What Is a Novena? How to Pray a Novena and a Calendar of Catholic Novenas

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A novena is nine days of prayer for a particular intention or in preparation for a feast. The word comes from the Latin novem, “nine.” You pray a set prayer, or the same devotion, on nine consecutive days, often ending on the eve of a saint’s feast or a great solemnity.

Novenas are among the best-loved Catholic devotions because they are simple, flexible and persevering. Below you will find where the novena comes from, how to pray one, a calendar of popular novenas with their start dates for 2026 and 2027, and answers to common questions.

Where the novena comes from

The model for every novena is the first one in the Church’s history. After the Ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and “were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14, Douay-Rheims) until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. The time between the Ascension and Pentecost is nine days.

In 1897 Pope Leo XIII decreed that “throughout the whole Catholic Church, this year and in every subsequent year, a Novena shall take place before Whit-Sunday,” that is, before Pentecost (Divinum Illud Munus, 13). The Church also keeps a nine-day period of Masses, the novendiales, after the death of a pope.

How to pray a novena

  1. Choose your intention, or the feast you are preparing for.
  2. Choose a novena. Many have their own nine daily prayers; others repeat the same prayer each day.
  3. Pick a time you can keep for nine days, such as morning, after Mass or before bed.
  4. Each day: make the Sign of the Cross, state your intention, pray the novena prayer, and add an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be.
  5. Finish with thanksgiving on the ninth day, whatever the outcome.

If you miss a day, do not give up. Continue, and if you wish add the missed day at the end.

A calendar of popular novenas, 2026–2027

Most novenas end on the eve of the feast, so they begin nine days before it.

NovenaBeginEndFeast
Immaculate ConceptionNov 29, 2026Dec 7Dec 8
St. Andrew Christmas Novena (15 prayers a day, not nine days)Nov 30, 2026Dec 24Christmas
Our Lady of GuadalupeDec 3, 2026Dec 11Dec 12
Christmas NovenaDec 16, 2026Dec 24Dec 25
Our Lady of LourdesFeb 2, 2027Feb 10Feb 11
St. JosephMar 10, 2027Mar 18Mar 19
Divine MercyGood Friday, Mar 26, 2027Apr 3Divine Mercy Sunday, Apr 4
St. Peregrine (for those with cancer)Apr 25, 2027May 3May 4
Holy Spirit (Pentecost Novena)May 7, 2027May 15Pentecost, May 16
St. RitaMay 13, 2027May 21May 22
Sacred HeartMay 26, 2027Jun 3Jun 4
St. Anthony of PaduaJun 4, 2027Jun 12Jun 13
AssumptionAug 6, 2027Aug 14Aug 15
St. Monica (for children who have left the faith)Aug 18, 2027Aug 26Aug 27
St. Padre PioSep 14, 2027Sep 22Sep 23
St. Michael the ArchangelSep 20, 2027Sep 28Sep 29
St. Thérèse of LisieuxSep 22, 2027Sep 30Oct 1
Our Lady of the RosarySep 28, 2027Oct 6Oct 7
St. JudeOct 19, 2027Oct 27Oct 28
For the souls in purgatoryOct 24Nov 1All Souls, Nov 2

The Divine Mercy Novena is unusual: it begins on Good Friday and ends the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday. Many Catholics pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet each day of it.

Kinds of novenas

  • Novenas of preparation lead up to a feast, such as Christmas or Pentecost.
  • Novenas of petition ask for a particular grace, such as healing, work or a conversion.
  • Novenas of thanksgiving thank God for a favor received.
  • Novenas for the dead pray for a person who has died, often in the nine days after a death.
  • The “three Hail Marys” devotion, in which three Hail Marys are prayed each day for a particular grace, is sometimes called a novena too.

Are novenas superstitious?

No, as long as they are prayed as prayer. A novena is simply persevering prayer, which Jesus himself encouraged in the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8). But beware of chain messages that promise a guaranteed result if a prayer is said a certain number of times or shared with others. The Catechism warns that attributing the efficacy of prayers “to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition” (CCC 2111). God always hears our prayers, and he answers them in the way that is best for us.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a novena and a chaplet?

A novena is defined by its length, nine days. A chaplet is a set of prayers counted on beads, such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Many people pray a chaplet each day of a novena.

Do I have to pray the novena at church?

No. Most people pray novenas at home. Some parishes hold public novenas, especially before patronal feasts.

Can I start a novena any day?

Yes. Only novenas meant to prepare for a feast have a fixed start date.

What if my prayer is not answered?

Keep praying and trust God. St. Monica prayed many years for her son, who became St. Augustine.

Popular novena and devotion pages

Texts and sources