anyone you know who is suffering from arthritis, or if you yourself are suffering from arthritis.
St. Alphonsus is also the patron saint of vocations. He is a great saint to seek prayers from if you are discerning your vocation, or for someone you know who is discerning.
You can pray the St. Alphonsus Novena for any intention!
St. Alphonsus Novena Prayers
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to serve You in the priesthood.
St. Alphonsus, your poor vision and asthma prevented you from following in your father’s footsteps to pursue a military career. When you instead began pursuing a career in law, you looked for ways to serve God through charitable works.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You continued seeking to do God’s will, and you desired to serve Him as a priest. After being ordained at age thirty, you spent the rest of your life carrying out the duties of your vocation worthily.
Pray for me, that I may serve God worthily in my life. Pray that I may carry out the duties of my vocation faithfully, as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in seeking to serve You during his time as a lawyer and throughout his whole life.
St. Alphonsus, you began the path to practicing law when you were very young. Even while you were working to become a successful lawyer, you continued to seek ways to serve God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You were not happy working in the world as a lawyer, despite your success. Instead, you longed to give your life fully to God in the priesthood.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to follow God’s will for my life. Pray that I will never allow worldly success to blind me to the path of holiness God has planned for me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his openness to Your will for his life.
St. Alphonsus, you were not happy in your profession as a lawyer. You wanted to give up your successful position in order to serve God more fully as a priest and a religious.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you longed to serve!
Though you agreed to withdraw from the novitiate in Oratory of St. Philip Neri to please your father, you continued studying for the priesthood. As a priest and later a bishop, you found ways to serve God through preaching, reform, missionary work, and spiritual writing.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God to the best of my ability in my life. Pray that I may always be open to serving Him as He calls me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion he showed in dedicating his life to You in the priesthood.
St. Alphonsus, you chose to leave worldly success as a lawyer behind in order to serve God more fully in the priesthood. Throughout your many years as a priest, you persevered in holiness and in seeking to serve God worthily.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You spent your years as a priest preaching, ministering to the poor, and working to bring about conversion.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God in my life, as you did. Pray that I may persevere in holiness and in carrying out the duties of my vocation to the best of my ability.
Please also pray for (mention my intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his continual service towards the poor around him.
St. Alphonsus, you sought ways to serve the poor from early on in your life. You joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy as a young man, in order to serve God through caring for the sick.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you were so eager to serve!
As a priest, you worked among the poor and marginalized. You founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer for preaching particularly in the slums.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to practice charity towards those who are in need around me. Pray that I may always seek to serve the poor I encounter, for the love of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his many years of holy and effective preaching as a priest.
St. Alphonsus, you worked among the homeless and marginalized in your early years as a priest. During this time, you became known for your simple but effective sermons that brought many back to the Faith.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You continued your work of preaching, and you founded the Redemptorist religious order with the charism of preaching God’s word among the poor.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to proclaim the Gospel to others in my life. Pray that I may always preach the Good News at every opportunity God places before me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion he showed in working as a missionary for many years of his life.
St. Alphonsus, you began the work of reaching out to bring others to God early on in your time as a priest. You worked among the homeless and marginalized, and you preached effective sermons that helped bring people to conversion.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served so zealously!
You worked as a missionary among the poorest of the poor, and you founded a religious order to preach and work in the slums.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to bring those around me closer to God. Pray that I may always be ready to minister and preach to those that God puts before me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in showing such care for the poor and needy around him.
St. Alphonsus, you cared little for material wealth. You left behind a successful career as a lawyer in order to devote yourself wholeheartedly to God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly!
Even when you were appointed bishop, one of your first concerns was to serve the poor. You sold your carriage and episcopal ring and gave the money to the poor, for the love of God.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to renounce material wealth for the love of God. Pray that I may always seek heavenly reward first in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Alphonsus 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 St. Alphonsus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in devoting many years of his life to theological study and writing about Your laws.
St. Alphonsus, you became well-known for the work you did as a theologian in the Church. You made a great contribution to the Church by persevering in your call to study and write about God.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
Your many writings on spirituality and theology have made you one of the most widely-read Catholic authors of all time. You worked diligently at this important task, for the love of God and His Church.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God and His Church in my own life. Pray that I may always work to bring others to a deeper love and knowledge of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Alphonsus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.