St. Hilary Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Hilary was a bishop who lived in the 300s. He lived in Poitiers, an area of modern-day France.
St. Hilary worked hard to combat the Arian heresy. He was eventually named a Doctor of the Church. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy bishop in your life!
About St. Hilary
St. Hilary was born around the year 310 in Poitiers. His parents were both pagans, and they were highly distinguished members of their society.
Hilary studied such subjects as Greek and philosophy, beginning when he was a young man. He was committed to Neo-Platonism in philosophy and religious matters, until he began studying the writings of the Old and New Testaments.
As Hilary studied Scripture, he became convinced of the truth of Christianity. Together with his wife and daughter, he converted to Christianity. The three of them were baptized.
Though he was opposed to the idea, Hilary was chosen to be the bishop of Poitiers. At the time, the Arian heresy was gaining traction in the Church and becoming a large problem. Hilary determined to do all he could to combat it.
He quickly excommunicated an Arian bishop and two other prominent heretics. He also wrote to Emperor Constanius II about the Arians’ persecution of faithful Christians.
Soon after this, Emperor Constantius asked the western bishops to sign a document that condemned St. Athanasius. St. Athanasius was valiantly fighting against the Arian heresy in the east at the time. Hilary refused to condemn St. Athanasius, so Hilary was sent into exile far away in Phrygia.
While he was in exile, Hilary continued the work of governing his diocese. He also wrote some important works on dogmatic and polemical theology.
Hilary also attended Church councils while in exile and continued to fight against heresy. He frequently asked his opponents to debate him in public, which became so bothersome to them that they eventually asked the emperor to send him home to his diocese.
Hilary reached his home diocese in the year 361. He was welcomed joyfully by his people. Not long after, he encouraged St. Martin of Tours to establish a monastery at Liguge.
In 364, Hilary denounced a bishop in Milan named Auxentius. Auxentius was favored by those in authority, so Hilary was then called to Milan to defend these charges. When Auxentius was examined, he suddenly gave non-heretical answers about his views. Hilary was then expelled from Milan.
St. Jerome writes that Hilary died in 367. Hilary was widely considered to be the pre-eminent Latin writer of his time. St. Augustine of Hippo called him “the illustrious doctor of the churches,” though Hilary was not formally recognized as a Doctor of the Church until 1851.
St. Hilary’s Feast Day: January 13th
Why Pray the St. Hilary Novena?
St. Hilary is the patron saint against snake bites. You can ask him to pray for anyone you know who is bitten by a snake. You can also seek his intercession if you are afraid of being bitten by a snake.
Additionally, you can ask St. Hilary to pray for you if you are a convert to Christianity, since he converted to Christianity as a young man. Or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is a convert.
St. Hilary is also a great saint to seek intercession from on behalf of civil leaders, since he was a very holy civil leader.
You can pray the St. Hilary Novena for any intention!
St. Hilary Novena Prayers
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You that he showed in his life, from the time of his conversion to Christianity.
St. Hilary, you were raised and educated in the pagan religion. Despite this, you opened yourself up to Christianity and chose to serve God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
As you studied the writings of the Old and New Testaments, you came to see that Christianity was the truth. You and your family were baptized, and you devoted yourself to God for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may choose to serve God in my life each day. Pray that I may remain devoted to God for the rest of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in answering Your call to serve You as a bishop.
St. Hilary, you probably did not expect to become a bishop when you converted to Christianity. But when you were elected bishop of Poitiers, you chose to answer God’s call and to serve Him faithfully as a bishop.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!
Your time as bishop of Poitiers was full of conflict and difficulty. Despite many trials, you persevered in serving God and in proclaiming the truth.
Pray for me, that I may always generously respond to God’s call in my life. Pray that I may never allow trials to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in striving to faithfully lead his people as a bishop.
St. Hilary, you were elected bishop of Poitiers shortly after your conversion to Christianity. You were opposed to the idea of becoming the bishop, but you chose to submit yourself to God’s will out of love for Him.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so devotedly!
As bishop, you worked to protect your people from the errors of the Arian heresy. Though your path was difficult, you did all you could to serve your people and lead them to God.
Pray for me, that I may serve God as He calls me to each day. Pray that I may never weary of proclaiming the truth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in defending Your true teachings against the errors of heresy.
St. Hilary, you were made bishop at a time when the Arian heresy was gaining great traction among the faithful. You saw clearly the errors of Arianism, and you worked steadfastly to preach against it.
Please bring my petitions before God with such steadfastness!
You endured a lot of sufferings on account of your devotion to the truth. You were exiled for many years because you refused to denounce St. Athanasius, who was proclaiming the truth.
Pray for me, that I may persevere in serving God amidst all trials, as you did. Pray that I may never weary of proclaiming the truth, no matter the cost.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in holding fast to the truth despite many sufferings.
St. Hilary, you saw that the Arian heresy did not contain the true teachings of God. Though you suffered a lot because of your opposition to Arianism, you persevered in proclaiming the truth.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You were exiled on account of your commitment to the truth. Even while you were in exile from your home, you continued working to proclaim the truth and to fight the Arian heresy.
Pray for me, that I may never waver in my commitment to the truth. Pray that I may do all I can to combat attacks on the truth around me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his faithfulness amidst the trials of exile.
St. Hilary, you refused to sign a document that condemned St. Athanasius for his commitment to true Christian doctrine. Though you were exiled because of this refusal, you continued serving God faithfully.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You spent many years in exile, far away from your home. Despite this suffering, you continued doing all you could to fight against the Arian heresy and to preach true Christian teaching.
Pray for me, that I may do all I can to proclaim the truth to those around me. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his study and his many writings about You and Your Church’s teachings.
St. Hilary, you did a lot of work in combating the Arian heresy during your time as bishop of Poitiers. Even while you were in exile, you did not cease working to preach the truth.
Please do not cease bringing my petitions before God!
You spent a lot of time studying theology and writing many theological works. Your writings are still read today and are very valuable for the Church.
Pray for me, that I may never tire of learning more about God and His Church. Pray that I may continue seeking to spread the Gospel for the rest of my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in courageously defending the Faith against heresy.
St. Hilary, you faced a lot of opposition as you worked to preach the truth against the Arian heresy. But you refused to cooperate with evil and continued to proclaim the truth, no matter the cost.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You were ordered to sign a document condemning the good work St. Athanaisus had done to fight heresy. Even though you were to be punished with exile, you courageously held fast to the truth and refused to cooperate with evil.
Pray for me, that I may be courageous in the practice of my Faith. Pray that I may never weary of fighting for the truth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Hilary 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. Hilary as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed through his lifetime of service to You and Your Church.
St. Hilary, you were reluctant to be elected bishop of Poitiers shortly after your conversion to Christianity. But despite your hesitance, you began to serve God’s Church wholeheartedly in your new role.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!
You fought valiantly against the enemies of the Church’s true teachings. You worked to help restore unity in the Church, and you persevered in these works against many difficulties.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted to God and His Church as you were. Pray that I may never cease serving God and His Church in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Hilary, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.