The Mother of Perpetual Help novena is one of the most beloved Marian devotions in the Catholic Church. For generations, Catholics have turned to Our Lady under this title when they find themselves in need of help, strength, or consolation.
The title Perpetual Help reminds us of something deeply comforting: Mary’s help is not occasional or distant. It is constant. She is a mother who never stops interceding for us, her children.
This devotion is centered around the famous icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, venerated throughout the world and entrusted in a special way to the Redemptorist missionaries.
If you are praying this novena for a particular intention, take a moment now to place that need in Mary’s hands.
She has never failed to help those who turn to her with trust.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena?
- When to Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
- How to Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
- The Simple Mother of Perpetual Help Novena Prayer
- Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- The 9-Day Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
- Why Catholics Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
What Is the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena?
A novena is a prayer prayed for nine consecutive days, asking God for a particular grace through the intercession of a saint.
The Mother of Perpetual Help novena is prayed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
The devotion developed around a famous icon of Mary and the Christ Child that dates back to the Byzantine tradition. The icon depicts Mary holding the child Jesus, while the archangels Michael and Gabriel appear holding instruments of the Passion.
The image is also deeply symbolic.
The child Jesus looks at the instruments of his future suffering with fear, while Mary looks directly out at the viewer. Her gaze is calm and compassionate, as if inviting us to come to her when we are troubled.
The message is simple but powerful:
When we are afraid, when we are burdened, when we are in need of help, we can turn to Mary.
And she leads us to Christ.
RELATED: Top 10 Reasons to Pray the Rosary
When to Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
The Mother of Perpetual Help novena can be prayed at any time for a special intention. However, there are two traditional occasions when it is especially common.
1. Before the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is celebrated on June 27.
Many Catholics begin the novena nine days before the feast.
2. On Wednesdays
In many parishes throughout the world, the novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is prayed every Wednesday. In fact, my parish prays it every Wednesday night right after our 6:30pm weekday Mass.
Praying the Our Lady of Perpetual Help novena every Wednesday became popular through the missionary work of the Redemptorists and continues to be practiced in many churches throughout the world today.
How to Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
The Mother of Perpetual Help novena can be prayed in two different ways: (1) a simple private novena prayer or (2) the longer traditional novena service often prayed in churches.
Both forms are authentic expressions of the same devotion and both ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
1. The Simple Novena Prayer (Private Devotion)
Many Catholics pray the novena privately at home using a short prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. This is the most common form of the devotion for personal prayer.
A simple format might include:
- Sign of the Cross
- Opening prayer
- Novena prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Presentation of your personal intention
- Closing prayer
You may also include additional prayers such as:
- the Hail Mary
- the Glory Be
- the Memorare
When prayed privately, the novena is typically prayed once a day for nine consecutive days, asking Mary’s intercession for a particular intention.
2. The Traditional Novena Service (Parish Devotion)
In many Catholic parishes throughout the world, the Mother of Perpetual Help novena is prayed using a traditional prayer booklet during a communal service.
This form of the devotion developed through the missionary work of the Redemptorists, who were entrusted with promoting devotion to the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
The communal novena service usually includes several additional prayers and petitions, such as:
- Opening hymn
- Opening prayer
- Act of contrition
- Scripture reading (sometimes)
- Petitions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- The novena prayer
- Consecration to Mary
- Prayer for the sick
- Thanksgiving prayer
- Benediction hymn (often with Eucharistic adoration)
This version can take 20–30 minutes when prayed in a parish. And it is usually prayed weekly on Wednesdays rather than as a 9-day novena.
The Simple Mother of Perpetual Help Novena Prayer
O Mother of Perpetual Help,
kindly look upon me in my need.
Obtain for me the strength
to carry my crosses in life
and the grace to trust always in God’s providence.
You know the burdens that weigh upon my heart.
You know the fears, struggles, and anxieties
that I place before you now.
Mother most loving,
obtain for me from your Son the help I need.
If it be according to God’s will,
intercede for the grace I seek:
(state your intention here)
Loving Mother of Perpetual Help,
teach me to rely on God’s mercy,
to follow Christ faithfully,
and to trust that the Lord is always at work
even in the midst of difficulty.
Amen.
RELATED: Who Were Mary’s Parents? Everything We Know…
Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
In addition to the novena prayer, many Catholics also pray the Litany of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
A litany is a form of prayer in which a series of invocations are offered, each followed by a repeated response. Litanies have long been part of the Church’s devotional life and are often prayed in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The following litany may be prayed after the novena prayer or as a separate devotion.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins,
pray for us.
Mother of Christ,
pray for us.
Queen conceived without the stain of Original Sin,
pray for us.
Queen of the most Holy Rosary,
pray for us.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
pray for us.
O Mother of Perpetual Help, whose very name inspires confidence,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may love God with all my heart,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may in all things conform my will to that of thy Divine Son,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may always shun sin, the only real evil,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may always remember my last end,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may often and devoutly receive the Sacraments,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may avoid every proximate occasion of sin,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may never neglect prayer,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may ever remember to invoke thee, particularly in time of temptation,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may always be victorious in the hour of temptation,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may generously pardon my enemies,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may arise quickly, should I have the misfortune of falling into mortal sin,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may courageously resist the seductions of evil companions,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may be strong against my own inconstancy,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may not delay my conversion from day to day,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may labor zealously to eradicate my evil habits,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may ever love to serve thee,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may lead others to love and serve thee,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
That I may live and die in the friendship of God,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In all necessities of body and soul,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In sickness and pain,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In poverty and distress,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In persecution and abandonment,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In grief and dereliction of mind,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In time of war, famine, and contagion,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
In every danger of sin,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When assailed by the evil spirits,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When tempted by the allurements of a deceitful world,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When struggling against the inclinations of my corrupt nature,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When tempted against the holy virtue of purity,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When death is nigh,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When the loss of my senses shall warn me that my earthly career is at an end,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When the thought of my approaching dissolution shall fill me with fear and terror,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When at the decisive hour of death the evil spirit will endeavor to plunge my soul into despair,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When the priest of God shall give me his last absolution and blessing,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When my friends and relations, surrounding my bed, shall invoke thy clemency on my behalf,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When the world will vanish from my sight and my heart will cease to beat,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When I shall yield my soul into the hands of its Creator,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When my soul will appear before its Sovereign Judge,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When the irrevocable sentence will be pronounced,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
When I will be suffering in Purgatory and longing for the vision of God,
Come to my aid, O loving Mother.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Let Us Pray
O Almighty and merciful God, Who, in order to succor the human race, hast willed the Blessed Virgin Mary to become the Mother of Thy only-begotten Son, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may avoid the contagion of sin and serve Thee with a pure heart, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
The 9-Day Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
The following format can be used when praying the novena over nine days.
Each day includes a short theme for reflection.
Day 1 – Trust in Mary’s Help
Reflect on Mary’s role as a loving mother who intercedes for her children.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 2 – Confidence in God’s Mercy
Ask Mary to help you grow in trust in God’s providence.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 3 – Strength in Trials
Bring before Mary the struggles you are facing.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 4 – Perseverance in Faith
Ask Mary to help you remain faithful in difficult moments.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 5 – Peace of Heart
Pray that Mary will obtain for you the peace that comes from Christ.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 6 – Courage in Following Christ
Ask for courage to live the Gospel faithfully.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 7 – Hope in God’s Plan
Place your hopes and fears into Mary’s hands.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 8 – Gratitude for God’s Blessings
Thank God for the ways he has already helped you.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Day 9 – Surrender to God’s Will
Entrust your life completely to Christ through Mary.
Pray the novena prayer.
Pray the Litany.
Why Catholics Pray the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena
Catholics do not pray to Mary as if she were the source of grace.
Rather, we ask for her intercession.
Just as Christians ask one another for prayers, the Church asks the saints in heaven to pray for us.
Mary’s intercession is unique because of her role in salvation history.
She is the Mother of Jesus.
She is the first disciple.
And she continues to care for the members of Christ’s body.
When Catholics pray the Mother of Perpetual Help novena, they are entrusting their needs to a mother who always brings them to her Son.
Mary never replaces Christ.
She always leads us to Him.
Final Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Mother of Perpetual Help,
look kindly upon your children who turn to you in trust.
Obtain for us the grace
to remain faithful to Christ,
to carry our crosses with courage,
and to place our lives completely in God’s hands.
Through your intercession,
may we grow in faith, hope, and charity
and always follow your Son more closely.
Amen.
