St. Irenaeus Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Irenaeus was a bishop who lived in the 100s-200s. He was one of the most prominent theologians of his time. He worked hard to fight against heresy. His works are said to have been one of the biggest factors contributing to the Church’s triumph over the Gnostic heresy.
You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy bishop in your life!
About Irenaeus
St. Irenaeus was born around 130 in Smyrna, Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). His parents were Christians, and he was raised in the Christian Faith.
Little else is known about the early life of St. Irenaeus, but it is apparent that he was greatly influenced by St. Polycarp, who had known the Apostles.
Irenaeus became a priest in the city of Lyon. From 161 to 180, the Roman Emperor Marcus Arelius had the Christians in Lyon persecuted. Many of the clergy in Lyon were imprisoned for their Faith, but Irenaeus’ superiors sent him to Rome around this time.
When Irenaeus returned from Rome, the bishop, St. Ponthinus, had been martyred. Irenaeus then became the next bishop of Lyons.
Once the persecution of Marcus Arelius was ended, a period of peace for Christians followed. Irenaeus used this peaceful time to devote himself to his pastoral duties and to missionary activity. Though little is known for certain about the specifics of his missionary activities, many of his writings from this time are still in existence today.
Nearly all of Irenaeus’ writings were directed against the Gnostic heresy, a heresy that placed excessive emphasis on the importance of knowledge to attain salvation. He found that this heresy was gaining great traction among his flock when he became bishop of Lyon, so he devoted himself to exposing the errors of this heresy.
The most famous of Irenaeus’ writings against Gnosticism was Adversus Haereses, which contrasted the beliefs of several different schools of Gnosticism with those of orthodox Christianity.
From Irenaeus’ writings, it is apparent that he had come across some Gnostic writings and had conversed with Gnostics, probably in Rome or in Asia Minor. His writings also allude to some Gnostics near his home in Lyon.
Irenaeus’ writings against Gnosticism were widely circulated and quickly translated into Latin. His writings greatly contributed to the halt of Gnosticism’s spread throughout the area.
Apart from his work combatting Gnosticism, little more is known about Irenaeus’ work as a bishop except that he asked the Pope to refrain from excommunicating a sect of Christians in Asia Minor.
Irenaeus most likely died in the end of the second century or the beginning of the third century. He is honored as a martyr, though details of his death are not known. He was buried in Lyon, but his remains and tomb were destroyed during the Reformation.
St. Irenaeus’ Feast Day: June 28th
Why Pray the St. Irenaeus Novena?
St. Irenaeus does not have an official patronage, but he is a great saint to seek prayers from in many circumstances.
You can ask St. Irenaeus for prayers on behalf of your bishop or a priest, since he was a very holy bishop and priest.
You can also seek St. Irenaeus’ prayers if you are a theologian or a Catholic writer, since he was a prolific theological writer and his writings did a lot to combat heresy.
Additionally, St. Irenaeus is a great saint to ask to pray for Church unity, since the Church in his lifetime was becoming very divided and he worked hard to restore Church unity.
You can pray the St. Irenaeus Novena for any intention!
St. Irenaeus Novena Prayers
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in choosing to serve You as a priest.
St. Irenaeus, we know very little about your early life. But we know you were greatly influenced by St. Polycarp, who had known the Apostles. Following his holy example, you chose to devote your life to God’s service as a priest.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you chose to serve!
Even though Christians were often persecuted in your society, you boldly chose to devote your life to God as a priest for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may always answer God’s call to serve Him in my life. Pray that I may be eager to serve Him in whatever ways He calls me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his dedicated years of service as a priest.
St. Irenaeus, you followed God’s call to serve Him in the priestly vocation as a young man. Though you lived in a society full of conflict and religious persecution, you continued serving God faithfully.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
Your vocation soon expanded into the role of bishop. You did all you could to faithfully carry out the duties of your vocation, serving God and your people for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted to God as you were. Pray that I may be eager to serve Him in my life each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in holding fast to his Faith amidst difficulty and persecution.
St. Irenaeus, you lived in a society that was hostile to Christianity. Though you were sent to Rome when the Christians of your city were being persecuted, you did not escape suffering on account of your Faith.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
We know little about your death, but you are honored as a martyr. After a life of faithful service to God, you chose to hold fast to your Faith amidst persecution, to the point of death.
Pray for me, that I may be as firm in my Faith as you were. Pray that I may never waver in my commitment to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his years of faithful service as a bishop.
St. Irenaeus, you were probably not expecting to be appointed bishop of your city after you returned from Rome. But you eagerly followed God’s call to this office and did all you could to serve Him.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so eagerly!
During the peaceful time that followed the religious persecution of Marcus Arelius, you devoted yourself to your pastoral duties as bishop. You carried out these duties faithfully for the rest of your life.
Pray for me, that I may be as eager to serve God as you were. Pray that I may always answer God’s call in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You with which he devoted himself to missionary activities.
St. Irenaeus, you made good use of the peaceful time following Marcus Arelius’ persecution of Christians. You used this peaceful time to devote yourself to missionary activity, out of love for God.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so deeply!
We know little about the specifics of your missionary activities, but many of your writings from this time are still in existence today. You worked diligently to bring souls to God.
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 around me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue with which he fought against heresy.
St. Irenaeus, you became a bishop during a time when the Church was greatly divided. The Gnostic heresy was gaining great traction among your flock, so you devoted yourself to exposing the errors of this heresy, out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so devotedly!
You worked hard to combat heresy and wrote many important works for this cause. Your writings greatly contributed to the halt of the spread of Gnosticism in your area.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted to the true teachings of the Church as you were. Pray that I may never weary of fighting for the truth.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his efforts at restoring Church unity.
St. Irenaeus, the Church was becoming very divided when you became bishop. You saw the need for unity in the Church, and you persevered in fighting against the heresy that was dividing the Church.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You wrote many important works that had great effect in the fight against the Gnostic heresy. Because of your efforts, this heresy was eventually overcome and greater unity was restored in the Church.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve the Church in my life. Pray that I may serve God and His Church as eagerly as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his diligent work in theological writings.
St. Irenaeus, you desired to bring unity to the Church in a time of great error and division. You worked hard to write many works exposing the error of the Gnostic heresy, out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so deeply!
Your writings against the Gnostic heresy were widely circulated among Christians and translated into Latin. Your works greatly contributed to the stop of the Gnostic heresy’s spread throughout the area.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to preach and defend the truth. Pray that I may never cease desiring to learn more about God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Irenaeus 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. Irenaeus as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in practicing his Faith courageously, even to the point of death.
St. Irenaeus, you lived during a time of great religious persecution. Though you were sent to Rome during the first persecution of Christians in your area, you did not escape persecution later in your life.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
We know few details about your death, but you are honored as a martyr. You were ultimately killed on account of the Christian Faith that you had spent your life defending.
Pray for me, that I may always practice my Faith courageously. Pray that I may never allow persecution or difficulty to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Irenaeus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.