: a Roman Catholic period of prayer lasting nine consecutive days
Examples of novena in a Sentence
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Looney said his mother nonetheless was a devout churchgoer, habitually committing to saying novenas — nine-day periods of prayer seeking intercession for a person or cause, the beneficiaries often a surprise.—
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 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 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