: a Roman Catholic period of prayer lasting nine consecutive days
Examples of novena in a Sentence
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Looney suspected that his mother was the only Catholic from County Clare to say a novena for Angela Davis and the Black Panthers.—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2026 The procession is seen as a devotional prayer — a walking prayer — and is also called a novena.—Holly Andres, Daily News, 24 Dec. 2025 To celebrate and honor the faith, friendships and memories that have shaped the parish community, there is a nine-day novena running through Oct. 26 that will culminate with a weekend full of events for alumni, parishioners and friends.—Andrea Manes, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025 Her mother started a novena, a nine-day period of prayer to ask for Casey's intercession on Mary's behalf.—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 3 July 2025 Around 350 to 400 people had gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in downtown Spokane on Tuesday for the second night of novena, a tradition of gathering for prayer for nine days or nine weeks, when the man, identified as Joshua James Sommers, allegedly attacked the priest.—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2025 Simbang Gabi is a nine-day novena to Mary, who Catholics revere as the blessed mother, and it is traditionally celebrated in a series of pre-dawn masses by Filipino Catholics worldwide.—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 17 Dec. 2024
Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin, from Latin, feminine of novenus nine each, from novem