Novena to Sts. Simon and Jude – 9 Days of Prayer
Novena to the two Apostles celebrated together — Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddaeus. St. Jude is the patron of hopeless and desperate causes; both are invoked for seemingly impossible intentions.
Sts. Simon and Jude were two of the twelve Apostles and are celebrated together on October 28. St. Jude is invoked in desperate causes. This novena asks for both Apostles' prayers. Simon is called the Zealot, and Jude is also known as Thaddaeus. Tradition links the two in missionary work and martyrdom. People often start with St. Jude and add Simon as a companion. Pray it for a hope that looks impossible, and for patience if the answer comes slowly.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer. Begin nine days before the feast (October 28) 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 PlayNovena to Sts. Simon and Jude – prayer for all nine days
Intention: For Those Who Labor in Obscurity and Those with Impossible Causes
Lord Jesus, You chose Simon and Jude to be among Your Twelve and sent them to preach Your Gospel to the ends of the earth. Through their powerful intercession, help us in our most desperate needs and increase our faith that nothing is impossible with God. Amen.
O glorious Saint Simon the Zealot and Saint Jude Thaddaeus, faithful Apostles of Our Lord Jesus Christ! You both left everything to follow the Master, and you spent your lives proclaiming His name in the most difficult and distant lands.
Saint Simon, you were called the Zealot — zealous in your love for God and for souls. You preach to us by your example that our faith demands everything, our whole heart, our whole will.
Saint Jude, you are specially known as the patron of hopeless causes — the saint to invoke when all other help has failed. Perhaps this is because your letter in Scripture exhorts us to 'contend earnestly for the faith,' reminding us that the Christian life itself can seem a hopeless cause to the world, yet nothing is impossible with God.
You both died as martyrs, giving the ultimate testimony to the One you preached.
Holy Simon and Jude, I come to you now in my need. This situation seems impossible — the odds are against me, and I have nowhere else to turn. But I know that with God nothing is impossible, and you are powerful intercessors before His throne.
Obtain for me the grace I seek. (Mention your intention here.)
Renew my hope. Strengthen my faith. And may this answered prayer become a testimony to God's power and mercy. Amen.
Lord God, You built Your Church on the foundation of the Apostles. Through the intercession of Simon and Jude, give us unshakeable hope in Your power, especially when our situations seem beyond all human remedy. Amen.
Pray this prayer once a day for nine days in a row.
Traditional Catholic Devotional Prayer · Feast Day: October 28. Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddaeus are honored together. Little is recorded of them in Scripture. Jude is the patron of hopeless causes; Simon is patron of tanners and sawyers.
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 Novena to Sts. Simon and Jude?
Begin on October 19 to end on October 27, the eve of the feast on October 28.
How do I pray the Novena to Sts. Simon and Jude?
Pray the daily prayer once a day, naming your intention.
Who is the Novena to Sts. Simon and Jude for?
It is for anyone in a difficult or desperate situation.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle Play