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Redemptorist novena · with St Alphonsus' daily prayer

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Nine days of prayer to Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, printed word for word from an old Catholic book (the source is given below). Pray the daily prayer every day, then the day's own prayer.

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How to make the novena

Say nine Hail Marys […] and the following prayers for nine days. If possible, go to Communion every day during the Novena.

The daily prayer (every day)

V—Thou hast been made for us O Lady, a refuge. R—A Helper in need and tribulation.
Let Us Pray O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst give to us Thy Mother, Mary, whose renowned image we venerate, to be a mother ever ready to help us, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who constantly implore her aid may merit to enjoy perpetually the fruits of Thy redemption, who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St. Alphonsus, to be Recited Every Day During Novena Most holy and Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, and the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today, I who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homages, O great Queen; and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now; particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes, I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From thee I hope to die a good death. O my Mother, by the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee, to help me at all times, but especially at the last moments of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou seest me safe in heaven, blessing thee and singing thy mercy for all eternity. So I hope. So may it be. Amen.

The nine days

Day 1

Behold at thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help! a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee and confides in thee. O Mother of Mercy! have pity on me. I hear thee called by all, the Refuge and the Hope of Sinners; be, then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable, fallen creature, who recommends himself to thee and who devotes himself to thy service forever. I bless and thank Almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin because I had not recourse to thee. I know, too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that, in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul. This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that, in all the attacks of hell, I may ever have recourse to thee. O Mary! help me. O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Day 2

Behold at thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help! a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee and confides in thee. O Mother of Mercy! have pity on me. I hear thee called by all, the Refuge and the Hope of Sinners; be, then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable, fallen creature, who recommends himself to thee and who devotes himself to thy service forever. I bless and thank Almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin because I had not recourse to thee. I know, too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that, in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul. This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that, in all the attacks of hell, I may ever have recourse to thee. O Mary! help me. O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Day 3

Behold at thy feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help! a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee and confides in thee. O Mother of Mercy! have pity on me. I hear thee called by all, the Refuge and the Hope of Sinners; be, then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable, fallen creature, who recommends himself to thee and who devotes himself to thy service forever. I bless and thank Almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin because I had not recourse to thee. I know, too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that, in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul. This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that, in all the attacks of hell, I may ever have recourse to thee. O Mary! help me. O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Day 4

O Mother of Perpetual Help! grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary! O sweetest Mary! let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady! to succor me, whenever I call on thee; for in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee! I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Day 5

O Mother of Perpetual Help! grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary! O sweetest Mary! let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady! to succor me, whenever I call on thee; for in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee! I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Day 6

O Mother of Perpetual Help! grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. O purest Mary! O sweetest Mary! let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, O Blessed Lady! to succor me, whenever I call on thee; for in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fills my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee! I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Day 7

O mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us miserable sinners; and for this end, He had made thee so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, in order that thou mayest succor us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to thee; come to my help, I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I intrust my soul. Count me among thy most devoted servants; take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if Thou protect me, I fear nothing; not from my sins, because thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; nor from the devils, because thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my Judge, because by one prayer from thee He will be appeased. But one thing I fear; that in the hour of temptation, I may, through negligence fail to have recourse to thee and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace ever to have recourse to thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help!

Day 8

O mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us miserable sinners; and for this end, He had made thee so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, in order that thou mayest succor us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to thee; come to my help, I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I intrust my soul. Count me among thy most devoted servants; take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if Thou protect me, I fear nothing; not from my sins, because thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; nor from the devils, because thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my Judge, because by one prayer from thee He will be appeased. But one thing I fear; that in the hour of temptation, I may, through negligence fail to have recourse to thee and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace ever to have recourse to thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help!

Day 9

O mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of all the gifts which God grants to us miserable sinners; and for this end, He had made thee so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, in order that thou mayest succor us in our misery. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners who have recourse to thee; come to my help, I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation, and to thee I intrust my soul. Count me among thy most devoted servants; take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me. For, if Thou protect me, I fear nothing; not from my sins, because thou wilt obtain for me the pardon of them; nor from the devils, because thou art more powerful than all hell together; nor even from Jesus, my Judge, because by one prayer from thee He will be appeased. But one thing I fear; that in the hour of temptation, I may, through negligence fail to have recourse to thee and thus perish miserably. Obtain for me therefore, the pardon of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace ever to have recourse to thee, O Mother of Perpetual Help!

Source: Jos. A. Chapoton, C.SS.R., A Practical Method of Making a Novena (Omaha: Colonial Press, 1927), pp. 35–37, 47–48 · view the page scan

When to pray it

Next: Friday, June 18 to Saturday, June 26, 2027, ending on the eve of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (June 27).

Every novena's start date, with a calendar file you can subscribe to →

Frequently asked

What is a novena?

A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer for a particular intention, after the pattern of the apostles who prayed for nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost.

How do I pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help?

Pray the prayers given here on nine days in a row, as the source book directs; the text is printed exactly as it appears there.

Can I pray a novena for any intention?

Yes. Bring whatever intention is on your heart and entrust it to the prayers of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help.

Other novenas

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