St. Dwynwen Novena
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Show HideSt. Dwynwen was a Welsh nun. She lived in the 5th century. Her feast day is still celebrated today in Wales.
St. Dwynwen became well-known because she faithfully endured the sufferings of a broken heart. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy woman in your life!
About St. Dwynwen
St. Dwynwen was born in the 5th century, in Wales. It is believed that her father was Brychan Brycheinlog, the king of South Wales. She lived in Anglesey, an island located off of the northwest coast of Wales.
Legend says that Dwynwen was very beautiful, and that she was the most beautiful of King Brychan Brycheinlog’s twenty-four daughters. She is also said to have been very pious and virtuous.
There are some variations in the accounts of what happened during Dwynwen’s life. One account says that she fell in love with a prince named Maelon Daffrodril but that her father had already arranged a marriage for her with someone else.
Another account says that Maelon fell in love with her and wished to marry her. She fell in love with him as well, but she rejected his proposal because she had already decided to serve God as a nun.
Both accounts hold that Dwynwen was heartbroken over being unable to marry Maelon. She begged God to allow her to forget Maelon, and an angel appeared to Dwynwen. This angel gave Dwynwen a sweet drink. When she drank the sweet drink, Maelon turned into a block of ice.
Dwynwen felt great pity for Maelon, since he had not been able to help his feelings of love toward her. She asked that God thaw him and restore him to life. She also asked God to bring all lovers to happiness, and to grant that she herself would never have the desire to marry for the rest of her life.
God answered her prayers. Out of gratitude to God for answering her prayers, she chose to devote her life to Him as a nun. She established a convent on Llanddwyn, an island off the west coast of Anglesey.
Dwynwen was credited with saying, “Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness.” She died on Llanddwyn around the year 460.
At her convent on Llanddwyn, a fresh-water spring named Ffynnon Dwynwen became a popular place for pilgrims to visit. The spring became a particularly popular place for lovers to visit because of St. Dwynwen’s history.
During the Middle Ages, St. Dwynwen’s Church on Llanddwyn became an important shrine. Though pilgrimages to her shrine decreased after the Protestant Reformation, devotion to St. Dwynwen has increased in recent years. Her feast day is celebrated as a day of love in Wales, much like St. Valentine’s Day is in other parts of the world.
St. Dwynwen’s Feast Day: January 25th
Why Pray the St. Dwynwen Novena?
St. Dwynwen is the patron saint of lovers and of Welsh lovers. You can seek her intercession if you are in a romantic relationship with someone, or for a couple whom you know.
St. Dwynwen is also the patron saint of sick animals. You can definitely ask her for prayers if an animal you own is sick, or you can ask her to pray for the healing of a sick animal belonging to someone else.
Additionally, St. Dwynwen is a great saint to seek intercession from if you are suffering from broken heartedness and in need of healing. Or you can ask her to pray for someone you know whose broken heart is in need of healing.
You can pray the St. Dwynwen Novena for any intention!
St. Dwynwen Novena Prayers
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in choosing to serve You as a nun.
St. Dwynwen, many details of your life are not known for certain, but we know that you chose to serve God as a nun. Though you had fallen in love with a man you longed to marry, you chose instead to become a bride of Christ.
Please bring my petitions before Christ Whom you served so devotedly!
You and your beloved both suffered because you were unable to marry one another. Despite your sufferings, you served God worthily in your vocation as a nun for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be open to serving God in whatever ways He might call me to. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in her relationship with the man she loved.
St. Dwynwen, you fell deeply in love with a man and wished to marry him. You were unable to marry this man you loved, but you chose to continue striving for holiness and serving God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
Though you felt deep pain over being unable to marry your beloved, you did not wallow in your sufferings. Instead, you served God faithfully as a nun for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may choose to serve God faithfully, no matter what sufferings I might endure. Pray that I may choose to strive for holiness and virtue in all areas of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in asking You to restore the man she loved to life.
St. Dwynwen, you suffered a lot of emotional pain because you were unable to marry the man you loved. After an angel appeared to you and brought you a sweet drink, the man you loved was turned to ice. But you asked God to restore your lover to life.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you asked for help!
Though you were not able to marry him, you could not bear to see the man you loved turned to ice and begged God to have mercy on him.
Pray for me, that I may always look with compassion toward others who might be suffering. Pray that I may grow in love of others out of love for God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed through her faithful endurance of suffering when she was unable to marry the man she loved.
St. Dwynwen, you loved Maelon deeply and longed to marry him. Though we don’t know with certainty the reasons you were unable to marry him, we know that you suffered a lot of heartache.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Despite the many sufferings of broken heartedness you endured, you chose to serve God faithfully as a nun for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may serve God as faithfully as you did. Pray that I may never allow even the deepest pain to deter me from seeking to serve God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in serving You faithfully for many years as a nun.
St. Dwynwen, you suffered great emotional pain when you were unable to marry the man you loved. Rather than wallow in this pain, you chose to marry Christ as a nun.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of your Divine Spouse!
You were very grateful to God for answering your prayers, and you chose to devote your life to Him out of gratitude. You established a convent and spent the rest of your life serving God.
Pray for me, that I may serve God as wholeheartedly as you did. Pray that I may never waver in my commitment to God, no matter what sufferings I might endure.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in choosing to serve You as a nun despite her deep emotional pain.
St. Dwynwen, you suffered greatly from a broken heart when you were unable to marry the man you loved. Rather than becoming absorbed in your pain, you instead chose to follow God’s call to the religious life.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
Though you were disappointed that you could not marry the man you had fallen in love with, you persevered in seeking to do God’s will and remained God’s faithful servant.
Pray for me, that I may remain faithful to God, no matter what sufferings I might face. Pray that I may serve Him faithfully each day, no matter how difficult it might be.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed by faithfully serving You despite her broken heart.
St. Dwynwen, we don’t know for certain if you had planned to be a nun or were hoping to marry when you were a young woman. But when you realized that you loved Maelon and could not marry him, you suffered a great deal of pain.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Despite your broken heart, you followed God’s call to religious life. You established a convent and spent the rest of your life serving Him faithfully as His bride.
Pray for me, that I may never allow pain or suffering to deter me from following God’s call in my life. Pray that I may serve Him faithfully each day, no matter the cost.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed through her gratitude to You for answering her prayers.
St. Dwynwen, you asked God to restore the man you loved to life, to protect all lovers, and to grant that you would never desire to marry again. When God answered your prayers, you were filled with gratitude towards Him.
Please bring my petitions before God to Whom you felt such gratitude!
Out of thankfulness to God for answering your prayers, you chose to devote your life to Him. You served Him faithfully as a nun for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may grow in my gratitude towards God for His blessings in my life. Pray that I may never take for granted the many gifts God has given to me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Dwynwen 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. Dwynwen as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in choosing to embrace Your gift of holy joy.
St. Dwynwen, you suffered a lot of emotional pain because you were unable to marry the man you loved. Despite this great pain, you chose the path of serving God joyfully the rest of your life.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served with such joy!
You are credited with saying that nothing can win hearts like cheerfulness. You chose to embrace God’s gift of joy in your life, despite the sufferings of broken heartedness that you endured.
Pray for me, that I may embrace the gift of holy joy in my life. Pray that I may do my best to serve God joyfully each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St Dwynwen, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.