St. Sebastian Novena
Contents
Show HideSt. Sebastian was an early Christian martyr. He lived in the 200s. He was killed during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian.
St. Sebastian courageously chose to give up his life for the Faith. You can use this novena to seek intercession from this holy martyr in your life!
About St. Sebastian
St. Sebastian was born around the year 256. Other details about St. Sebastian’s early life are entirely unknown except that he may have been born in southern France and likely went to school in Milan.
In 283, Sebastian joined the Roman army. Though it is not known for certain why he joined the Roman army, Sebastian soon took initiative in doing what he could for Christians who were being persecuted under the Romans.
While in the Roman army, Sebastian was recognized as an outstanding soldier. He was given a high position in the Praetorian Guard, which protected Emperor Diocletian.
As Sebastian carried out his duties in the Praetorian Guard, he encountered two twin brothers who were deacons in the early Church. These two men were arrested and imprisoned because they refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. While in prison, the brothers’ parents visited them and attempted to convince them to renounce the Christian Faith in order to avoid torture and death.
The parents were unsuccessful in convincing the two men to renounce the Christian Faith. Sebastian was actually able to convince their parents to convert to Christianity themselves. Sebastian was also able to convert several other people, including a local prefect and other prominent people.
Because of Sebastian’s holy work converting others to Christianity, it was soon discovered that he was himself a Christian. His Faith was reported to Emperor Diocletian in 286. By this time, Diocletian had already had hundreds of Christians brutally killed. He arranged for Sebastian to be killed by being tied to a stake and shot with arrows as target practice.
The archers shot numerous arrows at Sebastian and assumed that he was dead. They left his body there, and a woman named Irene of Rome discovered that he was not actually dead. Irene hid him and cared for him until he was healthy once again.
After Sebastian was fully recovered from his wounds, he sought out Diocletian. He was able to catch the emperor by surprise, and he began to loudly reprimand Diocletian for his treatment of Christians.
Diocletian was shocked to see Sebastian alive, but he quickly recovered from the shock and ordered Sebastian to be beaten with clubs. He also ordered that Sebastian’s body be thrown into the sewer after. Sebastian was killed around the year 288.
Sebastian’s body was found by a Christian woman named Lucina. She buried Sebastian in the Catacombs under Rome. His body was later moved to a basilica in Rome.
St. Sebastian’s Feast Day: January 20th
Why Pray the St. Sebastian Novena?
St. Sebastian is the patron saint of soldiers. You can ask him to pray for you if you serve in the military. Or you can ask him to pray for someone you know who is a soldier.
St. Sebastian is also the patron saint of athletes. You can seek his intercession if you are an athlete or are training to become an athlete. You can also ask him to pray for someone you know who is an athlete or is training to become one.
Additionally, St. Sebastian is the patron saint of persecuted Christians. You can ask him to pray for you if you are being persecuted for your Faith, or you can ask him to pray for a persecuted Christian whom you know.
You can pray the St. Sebastian Novena for any intention!
St. Sebastian Novena Prayers
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in his holy work protecting Christians during his time as a soldier.
St. Sebastian, we know very little about your early life or your motivation to join the Roman army. But as a soldier in the Roman army, you served God by working to protect persecuted Christians.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You saw firsthand that many Christians were suffering on account of their Faith. Despite this, you persevered in your own Faith and did all you could to serve God.
Pray for me, that I may always be aware of the suffering of those around me. Pray that I may always be eager to serve God in whatever ways I can.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in choosing to hold fast to his Faith despite persecution.
St. Sebastian, you saw that many Christians were being tortured and killed on account of their Faith. Despite the danger, you chose to do all you could to assist persecuted Christians in your role as a Roman soldier.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before God!
Your own Christian Faith was eventually discovered, and you suffered greatly because you refused to renounce your Faith. You ultimately gave up your life as a martyr.
Pray for me, that I may never allow any sufferings to lead me away from serving God. Pray that I may be as steadfast in my Faith as you were.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in working to bring others to conversion.
St. Sebastian, you knew that you could be tortured and killed on account of your Christian Faith. Despite this, you served God faithfully and even worked to bring those around you to conversion.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
You were able to help the parents of some captured Christian deacons to convert to Christianity themselves. You helped convert many others as well, and you were eventually martyred because of this holy work.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to bring others to conversion. Pray that I may never cease preaching the Gospel to those around me.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate virtue he showed in courageously serving You despite persecution.
St. Sebastian, you lived in a society that punished Christians with torture and death on account of their Faith. Despite the threat of great suffering, you courageously chose to serve God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so courageously!
You did all you could to help the Christians who were being persecuted during your time as a Roman soldier. You boldly preached the Gospel to others and held fast to your Faith despite great suffering.
Pray for me, that I may be as courageous in practicing my Faith as you were. Pray that I may never allow the threat of suffering to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You he showed in preaching the Gospel to others despite great danger.
St. Sebastian, you encountered many Christians who were being persecuted for their Faith during your time as Roman soldier. Despite great danger to your life, you courageously preached the Gospel out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so dearly!
You helped bring many others to conversion. Because of your holy work, you were eventually sentenced to death. You ultimately gave up your life for God.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to preach the Good News to others. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from serving God faithfully.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in choosing to do what was right no matter the cost.
St. Sebastian, you were sentenced to death because of your Christian Faith. You could have saved your life by renouncing your Faith, but you refused to do so out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved!
You were tied up and shot with arrows. Your life was spared, but you chose to return and confront the emperor. You chose to reprimand him for his evil actions, though you knew you would suffer and die because of this choice.
Pray for me, that I may always have the fortitude to do what is right, no matter how difficult it might be. Pray that I may be faithful in all things.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed in choosing to do what he could to combat the injustice being carried out against Your Church.
St. Sebastian, you utilized your position as a Roman soldier to help the Christians who were being persecuted. You did all you could to assist these Christians.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
After your execution failed, you could have remained in hiding and safety. But instead, you chose to boldly confront the emperor over his evil actions toward Christians.
Pray for me, that I may never fear to fight against evil in our world today. Pray that I may be as courageous as you were in confronting evil.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue he showed in persevering in his Faith even to the point of death.
St. Sebastian, your Christian Faith was discovered because of your holy work converting others to Chritianity. Though you could have saved your life by renouncing your Faith, you persevered in your Faith.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You were sentenced to die for your Faith. Though you escaped death when you were shot with arrows, you chose to confront the evil emperor and to meet your martyrdom bravely.
Pray for me, that I may always persevere in my Faith no matter the cost. Pray that I may never allow any sufferings to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Sebastian 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. Sebastian as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You he showed by giving up his life for You.
St. Sebastian, we know very little about your early life. But we know that you were a committed Christian from the time you were a young man. You continued to hold fast to your Faith despite the threat of torture and death.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You worked to help Christians who were imprisoned during your time as a Roman soldier. When your own Faith was discovered by the authorities, you persevered and ultimately gave up your life for God and His Church.
Pray for me, that I may always serve God and His Church with devotion. Pray that I may never weary of devoting myself to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Sebastian, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.