St. Josaphat Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Josaphat was a monk who lived in the late 1500s and early 1600s. He was also an archbishop of the Ruthenian Catholic Church. He devoted himself to healing conflict within the Church.
St. Josaphat was eventually killed for the faith. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy martyr in many aspects of your life!
About St. Josaphat
St. Josaphat was born in 1580 as John Kunsevich in a small village in Lithuania. At the time, the Eastern Rite Church of Kyiv was separated from Rome. John’s parents belonged to the Eastern Rite Church of Kyiv.
John was a devout child. He once experienced feeling a spark of fire from the wound in Jesus’ side enter his own heart. This experience had a great influence on him, and he began to desire to suffer for Christ.
As a young man, John chose to become a Basilian monk and to take the name Josaphat. Soon, he was also ordained a priest. He lived a life of asceticism and became well known as a preacher.
When he was still relatively young, Josaphat was made bishop of Vitebsk and archbishop of Polotsk. Before long, Josaphat had to deal with a conflict in his flock. Many of his monks did not want union with Rome because they feared the change it could bring to their liturgy and customs.
Josaphat worked hard to win the Orthodox over to union with Rome. He worked to reform the clergy, catechize his flock, and set a holy example. He was initially successful in his efforts.
But the next year, opposition to him grew stronger. Some of his enemies began to spread slanderous rumors about him. When Josaphat wrote about how St. Vladimir had preached the Catholic faith and not Eastern Orthodoxy, the opposition to him became more violent.
Some of his enemies worked to drive him from the diocese. They sent a priest to yell insults at Josaphat from the courtyard outside Josaphat’s home. Josaphat had this priest removed, and then a mob assembled in the courtyard.
The mob broke into Josaphat’s home. They rushed upon him and cut his head open with axes. Then they shot him, stripped off his clothes, and set wild dogs to tear apart his body. They threw his body in the river, tying around his neck the hair shirt he’d been wearing.
Josaphat’s body was later recovered. He is now buried in St. Peter’s Basilica. Before he was killed, Josaphat said that he was happy to offer his life for the Catholic faith.
The martyrdom of Josaphat helped bring about reconciliation and unity in the Church. Thousands of schismatics returned to allegiance with Rome, including Bishop Smotrytsky, who had been one of the most violent opponents of Josaphat’s attempts to bring about reconciliation with Rome.
St. Josaphat’s Feast Day: November 14th
Why Pray the St. Josaphat Novena?
St. Josaphat is the patron saint of reunion between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic faiths. You can ask him to pray for unity between the Orthodox and Roman Catholics in our world today.
St. Josaphat is also the patron saint of Ukraine. You can ask him to pray for the people of Ukraine, for anyone you know who lives in Ukraine, and for peace in Ukraine.
Additionally, St. Josaphat is a great saint to seek intercession from if you are being persecuted for your faith, since he suffered for the faith and ultimately died a martyr.
You can pray the St. Josaphat Novena for any intention!
St. Josaphat Novena Prayers
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you lived through a lot of conflict between the Eastern Church and Rome. You worked hard to help bring about greater unity and reconciliation in the Church, and some of your work brought forth fruit. But you also became targeted by many enemies who did not want this unity.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for reunion between the Orthodox and Roman Catholics.
Pray for us, that we may always serve God to the best of our ability. Pray that we may be eager to do whatever we can to glorify God in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you dedicated a lot of time and effort into working for Church unity. There was great conflict and division in the Church during your life, and you worked steadfastly to bring the Orthodox back to union with Rome. You eventually gave up your life for this cause.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for all who work to bring about Church unity.
Pray for us, that we may dedicate our lives more fully to God and His Church each day of our lives. Pray that we may do all we can to advance in holiness.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you worked diligently for unity in your diocese during your time as a bishop. You reformed the clergy, catechized your flock, and set a holy example for them. Some of your efforts were very successful. Eventually, you gave up your life for the faith.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray for the efforts of Church reform.
Pray for us, that we may answer God’s call to serve Him and His Church in whatever ways He asks of us. Pray that we may grow in love for God each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you were devout and pious from the time you were a child. At a young age, you began to desire to suffer for Jesus. You chose to dedicate your life to serving Him as a priest. You carried out the duties of your vocation as a priest and a bishop with great faithfulness.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all whom God calls to serve Him in the religious and priestly vocations may respond generously.
Pray for us, that we may truly devote our lives to God. Pray that we never hesitate to do whatever is necessary to serve Him worthily.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you were holy and devout from the time you were very young. During your childhood, you once felt what seemed like a spark of fire from the wound in Jesus’ side enter your own heart. For the rest of your life, you lovingly devoted yourself to serving God.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in love for Our Lord.
Pray for us, that we always do whatever is necessary for us to become saints. Pray that we may let friendship with Jesus guide all aspects of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you were made a bishop when you were still a relatively young man. You knew that you had a lot of important work to do to reform the Church and to lead your flock to holiness. Though you faced a lot of opposition, you worked to carry out the duties of your vocation faithfully.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all bishops may be holy leaders of their flocks.
Pray for us, that we may always be eager to serve God in whatever ways He calls us to. Pray that we may love God more and more each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you were well known as an effective preacher. You preached to bring about greater holiness in your flock, and you preached to work for reconciliation within the Church. Through your efforts, you were able to begin to heal the division between Orthodox and Roman Catholics.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all bishops may be effective in their holy work.
Pray for us, that we may do all we can to grow in union with God’s will each day of our lives. Pray that we may devote ourselves more fully to Him at every opportunity.
And we especially ask today for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you faced a lot of opposition as you worked to heal the division between Orthodox and Roman Catholics. Before long, some of your opponents became violent in their attacks on you. You courageously endured slanderous attacks on your reputation, and you ultimately gave up your life for the faith.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that we and all people may grow in the courage we need to practice our faith well.
Pray for us, that we may grow in all virtues that are necessary for holiness. Pray that we may never weary of serving God worthily.
And we especially ask today for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Josaphat Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Josaphat as an example of holiness. May we live virtuous and faithful lives like his.
St. Josaphat, you worked diligently to bring about reconciliation between Orthodox and Roman Catholics. But many were displeased with your work and tried to force you to stop. Your refusal to give in led to a lot of persecution and suffering for you. But you persevered and ultimately gave up your life for God.
Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that all who are being persecuted for their faith may persevere.
Pray for us, that we may hold fast to our faith in every circumstance. Pray that we may never allow any hardships to deter us from serving God.
And we especially ask today for (mention your intentions here).
St. Josaphat, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.