St. Cyril of Alexandria Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Cyril of Alexandria was a bishop who lived in the 300s-400s. He was a Patriarch of Alexandria. He also played a large role in combating the heretic Nestorius.
St. Cyril of Alexandria is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy bishop in your life!
About St. Cyril of Alexandria
St. Cyril of Alexandria was born in the year 376. Cyril’s uncle Thephilus was Patriarch of Alexandria, and he oversaw Cyril’s education in classical subjects and theology. Little else is known for certain about Cyril’s early life.
Cyril was ordained by his uncle Theophilus. Then, Cyril accompanied Theophilus to the Synod of the Oak in Constantinople in the year 403.This synod deposed St. John Chrysostom, and Cyril believed him to be guilty of the charges that were brought against him.
When Theophilus died in 412, a riot broke out. The riot was between those who wanted Cyril to succeed his uncle as Patriarch and the supporters of another man named Timotheus (riots among the citizens of Alexandria were a frequent occurrence at the time). Cyril was then named the new Patriarch of Alexandria.
Some of Cyril’s first work as Patriarch was to combat a sect known as the Novitians, a strict sect that did not allow readmission of repentant apostates (the Novitians were later declared heretical). Cyril closed the Novitians’ churches. Cyril also drove the Jews out of the city and combated the governor, whose actions he disagreed with.
In the year 430, Cyril came into conflict with Nestorius, who was the patriarch of Constantinople. Nestorius was preaching that Christ was not fully human and that Mary should not be called the Mother of God. Cyril persuaded Pope Celestine I to call a Synod about the matter.
After the Synod condemned the teachings of Nestorius, Cyril did likewise at his own synod in Alexandria. The Pope told Cyril to remove Nestorius from his position. Cyril then presided over the Third General Council at Ephesus. This council condemned all the tenants of Nestorianism as heresy.
When Nestorius’ followers discovered what had happened, they held their own council and deposed Cyril. Then, the emperor had both Cyril and Nestorius arrested. When Papal legates attested that Cyril was innocent, he was released.
Soon, Cyril and the archbishop of Antioch reached an agreement about Nestorius and forced him into exile.
Throughout the rest of his life, Cyril wrote theological works. His treatises on the Trinity and Incarnation helped combat the Nestorian heresy, as well as Pelagianism.
Cyril was a brilliant theologian and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1882. He is a noteworthy figure of early Church history because of his works on Mariology and his insistence that Mary deserved the title Theotokos.
St. Cyril of Alexandria’s Feast Day: June 27th
Why Pray the St. Cyril of Alexandria Novena?
St. Cyril of Alexandria is the patron saint of the city of Alexandria. You can ask for his prayers if you live in Alexandria, or for someone you know who lives in Alexandria. You can also ask him to pray for the leaders of the city of Alexandria.
St. Cyril of Alexandria is also a great saint to seek intercession from if you are a theologian, since he was a brilliant theologian and Doctor of the Church. Or, you can ask him to pray for any theologians whom you know.
You can pray the St. Cyril of Alexandria Novena for any intention!
St. Cyril of Alexandria Novena Prayers
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to devote his life to You as a priest and bishop.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you grew up witnessing as your uncle, Theophilus, served God in His Church. Following in your uncle’s footsteps, you chose to follow God’s call to be ordained.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
You lived in a time in which the Church was full of turmoil, but you dove wholeheartedly into God’s service. You worked to combat heresy and to do all you could to preserve the truth.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve God in whatever ways He calls me to. Pray that I may wholeheartedly follow my vocation, as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed throughout the many years he served You amidst turmoil and unrest.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you lived in a society that was not always peaceful. When your uncle died, there were riots in the city over who should succeed him as Patriarch. Amidst this conflict, you continued to serve God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
Even the Church at the time was not free of conflict, as many different sects quarreled and heretics attempted to gain control. You worked to bring the members of the Church to truth and harmony.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to help bring about peace around me today. Pray that I may always encourage others toward the Prince of Peace whenever possible.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in his service to You as a leader in the Church.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you followed in your uncle’s footsteps by choosing to serve God in the consecrated life. You were named the new Patriarch of Alexandria after your uncle’s death, and you immediately began working to combat those who were teaching heresy.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Throughout your many years serving God’s Church as a bishop and Patriarch, you worked to ensure that your people were not being led astray from the truth.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to serve God in His Church. Pray that I may never miss an opportunity to help lead others to His Church.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed throughout his many years serving you as a bishop.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you became a bishop at a time when the Church was struggling with heresies. As a bishop, you worked hard to ensure that your flock was not led astray by false teachings.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so steadfastly!
You combated heresies and defended the true teachings of the Church. Your efforts helped combat Nestorianism and Pelagianism, so that the people of the Church would not be led to believe falsehood.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to help lead those around me to the truth. Pray that I may never falter in my love of God and His truth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in seeking to bring your Church to a deeper unity.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, one of your first acts as Patriarch of Alexandria was to combat the sect in the Church that was refusing to readmit repentant sinners. Throughout your years in this role, you continued to work on restoring areas of the Church that had strayed from faithful practices.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
There were many confusions and misguided teachings being spread in the Church around you. You did not hesitate to work for the truth and for needed reform.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to lead others to the truth. Pray that I may be eager to bring others to holiness in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his faithfulness throughout the trials of facing unjust accusations.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, your work in combating heresy within the Church created enemies. As you worked to ensure that the truth was being taught, you persevered against the obstacles that your enemies placed in your path.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before God!
When Nestorius’ followers learned that you had contributed to the condemnation of his teachings, they unjustly deposed you and you were arrested. Despite these trials, you never wavered in your devotion.
Pray for me, that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may persevere in the truth no matter how difficult it may be.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in defending the true teachings of Your Church.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you became a leader in the Church at a time when many heresies were beginning to flourish. Though you faced opposition in your defense of the truth, you continued to work for the preservation of true Church teachings.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Through your efforts, the Nestorian heresy and the Pelagian heresy were combatted. You worked to bring about the condemnation of these false teachings and helped restore unity in the Church.
Pray for me, that I may be as tireless in defending the truth as you were. Pray that I may always seek to lead those around me to the truth whenever possible.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in devoting a lot of his life to studying and writing about Your teachings.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you are known as a Doctor of the Church because of your many writings and theological contributions. You persevered in writing many theological works throughout the years of your life.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You contributed a lot to Mariology in your insistence that Mary deserved the title of Theotokos. Your treatises on the Trinity and the Incarnation helped combat the Nestorian and Pelagian heresies.
Pray for me, that I may never weary of learning more about God and His laws. Pray that I may grow in my desire to know more about God each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Cyril of Alexandria 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 servant, St. Cyril of Alexandria, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in devoting years of his life to serving Your Church.
St. Cyril of Alexandria, you served the Church from the time you were a young man being ordained by your uncle Theophilus. You continued to serve God in His Church for the rest of your life.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly!
Your work as a bishop and Patriarch did a lot to contribute to Church unity in a time when many heresies were growing. You continued to serve the Church through your theological writings for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God’s Church as wholeheartedly as you did. Pray that I may never weary of serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.