The Religious Freedom Novena With threats to religious liberty around the world, we have decided to dedicate this novena for religious freedom. The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church s history. - St. John Paul II This novena was written to be a prayer to all Saints and particularly to Martyrs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Day of Solidarity for All Persecuted Christians The Novena for Religious Freedom will start on August 1st with a special Day of Solidarity for All Persecuted Christians. There are three things we will do to commemorate this day, on the first day of the novena: 1. We will fast (or offer another sacrifice). 2. We will recite a Morning Offering prayer (see below). 3. We will recite our novena prayer for the day.
We will do all of these things, offering them up for those suffering for their faith around the world. How you choose to fast, or make another sacrifice, is up to you, but here are a few examples: Only eating one small meal that day Abstaining from meat Abstaining from caffeine Giving up listening to the radio or watching tv Walking to daily mass instead of driving Again, these are just a few ideas. You can discern how you feel called, and capable, to fast. As for the Morning Offering, there are many different variations of this prayer -- you can choose to pray whichever one you know best. The idea is to offer God everything in your day, good and bad, joining your sacrifices & joys to His. This prayer is also a good reminder of the importance of praying for others and for our Holy Father. Here is one version we will be praying: "O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. "
Novena for Religious Freedom Daily Prayer Oh great cloud of witnesses! Oh host of Angels and Saints worshiping God for all eternity! Oh holy ones in heaven above, Pray for us! You who were once part of the Church on earth, you who were faithful servants of the Church Militant, you who suffered for the love of God, Pray for us! In all ages, the Church is persecuted and hated. We pray, oh Lord, through your holy Saints, that we may be blessed with the freedom to worship and adore you at all times! We pray that you may bless your Church throughout the world and me personally with your grace to persevere with love in the face of persecution just as You did on the Cross. (Mention your personal intentions here) Pray the Litany of Martyrs in accordance with the day of the novena: Day 1: St. Joan of Arc Pray for us! St. Valentine Pray for us! St. Carmen Monreno and St. Ampara Caronell Pray for us! St. Sebastian Pray for us! St. Peter Pray for us! St. Stephen Pray for us! St. Denis Pray for us! Day 2 St. Maria Goretti Pray for us! St. Ignatius of Antioch Pray for us! St. Lawrence Pray for us! St. Lorenzo Ruiz Pray for us! St. Agnes Pray for us! St. Anastasia Pray for us! St. Oliver Plunkett Pray for us! St. Dorothy Pray for us!
Day 3 St. Edith Stein Pray for us! St. Maximilian Kolbe Pray for us! St. Thomas Moore Pray for us! St. Margaret Clitherow Pray for us! St. Julia Pray for us! St. Polycarp Pray for us! St. Peter of Verona Pray for us! St. Gonsalo Garcia Pray for us! St. Thomas Becket Pray for us! St. John Fischer Pray for us! Day 4 St. Philomena Pray for us! St. John the Baptist Pray for us! The Jesuit Martyrs of China Pray for us! St. Cecilia Pray for us! St. Jude Pray for us! The Vietnamese Martyrs Pray for us! St. Boniface Pray for us! St. Vitalis of Gaza Pray for us! St. Menas Pray for us! St. Expeditus Pray for us! Day 5 St Christopher Pray for us! St. Charles Lwanga Pray for us! St. Kizito and the Ugandan Martyrs Pray for us! St. Paul Chong Hasang and the Korean Martyrs Pray for us! St. Genesius Pray for us! St. Cyprian Pray for us! St. Luke Pray for us! Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río - Pray for us! St. Andrew Pray for us! Holy Innocents Pray for us! St. Catherine of Alexandria Pray for us! Day 6 Blessed Miguel Pro Pray for us! St. George Pray for us! St. Perpetua Pray for us! St. Felicity Pray for us! St. Dymphna Pray for us! Blessed Jose Maria Sanchez Pray for us! St. Eulala Pray for us! Blessed Teresa of Augustine and the Martyrs of Compiègne Pray for us! St. Pedro Poveda Castroverde Pray for us! St. Thecla Pray for us! Blessed Pedro Calungsod Pray for us! St. Elias and St. Jeremy Pray for us!
Day 7 St. Anthony Pray for us! St. Paul Pray for us! St. Agatha Pray for us! St. Simeon Pray for us! St. Isaac Jogues and the North American Martyrs Pray for us! St. Simon Pray for us! Servant of God Archbishop Oscar Romero Pray for us! St. Faustinus and St. Jovita Pray for us! St. Meinrad Pray for us! St. Tarcisius Pray for us! St. Daniel Pray for us! Day 8 St. Lucy Pray for us! St. Paul Miki Pray for us! St. Gabriel Lalemant and Canadian Martyrs Pray for us! St. Andrew Kim and Japanese Martyrs Pray for us! St. Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz Pray for us! St. Toribio Pray for us! St. Jean de Brébeuf - Pray for us! St. Barbara Pray for us! St. Alban Pray for us! St. Tanco Pray for us! St. Winefride Pray for us! Day 9 St. Edmond Campion Pray for us! St. Ursula Pray for us! Blessed Peter Torot Pray for us! St. Dominic Henares Pray for us! St. Erasmus Pray for us! Blessed Father Jerzy Popieluszko Pray for us! Saints Nunilo and Alodia Pray for us! St. Andrew Bobola Pray for us! St. Miguel de la Mora Pray for us! St. Tatiana Pray for us! Pope Saint Sixtus II Pray for us!