St. Felix Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Felix lived in Italy in the 200s. He was a priest, and he was well-known for his generosity toward the poor. St. Felix also suffered for his Faith during the persecution of the emperor Decius. St. Felix suffered great tortures but didn’t die from them.
You can use this novena to ask for intercession from this courageous priest in your life!
About St. Felix
St. Felix was the son of a man named Hermias. Hermias was a Syrian centurion in the Roman army. Hermias retired and lived on his estate in Nola, Italy, near Naples. St. Felix was born there in the beginning of the third century.
When Felix’s father died, Felix sold most of his inheritance, giving the proceeds to the poor. Then Felix pursued a vocation as a priest.
Felix was ordained by St. Maximus of Nola, and Felix became his assistant. When emperor Decius began persecuting Christians in 250, Maximus fled to the desert. Felix was arrested instead of him, and he was imprisoned and beaten.
Legend has it that an angel came to let Felix out of prison, and that the angel then directed him to Maximus. Maximus was ill and helpless, so Felix brought him back to Nola. The two of them hid in an empty building, and legend says that a spider quickly spun a web over the door to give the appearance to their hunters that the building had been deserted for a long time.
Felix and Maximus were able to avoid capture until Decius’ death in 251. The persecution continued for some time after Decius’ death, but Felix was able to avoid capture until the persecution ended.
Bishop Maximus soon died, and his people wanted Felix to be their next bishop. Felix declined the position, instead favoring a senior priest who had seven more days’ experience as a priest than Felix.
St. Felix continued on in his priestly vocation, while also farming what little of his land he had not sold. He gave most of the proceeds from this endeavor to the poor.
Felix died on his land on January 14th, in old age. His tomb soon became well-known as a place of miracles. People have traveled from great distances to visit his burial place.
Five churches have since been built at or near his original tomb. Most of his remains are now in the cathedral, though portions of them are in other places including Rome and Benevento.
When St. Paulinus became the bishop of Nola in 410, he wrote about St. Felix. Since a century had passed between the lives of St. Felix and St. Paulinus, some of the material St. Paulinus wrote may have been legendary. His accounts give us the majority of what we know about St. Felix today.
St. Felix’s Feast Day: January 14th
Why Pray the St. Felix Novena?
St. Felix is the patron saint of Nola, Italy. You can ask him for prayers if you live in Nola, or for someone you know who lives there.
St. Felix is also a great saint to seek intercession from if you are being persecuted for your Faith, since St. Felix was imprisoned and beaten for being a Christian.
You can also ask St. Felix for prayers on behalf of a priest since he lived most of his life serving God in the priestly vocation. Or you can ask him to pray for the poor, since he was very generous toward the poor during his life!
You can pray the St. Felix Novena for any intention!
St. Felix Novena Prayers
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the openness to Your will that he showed in choosing to serve You in the priesthood.
St. Felix, you did not desire to amass earthly wealth for yourself. Instead, you chose to sell your inheritance and to serve God wholeheartedly in the priesthood.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
You served God in the priesthood for many years. When Christians were being persecuted for their Faith under the emperor Decius, you held fast to your Faith and willingly suffered for God. When the persecution had ended, you went back to the typical duties of your vocation until your holy death.
Pray for me, that I may respond generously to whatever God calls me to do in my life. Pray that I may serve Him worthily each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You that he showed in his great charity toward the poor.
St. Felix, you inherited an estate when your father died, but you did not wish to be rich in this world. You sold most of your inheritance and gave the proceeds to your poor brothers and sisters in Christ.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
After spending years in imprisonment and hiding because of your Faith, your charity toward those in need was still strong. You farmed the small amount of land you had left and gave the process to the poor.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to help those less fortunate than I am. Pray that I may be fervent in charity toward the poor, for the love of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You that he showed in suffering persecution for his Faith.
St. Felix, you were arrested in place of your bishop St. Maximus when he fled to the desert to escape his persecutors. Because you were faithful and refused to renounce Christianity, you were beaten and imprisoned.
Please be faithful in bringing my petitions before God!
Legend has it that an angel released you from prison. Once you were free, you continued to suffer as you assisted your sick bishop and hid with him from those who were seeking to harm you for your Faith.
Pray for me, that I may be as steadfast in my Faith as you were. Pray that I may never waver from practicing my Faith with devotion, no matter what difficulties I may face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You that he showed in courageously holding fast to his faith amidst persecution.
St. Felix, you lived in a society that was hostile to Christianity. Many were being martyred at the hands of the emperor for their practice of the Faith. You continued to practice your Faith, despite the dangers you faced in doing so.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
You spent many years fleeing for your life on account of your Faith. When the persecution ended, you remained faithful to your vocation as a priest.
Pray for me, that I may be courageous in practicing my Faith amidst all obstacles. Pray that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from being faithful.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You that helped him persevere in his Faith amidst the sufferings of imprisonment and beating.
St. Felix, you were imprisoned in place of your bishop St. Maximus who fled to the desert. While you were in prison, you were beaten for refusing to renounce your Faith.
Please bring my petitions before God to Whom you held fast!
Even after you escaped your imprisonment, you continued suffering for your Faith as you fled and hid with Maximus. Despite your sufferings, you never wavered in your devotion to God.
Pray for me, that I may never allow suffering or injustice to deter me from practicing my Faith. Pray that I may remain faithful to God amidst all difficulties.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in ministering to his ill bishop as the two of them fled from their persecutors.
St. Felix, legend has it that an angel released you from prison and directed you to your ailing bishop. Your bishop St. Maximus was ill and helpless, but you faithfully helped him to safety as your persecutors chased you.
Please be faithful in presenting my petitions before God!
You continued assisting your ailing bishop as the two of you hid from your persecutors for many years.
Pray for me, that I may always be ready to assist those in need around me. Pray that I may always seek to minister to those who are suffering in my life, and that I may do so for the love of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in remaining faithful despite imprisonment, beating, and being forced to flee for his life.
St. Felix, you were arrested, imprisoned, and beaten on account of your Faith. Even when you were forced to flee from your persecutors with St. Maximus, you continued to hold fast to your Christian Faith.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You were forced to hide from your persecutors for many years. You and St. Maximus were able to avoid capture until the Christian persecution finally ended.
Pray for me, that I may remain steadfast in my Faith no matter what sufferings I may face because of it. Pray that I may remain faithful no matter the cost.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his years of priestly service throughout his life.
St. Felix, you began serving God in the priesthood early on in your life. You remained faithful to your priestly vocation throughout the trials and sufferings of persecution for many years.
Please be faithful in continuing to present my petitions before God!
When the Christian persecution under the emperor Decius finally ended, you returned to the typical duties of your priestly vocation. You continued to serve God as a priest for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be faithful to the duties of my vocation as you were. Pray that I may never tire of serving God each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Felix 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. Felix as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in serving Your Church faithfully throughout his life as a priest and a victim of persecution.
St. Felix, you spent many years of your life in service to the Church as a priest. You were imprisoned and beaten for your Faith, and you never wavered in your commitment to God despite your suffering.
Please don’t waver in bringing my petitions before God!
After spending years in hiding to escape death, you returned to your typical priestly duties for the rest of your days. You were a faithful servant of God’s Church until your death.
Pray for me, that I may be a faithful servant of God throughout my life. Pray that I may persevere in my duties until the end of my time on earth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Felix, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.