St. Bartholomew Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Bartholomew was one of the Apostles of Christ. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention him as one of the Twelve Apostles. He is also referred to in John’s Gospel as Nathaniel.
St. Bartholomew eventually gave up his life as a martyr for the Christian Faith. You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this holy Apostle!
About St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew was born in the first century A.D. Little is known of his early life, and the only information about his life that is known for certain is what is recorded in the New Testament.
Bartholomew is mentioned in the list of Jesus’ twelve Apostles that are contained in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. His name frequently appears together with the Apostle St. Philip.
Bartholomew is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of those who was present as a witness when Christ ascended into Heaven.
In the Gospel of John, Bartholomew is not mentioned by this name. But Biblical scholars believe the man in John’s Gospel named Nathaniel, who was from Cana, is St. Bartholomew. Jesus referred to this man in the Gospel of John as “incapable of deceit.”
Tradition says that Bartholomew traveled to India on a missionary journey, shortly after the Ascension. Two separate ancient texts mention Bartholomew’s journey to India. Eusebius of Caesarea’s Eccelsiastical History mentions this journey and says that Bartholomew left behind a copy of St. Matthew’s Gospel in India. St. Jerome’s writings from the fourth century also mention this missionary journey.
After his missionary work in India, it is said that Bartholomew traveled to Armenia. Both St. Bartholomew and St. Jude are credited with bringing Christianity to Armenia in the days of the early Church.
Tradition also says that St. Bartholomew most likely preached in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt.
It is not known for certain where St. Bartholomew died, but Tradition states that it was most likely in Armenia or India. It is said that he was martyred after he converted a king named Polymius to Christianity.
King Polymius’ brother, Prince Astyages, was very angry at Polymius’ conversion and afraid of retaliation from the Romans because of it. So Prince Astyages ordered that St. Bartholomew be tortured and killed.
According to Tradition, St. Bartholomew was skinned alive and beheaded. He is often depicted holding his flayed skin or the knife with which he was skinned.
Many miracles have been attributed to the intercession of St. Bartholomew.
One of the more popular miracles occurred when people of the small Italian island Lapari were carrying his statue in celebration of his feast day. His statue suddenly became very heavy and the people were unable to carry it for some time. While they were stopped, walls ahead of them collapsed which would have crushed them.
St. Bartholomew has also been known to have brought about many other miracles that had to do with changing the weight of objects.
St. Bartholomew’s Feast Day:August 24th
Why Pray the St. Bartholomew Novena?
St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of those in many professions, including butchers, leather workers, curriers, tanners, and trappers. You can ask for his prayers if you practice one of these professions, or for someone you know who works in one of these professions.
St. Bartholomew is also the patron saint of several different geographic areas, including Armenia, Italy; and the cities of Catbalogan, Magalang, Malabon, Metro Manila, Nagcarian, and San Leonardo in the Philippines. Residents of these areas can certainly ask St. Bartholomew for prayers.
St. Bartholomew is also the patron saint of neurological diseases and twitching. You can seek his intercession if you are suffering from a neurological disease or twitching disorder, or for someone you know who suffers from these things.
You can pray the St. Bartholomew Novena for any intention!
St. Bartholomew Novena Prayers
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed by answering the call of Jesus to be an Apostle.
St. Bartholomew, you were one of the twelve men specially chosen by Christ to serve as His Apostles. You followed Him willingly and grew close to Him throughout the time that you spent with Him.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Along with the other Apostles, you had a close friendship with Our Lord during the time He spent on earth doing His public ministry.
Pray for me, that I may grow to have a deep friendship with Christ in my daily life. Pray that I may always seek to grow in my relationship with Him at every opportunity.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his life with Christ in which he was “incapable of deceit.”
St. Bartholomew, we do not know a lot about your early life, but the Gospels tell us that you were chosen specifically by Jesus to serve Him as one of the Apostles. You continued to serve Him throughout His public ministry and even after His time on earth was done.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
In the Gospels, you were singled out for your honesty. Jesus praised your virtue, saying that you were, “incapable of deceit.”
Pray for me, that I may be honest and virtuous in my life, as you were. Pray that I, too, may be incapable of deceit in every aspect of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in choosing to work as a missionary after Christ’s Ascension.
St. Bartholomew, you were eager to work for the spread of the Gospel after Jesus ascended into Heaven. You set out on many missionary journeys for the rest of your life, persevering in your love of God and your desire to serve Him.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You worked to preach the Gospel in India and Armenia. Tradition says that you probably preached in Persia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt as well before eventually giving up your life for the Faith.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to preach the Gospel in my life. Pray that I may be ready to even give up my life for the Faith, if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his great zeal for souls which led him to devote his life to missionary work.
St. Bartholomew, you were present with the other Apostles when Jesus ascended into Heaven. After this, you were eager to serve God and His Church through missionary work and preaching.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so eagerly!
Your zeal for souls led you to journey to many distant countries, in order to preach the Good News to those who lived there. You continued this work for many years, until your martyrdom for the Faith.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to bring souls to God. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to preach the Gospel to others.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in working tirelessly for the conversion of others.
St. Bartholomew, you spent a lot of your life working as a missionary. Throughout many years, you remained faithful to your mission of preaching the Gospel to others and working for their conversion to the Faith.
Please be faithful in continuing to bring my petitions before God!
You eventually gave up your life for the Faith, because your work to bring a king to conversion angered others. But you held fast to your love of God even amidst terrible torture.
Pray for me, that I may always be open to conversion in my own life. Pray that I may also work for conversion in the world around me at every opportunity.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in working for many years to preach the Gospel to others.
St. Bartholomew, you traveled on missionary journeys for many years after Christ ascended into Heaven. You preached in India and Armenia, and probably in many other countries as well.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!
Your work of preaching helped bring many into the Church. You even brought a powerful king to conversion, before you ultimately gave up your life for God in a torturous martyrdom.
Pray for me, that I may always preach the Gospel to others in my life. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to bring souls to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in enduring torture and death for love of You.
St. Bartholomew, you worked to preach the Gospel in many places and among many people who were hostile to the Christian Faith. Despite opposition and difficulties, you persevered in your work of service to God.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
When your work of preaching angered the brother of a newly Christian king, you suffered greatly on account of your Faith. Despite being skinned alive, you remained faithful.
Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God despite any sufferings I might face. Pray that I may endure all sufferings bravely, for the love of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in courageously holding fast to his Faith despite great torture.
St. Bartholomew, your work of preaching the Gospel brought you to encounter many who had never heard of Christ. Some of those you encountered were hostile to your preaching, but you remained faithful despite all difficulties.
Please remain faithful in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You eventually faced great suffering and even death, because of your Faith. Despite the torture of being skinned alive, you never wavered in your love and devotion to God.
Pray for me, that I may always be courageous in the practice of my Faith. Pray that I may never waver in my Faith, no matter what difficulties I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Bartholomew 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. Bartholomew as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You that he showed by working tirelessly in service of Your Church.
St. Bartholomew, you were eager to serve God and His Church in the time following Christ’s Ascension into Heaven. You persevered in your service to Him as a missionary for many years.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
You preached the Gospel in many lands and dedicated yourself to the work of bringing souls into the Church. Ultimately, you gave up your life in martyrdom because of your devotion to the Faith.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God and His Church in my life. Pray that I may remain faithful as you did, even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Bartholomew, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.