Saint Gertrude the Great, also known as Gertrude of Helfta, was a remarkable German Benedictine nun and mystic. Her profound spirituality and writings have left an enduring legacy in the Catholic Church, where she is venerated as a saint.
Gertrude’s life and spiritual insights continue to inspire believers and scholars alike, making her a revered figure in Christian history.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed from the time she was a young student.
St. Gertrude the Great, little is known with certainty about your early life, except that you began studies at a monastery school when you were four years old.
Your time at this monastery school laid the foundation for a lifetime of holy service to God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
You excelled in your studies, and you eventually came to devote yourself to the study of holy things as you grew in your relationship with God.
Pray for me, that I may grow in my love of God each day. Pray that I may be eager to grow in my knowledge of God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in choosing to serve You as Your Bride.
St. Gertrude the Great, you spent most of your childhood at a monastery school. After this upbringing in the Faith, you chose to devote your life to Christ as His bride.
Please bring my petitions before Christ your Divine Spouse!
You spent the rest of your life living out the duties of your vocation faithfully. You grew to have a very deep relationship with Jesus, and you did all you could to serve Him.
Pray for me, that I may carry out the duties of my vocation as faithfully as you did. Pray that I may do all I can to serve God each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in her many years of faithful service as a nun.
St. Gertrude the Great, you chose to follow God’s call to the religious life. You entered the Benedictine order and set out on the path of wholehearted service to God.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!
As a nun, you began having mystical visions. You began to devote yourself constantly to spiritual pursuits, and you grew to great heights of spiritual union with God.
Pray for me, that I may seek to grow to deeper unity in my relationship with God. Pray that I may be eager to devote myself wholeheartedly to Him.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed as she grew in holiness together with her dear friend St. Mechtilde.
St. Gertrude the Great, while you were a student in the monastery school you became close friends with the abbess’ younger sister, Mechtilde. Mechtilde came to have a strong influence over you, and the two of you both grew in holiness.
Please bring my petitions before the throne of God!
During your time as a nun, both you and your friend, St. Mechtilde, grew to practice nuptial mysticism in your spiritual lives and reached great heights of holiness.
Pray for me, that I may benefit from holy friendships in my life. Pray that I may seek to grow in holiness each day.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed in her life as a Benedictine nun.
St. Gertrude the Great, you began on the path to your vocation as a Benedictine nun when you started attending a monastery school at age four. You later chose to devote yourself to God in the Benedictine order.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served with such devotion!
You soon began having mystical visions, and your life began to revolve wholly around God. You continued on this path for years, until you died a holy death.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God in every aspect of my life. Pray that I may carry out the duties of my vocation faithfully, as you did.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed by serving You as a writer.
St. Gertrude the great, you began to experience mystical visions when you were twenty-five years old. These visions influenced you so greatly that you considered their beginning to be your second birth, and you started to serve God more single-mindedly.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so single-mindedly!
As you began to devote yourself to spiritual study and writings, you began to write with the spiritual benefit of others in mind.
Pray for me, that I may seek to lead others closer to God, as you did. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to help others grow in their relationship to God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in her acts of charity towards others.
St. Gertrude the Great, you became immersed in holy spiritual matters after your mystical visions began when you were twenty-five years old. While your relationship with God deepened, your charity towards your brothers and sisters in Christ grew as well.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you loved so dearly!
You practiced works of mercy towards the poor around you, and you felt great solidarity for the suffering souls in purgatory.
Pray for me, that I may grow in charity towards my brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to serve God through charity towards others.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You she showed as she sought to grow closer to You in her spiritual life.
St. Gertrude the Great, you began to experience mystical visions when you were twenty-five years old. From this time on, your life revolved wholly around God and around your desire to grow closer to Him.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you sought so earnestly!
You immersed yourself in spiritual things and did all you could to grow in your spiritual life. You began to practice nuptial mysticism, and you came to be known as one of the greatest mystics of your time.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to grow closer to God at every opportunity. Pray that I may always make my relationship with God the top priority in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Novena to St Gertrude the Great – Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Gertrude the Great as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You she showed in her life of service to You and Your Church.
St. Gertrude the Great, you chose to become a Benedictine nun as a young woman. When you began having mystical visions at age twenty-five, you delved even more deeply into a life of holiness and prayer.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly!
You spent the rest of your life doing all you could to grow in your relationship with God and to bring others to Him. You never ceased seeking to serve God and His Church to the best of your ability.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God and His Church in every way I am able. Pray that I may do all I can serve God as He calls me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Optional: Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great, pray for us!
Say 3: Our Father… Say 3: Hail Mary… Say 3: Glory Be…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.