St Peter and St Paul are Apostles and two great pillars of the Catholic Church. Both gave their lives as martyrs.
Read the full St Peter and Paul novena on the novena page. You can also learn more about novenas here.
Who Were Saints Peter and Paul?
Simon Peter was chosen by Jesus to be one of His twelve Apostles. Jesus gave him the name Peter to indicate that he and his faith were the rock on which Christ built His Church.
Jesus gave Peter the primacy over the Apostles, and, after denying Him three times during His Passion, Peter was restored by Christ after the Resurrection, and Peter went on to lead the Church during the first century.
Paul was a Jew who persecuted the first Christians, until Christ appeared to him and converted him.
Paul went on to become a great missionary, especially to the Gentiles (non-Jews), and many of the books of the New Testament were written by him.
Both St Peter and St Paul were martyred in the first century.
The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VI, by a rescript from the Office of the Secretary of Memorials, July 28, 1778, granted to all the faithful who, with at least contrite heart and devotion, shall say this prayer, together with the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the Father: An indulgence of one hundred days, once a day.
A plenary indulgence, on any of the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul, or on any of the nine days preceding, or within their octaves, to those who, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, shall visit with devotion a church or an altar dedicated to these holy apostles, and say there, as directed above, this prayer, praying for holy Church and for the Sovereign Pontiff.
These indulgences, plenary and partial, were confirmed forever by his Holiness, Pope Pius IX, by a rescript, June 18, 1876.