Sts. Peter and Paul Novena – 9 Days of Prayer
Novena to the two greatest Apostles — the fisherman who became the Rock and the persecutor who became the missionary to the nations
Sts. Peter and Paul are the pillars of the Church: the fisherman called the Rock, and the former persecutor who became the missionary to the nations. They are honoured together on June 29. This novena asks for their prayers for the Pope, for unity, and for your own conversion. It is a fitting prayer for anyone whose past has to be turned toward Christ. Peter denied Christ and was forgiven; Paul persecuted the Church and was forgiven. If your history weighs on you, their story answers it. Pray it for the Pope, for your parish, and for the courage to begin again.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer. Begin nine days before the feast (June 29) 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 PlaySts. Peter and Paul Novena – prayer for all nine days
Intention: For the Unity and Mission of the Church
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, you were very different men who were both seized by the same Lord. Peter — impulsive, loud, the first to confess and the first to deny — was named the Rock on which the Church would be built. Paul — trained as a Pharisee, hunting Christians to their deaths — was thrown to the ground on the Damascus road and rose a new man.
Sts. Peter and Paul, you did not choose each other. You disagreed sharply, at times publicly. Yet the Church honors you together, on the same feast, as its twin pillars — because the same Christ conquered you both.
St. Peter, you were given the keys of the kingdom. You walked on water until you looked away from Jesus, then sank. You denied Him three times by a charcoal fire, and wept bitterly. And three times He asked you by another charcoal fire: 'Do you love me?' Three times you said yes. That is the mercy of God — He restores us at the very site of our failure.
St. Paul, you wrote: 'I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.' You wrote those words from a prison cell. You were shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, abandoned. Yet nothing could separate you from the love of Christ — and you wanted everyone to know it.
I bring my intentions before you both now.
(Pause to mention your intentions)
Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for the Church — for its unity, its courage, and its mission to preach the Gospel to all nations. And pray for me, that I may hold firm to the faith you died to hand on.
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory Be...
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Pray this prayer once a day for nine days in a row.
Traditional Catholic Devotional Prayer · Feast Day: June 29. Both were martyred in Rome under Nero. Among the oldest feasts of the Roman calendar
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 Sts. Peter and Paul Novena?
Begin on June 20 to end on June 28, the eve of the feast on June 29.
How do I pray the Sts. Peter and Paul Novena?
Pray the daily prayer once a day, and add a prayer for the Pope.
Who is the Sts. Peter and Paul Novena for?
It is for those who feel called to lead or to start over, and for anyone praying for Church unity.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle Play