St. Thomas More Novena – 9 Days of Prayer
Novena to the Chancellor of England who chose the silence of conscience over the king's command — patron of lawyers and politicians
St. Thomas More was Lord Chancellor of England, a husband, a father and a writer who refused to sign an oath he believed contradicted his conscience. He was executed in 1535 and is the patron of lawyers and politicians. This novena asks for integrity under pressure. His feast is June 22. He was known for his humour, his love of family and his deep prayer. He is also the patron of civil servants and adopted children. Pray it when your integrity is tested at work or in public life, and ask for his calm.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer. Begin nine days before the feast (June 22) and finish on its eve. You can pray this novena at any time of year.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle PlaySt. Thomas More Novena – prayer for all nine days
Intention: For Integrity in Public Life and Fidelity to Conscience
St. Thomas More, you were the most powerful lawyer in England — Lord Chancellor, the king's own 'good servant.' You were brilliant, witty, beloved by your family, respected by your enemies. You had everything to lose. And when Henry VIII demanded that you sign an oath that violated your conscience, you refused. Not loudly. Not with speeches. You simply stayed silent — and they executed you for it.
St. Thomas More, you said at your death: 'I die the king's good servant, but God's first.' In that one sentence you summed up a life — and a principle that every Christian in public life must reckon with: there is a King above all kings, and His law is above all laws.
You did not seek martyrdom. You tried every legal means to avoid it. You stayed silent as long as silence was possible. You did not lecture others or condemn the men who signed the oath you refused. You loved your family. You feared death. You went forward anyway.
You showed that holiness is not only for monks and hermits — that a man in the midst of courts and politics and family life and professional pressures can be a saint. You were an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances who made an extraordinary choice.
I bring before you my own struggles with integrity.
(Pause to mention your intentions — pressures on your conscience, difficult professional or political choices, the courage to do what is right)
St. Thomas More, patron of lawyers and politicians, pray for all who hold public office — that they may serve the common good, speak truth to power, and never trade their conscience for advancement. Pray for me in my own compromises, that I may find the courage to choose rightly even when it costs something.
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...
St. Thomas More, pray for us.
Pray this prayer once a day for nine days in a row.
Traditional Catholic Devotional Prayer · Feast Day: June 22 (with St. John Fisher). Canonized 1935. Declared patron of statesmen and politicians by Pope John Paul II
More novenas
- St. Jude Novena
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena
- St. Joseph Novena
- St. Therese Novena
- St. Anthony of Padua Novena
- St. Rita Novena
Frequently asked questions
When should I start the St. Thomas More Novena?
Begin on June 13 to end on June 21, the eve of his feast on June 22.
How do I pray the St. Thomas More Novena?
Pray the daily prayer once a day, and examine a decision where your conscience is being tested.
Who is the St. Thomas More Novena for?
It is for lawyers, politicians and anyone under pressure to compromise.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle Play