St. Polycarp Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Polycarp was an early Christian martyr who lived in the first and second centuries. He was a bishop of Smyrna. He was also a disciple of St. John the Apostle.
St. Polycarp played a significant role in the early Church and is considered one of the Apostolic Fathers. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy Church leader in your life!
About St. Polycarp
St. Polycarp was born in 65 A.D. Nothing further is known about his early life.
Polycarp was a companion of a bishop named Papias. Both men were disciples of St. John the Apostle. Polycarp was also known to have corresponded with St. Ignatius of Antioch.
According to St. Irenaeus, Polycarp converted to Christianity after hearing the preaching of the Apostles. Polycarp was ordained a bishop in Smyrna.
Polycarp was one of the leaders of the Church during the tumultuous time when many who had known Christ personally began to die. Because the first hand witnesses of Jesus’ works were no longer living, debates began to spring up among Christians about practices and teachings. Many heresies began to flourish, even while Christians were being persecuted by the secular government.
Polycarp saw imitation of Christ as the only answer to the problems that the Church was facing. He sought to imitate Jesus’ attitude toward the Pharisees when confronting heretics.
When dealing with disagreements among faithful Christians, Polycarp emphasized respect and forgiveness. He had to navigate through the controversy in the Church about when Easter should be celebrated, since the East celebrated it in conjunction with Passover and the West celebrated it on the Sunday following Passover.
As Polycarp faced persecution for his Christian Faith, he did not seek martyrdom but waited until it was clear that God willed it. Those who knew him best admired Polycarp for this, as it allowed him time to bring more souls into the Church.
At one point, a crowd of pagans who were gathered to watch Christians be eaten by animals in the arena began to demand that Church leader Polycarp be found and put to death. Polycarp calmly left the city and hid at a farm that was nearby. He prayed for the Church as he waited to be found and killed.
As Polycarp prayed, he had a vision of his pillow turning to fire. He understood that the vision meant he would be burned alive.
When Polycarp was found by his persecutors, he talked to them and even gave them a meal to eat. Then he asked for an hour to pray. He spent the time praying for every person he knew and for the Church. His captors began to see his holiness and to question whether they should be arresting him.
Because he was eighty-six years old and clearly fragile, the proconsul begged Polycarp to give in and renounce his Faith. But Polycarp held fast to his Faith. He was set on fire, but the fire miraculously did not burn him. When his persecutors saw that he was not dying from the fire, they stabbed him to death. He died in 155.
St. Polycarp’s Feast Day: February 23rd
Why Pray the St. Polycarp Novena?
St. Polycarp does not have an official patronage, but he is a great saint to seek intercession from in many circumstances.
You can ask St. Polycarp to pray for you if you are facing persecution for your Faith, since he endured persecution for his Faith and was ultimately martyred. Or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is suffering persecution for their Faith.
St. Polycarp is also a great saint to seek intercession from on behalf of Church leaders, since he was a holy bishop who did a lot to combat heresy and to lead the Church well.
You can pray the St. Polycarp Novena for any intention!
St. Polycarp Novena Prayers
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the deep love of You he showed from the time of his conversion.
St. Polycarp, we know almost nothing about your early life. But we know that you converted to Christianity after hearing the preaching of the Apostles, and that you served God faithfully from this time on.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!
You became a bishop and devoted yourself to serving the Church. You worked to combat heresy and to heal divisions. You ultimately gave up your life for God as a martyr.
Pray for me, that I may be as devoted a servant of God as you were. Pray that I may be eager to give my entire life to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he grew in after hearing the preaching of the Apostles.
St. Polycarp, you were not a Christian during your early life. But when you heard Christ’s Apostles preaching, you converted to Christianity and devoted your life to serving God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served with such devotion!
You became a bishop, and you worked to preserve unity of teaching in the Church as many heresies began to flourish. You combatted heresy and worked diligently to preach the truth.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to preach the Gospel to others in my life. Pray that I may always do all I can to bring others to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to serve You and Your Church as a bishop.
St. Polycarp, you chose to become a Christian when you heard the preaching of Christ’s Apostles. You devoted yourself wholeheartedly to serving God and His Church by becoming a bishop.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!
As a bishop in the early Church, you faced many difficulties as debates and heresies began to spring up in the Church. You did all you could to lead your people in the truth, amidst the trials of persecution by the secular government.
Pray for me, that I may be eager to serve God and His Church in any way that I can. Pray that I may grow in holiness and devotion to God each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in his work combating heresy.
St. Polycarp, you became a bishop during a tumultuous time in the early Church. Amidst persecution from the government, you also dealt with many debates and heresies gaining traction within the Church. You did all you could to lead the Church faithfully.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before God!
As many people began to debate both doctrines and practices in the Church, you remained faithful to the truth and worked to lead your people to holiness.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to promote the truth. Pray that I may be courageous in preaching the Gospel at all times.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in holding fast to his Faith amidst persecution.
St. Polycarp, you lived in a society that was hostile to the Christian Faith. Many were being killed for their Faith, but you courageously continued serving God and His Church.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so courageously!
You did not seek out martyrdom, but you calmly accepted many sufferings for your Faith. You submitted yourself to God’s will for you, and you ultimately gave up your life for the Faith in a painful martyrdom.
Pray for me, that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may endure all trials willingly out of love for God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in working to foster respect and forgiveness among Christians.
St. Polycarp, you lived during the time when the first generation of Christians who had heard Christ personally were beginning to die. Because of this, many debates and controversies began to grow within the Church. You worked faithfully to foster respect and forgiveness within the Church.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so faithfully!
You helped the Church navigate a difficult time in her history. Though you faced many difficulties, you sought to imitate Christ and to lead others to holiness.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to imitate Christ in my life as you did. Pray that I may always help others to solve conflicts and to grow in love.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in treating his enemies with love.
St. Polycarp, you did not seek out martyrdom but instead waited until it was clear that it was God’s will that you die for your Faith. When you were captured by your persecutors, you treated them with love out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved!
You talked to your captors and fed them a meal, before preparing for your death. Then, you courageously offered up your life for the Faith.
Pray for me, that I may grow in love for my enemies out of love for God. Pray that I may never allow trials or persecutions to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in courageously holding fast to his Faith to the point of death.
St. Polycarp, you lived in a society that was hostile to the Christian Faith. You chose to convert to Christianity, knowing that you could be called to suffer and die for your Faith.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
When faced with martyrdom, you were given the choice to save your life by abandoning your Faith. You courageously held fast to your Faith to the point of torture and death.
Pray for me, that I may always practice my Faith courageously. Pray that I may hold fast to my Faith even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Polycarp 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. Polycarp as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in choosing to serve You and Your Church faithfully throughout his life.
St. Polycarp, you converted to Christianity when you heard the preaching of Christ’s Apostles. You persevered in serving God and His Church faithfully for many years, throughout trials and difficulties.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You worked to bring the Church to unity and holiness despite heresy and disputes. Then, you courageously chose to give up your life for God and His Church.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to serve God and His Church in my life. Pray that I may persevere in serving God each day, no matter the cost.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Polycarp, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.