| Novena Starts: | May 25 |
| Feastday: | June 3 |
| Birth: | c. 498 |
| Death: | c. 618 |
Patron saint of the Archdiocese of Dublin and the valley of Glendalough; invoked by those seeking solitude, contemplation, and harmony with God's creation
St Kevin Novena
St Kevin was a sixth-century Irish hermit who dwelt in the valley of Glendalough, befriended its wild creatures, and founded one of Ireland’s greatest monasteries. Pray this novena for solitude, perseverance, and trust in God.
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Day 1
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Grace of Solitude and Prayer
Blessed Kevin, you forsook comfort and worldly ease to dwell alone with God in the wilderness. You taught us that the soul finds its truest home not in the clamour of the world, but in the quiet where the Lord speaks. Pray for us, that we may carve out sacred silence in our daily lives, and there encounter the living God who waits for us with patient love. Help us to be still, to listen, and to surrender our restless hearts into His keeping.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 2
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Humility
Holy Kevin, though God adorned you with great gifts and drew many souls to your door, you never ceased to think yourself the least of His servants. You fled human praise as others flee suffering. Obtain for us the grace of true humility, that we may know ourselves as we truly are before God, give Him glory for every good within us, and serve our neighbours without pride or ambition.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 3
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Harmony with Creation
Dear Saint, the birds of the air and the beasts of the field came to you as to a new Adam, sensing in you the innocence God intended for mankind. You held out your hand in prayer and the creatures of the earth found shelter there. Intercede for us, that we may recover our sense of wonder at the created world, treat it with reverence as God’s handiwork, and recognise in every living thing the fingerprint of its Maker.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 4
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Perseverance in Trial
O Kevin, your years of solitude were not without suffering, cold, hunger, and the long dark nights of the spirit were your companions in the cave above the lake. Yet you did not turn back. Pray for all who endure trials of body or soul, that they may be given the grace of perseverance. When the way is hard and the end unseen, may they hold fast to the hand of God and trust that He who calls them will not abandon them.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 5
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Those Who Teach and Learn
Saint Kevin, your monastery became a great lamp of learning in a tumultuous age, and scholars came from distant lands to sit at its feet. You understood that faith and knowledge are not enemies but friends, and that the mind, like the soul, is made for truth. We pray for all teachers and students, for seminaries and schools, for those who labour to pass the faith to the next generation. May wisdom and piety grow together, and may all learning find its source and end in God.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 6
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Conversion of Sinners
Gentle Kevin, sinners came to you and found not condemnation but compassion, not harshness but healing. Through your prayer many turned from darkness to light. We bring before you now all who are far from God, those hardened by sin, those despairing of mercy, those who do not yet know the love that pursues them. Intercede for their conversion, that no soul placed in your care may be lost, and that the mercy of God may reach where human words cannot.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 7
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Sick and Suffering
Holy saint, to whom the afflicted turned in their need, look with compassion upon all who carry the burden of illness of body, of mind, or of spirit. You knew the weakness of the flesh and the healing power of God’s grace. Lay your intercession before the throne of the Most High on behalf of all who suffer, that they may know Christ’s presence in their pain, and receive either the healing He wills or the strength to carry their cross with peace.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 8
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Dying and the Faithful Departed
O Kevin, who lived so long upon this earth and crossed at last into the eternal life you had long sought in prayer, we commend to your care all who stand at the threshold of death. May they pass from this life in peace, fortified by the sacraments of the Church and surrounded by the mercy of God. We remember also all the faithful departed, especially those for whom no one prays. May they rest in the light of God’s face, and may we one day join them in that valley of peace that has no ending.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Day 9
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
O God, who called your servant Kevin from the noise of the world into the silence of your presence, and made him a light of holiness in the valley of Glendalough, grant that through his intercession we may seek you above all things, and find in you our rest and our joy. In particular we ask for this request in the novena,
(mention request here…)
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Grace of Final Perseverance
Dear patron, we come to the end of these nine days of prayer, yet we know that the journey of faith does not end until we breathe our last. We ask for the greatest of all gifts, the grace of final perseverance, that we may remain faithful to God through every season of life, in joy and in sorrow, in youth and in age, and that at the last we may hear those words for which every soul longs, Well done, good and faithful servant. Through your intercession, may we, like you, find our rest in Heaven.
Saint Kevin of Glendalough, hermit, abbot, and friend of God, you sought the Lord in the silent places and He filled you with His Spirit. Look upon us, your children in faith, and carry our prayers before the throne of grace. As once the wild creatures came to rest in your outstretched hand, so may we rest in the mercy of God, today and at the hour of our death.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
St Kevin, pray for us!
Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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