Novena to St Patrick
Feast: 17 Mar
When to pray: Begin on 8 Mar and finish on 16 Mar, the eve of the feast. A novena is prayed on nine consecutive days.
Prayer for each day
St Patrick, you returned to the people who enslaved you to bring them Christ. Give me courage to share the faith and to forgive. Amen.
Day by day
Day 1: Captured as a boy
You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.
Gen 50:20, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, as a boy you were captured and taken as a slave to Ireland. As God turned Joseph's slavery to good, he turned your suffering to the salvation of a nation. Help me to trust God in my own trials. Amen.
Day 2: Prayer on the hillside
I rose at midnight to give praise to thee; for the judgments of thy justification.
Ps 118:62 [Ps 119:62], Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, as a slave on the hillside you prayed many times by day and by night. I rose at midnight to give praise to thee. Teach me to pray faithfully, in good times and in bad. Amen.
Day 3: Escape
Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
Ps 123:7 [Ps 124:7], Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, God led you to escape and return home. Our soul has been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. Free me and all who are held captive in body or in spirit. Amen.
Day 4: The call to return
And a vision was shewed to Paul in the night, which was a man of Macedonia standing and beseeching him and saying: Pass over into Macedonia and help us.
Acts 16:9, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, in a dream you heard the people of Ireland calling you to come back, as Paul heard the man of Macedonia saying, Come over and help us. Help me to answer God's call, wherever it leads. Amen.
Day 5: Bishop to his captors
But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies. Do good to them that hate you.
Luke 6:27, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, you returned as a bishop to the people who had enslaved you. Jesus said, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. Give me the grace to love and serve those who have wronged me. Amen.
Day 6: The Trinity and the shamrock
Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Matt 28:19, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, tradition says you used the shamrock to teach the Holy Trinity. Our Lord sent us to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Deepen my faith in the Blessed Trinity. Amen.
Day 7: Paschal fire at Slane
Again therefore, Jesus spoke to: them, saying: I am the light of the world. He that followeth me walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, tradition tells of the Paschal fire you lit on the hill of Slane. Christ is the light of the world. Let the light of Christ burn brightly in me and drive out all darkness. Amen.
Day 8: Christ be with me
And I live, now not I: but Christ liveth in me. And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself for me.
Gal 2:20, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, in prayer attributed to you, Christ is asked to be with us on every side. I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me. Christ be with me, before me, behind me and within me, today and always. Amen.
Day 9: Forgiving enemies
Be not overcome by evil: but overcome evil by good.
Rom 12:21, Douay-Rheims
St Patrick, you forgave those who had harmed you and gave your life to them. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good. Help me to forgive my enemies and to pray for them. Amen.
Scripture
Douay-Rheims numbering (modern in brackets): Acts 16:9; Gal 2:20; Gen 50:20; John 8:12; Luke 6:27; Matt 28:19; Ps 118:62 [Ps 119:62]; Ps 123:7 [Ps 124:7]; Rom 12:21. Scripture index
Source
Written for The Crusade, 2026. How we check sources