A NOVENA BEFORE THE BEATIFICATION OF MICHAEL MCGIVNEY (October 22-30, 2020)

Portrait of Father Michael J. McGivney by John Tierney. (Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archives via CNA)

A NOVENA BEFORE THE BEATIFICATION OF
MICHAEL MCGIVNEY

Introduction
Venerable Michael McGivney, a model parish priest and founder
of the Knights of Columbus, was recognized as a “saint” in his
day by the people closest to him. When he is named “Blessed”
by Pope Francis on October 31, the Church will declare what
many have long believed — the holy soul of Father McGivney
lives today to intercede for us before the throne of God.
Over the years, thousands of favors have been attributed to
Father McGivney’s intercession, as Knights, their families and
Catholics throughout the world pray to him in times of need. He
is known especially for favors related to employment and
finances, reconciling family members, overcoming addiction,
recovering from serious illness, as well as conversion and return
to the Church. Coinciding with issues Father McGivney dealt
with as a parish priest on earth, these favors show his ongoing
care and concern for those who call upon him in faith.
In a spirit of total trust in God, we invoke Father McGivney’s
intercession during this novena, from Oct. 22-30, mindful of the
fact that miracles have occurred in the past for those who pray
for a special healing at the time of a beatification. We pray, most
of all, that through the holy witness of Father McGivney, many
will be brought closer to God and that we ourselves may renew
our love of God and neighbor.
Let us open our hearts as we pray over these nine days.
Day 1 – The Founder’s Family of Faith
Thursday, Oct. 22
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD;
the fruit of the womb is a reward (Ps 127:3).
Intention: For the domestic church, the church of the home, seedbed of
love and vocation.
Virtue: Openness to God’s will.
Although they lived a century before St. John Paul II, whose memorial we
observe today (Oct. 22), Patrick and Mary McGivney embodied the late
pope’s message on the domestic church: “Family, become what you are”
(Familiaris Consortio, 17). Formed and blessed by God, the family is the
place where parents are privileged to bring forth children and serve as the
first examples of human love, unity and fraternity, amid daily joys,
sacrifices and suffering. The McGivney family knew the grace of
cooperating with God’s will, bringing 13 children into the world, as well
as the grief that came when six of those children died as infants. Patrick
and Mary had left Ireland’s potato famine for America and were married in
Waterbury, Conn. Their first child, Michael Joseph, was born Aug. 12, 1852,
and baptized a week later. He took on family responsibility early, watching
over his younger siblings, earning honors in school, graduating at age 13,
and then joining his father in factory work. Though not rich in material
goods, the life of this family abounded in grace, and Michael learned
discipline, compassion, and the rough-and-tumble fraternal charity that
comes naturally in a large family. The McGivneys also received from God
the great gift of vocations, as Michael’s younger brothers, Patrick and John,
would join him in the priesthood.
Petitions
For a deeper appreciation of the importance of family life, that our domestic
church may serve as a model of faith, hope and charity. R/ Grant our prayer,
Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For holy marriages founded on God’s love, that husbands and wives may
have the grace to generously accept the gift of new life. R/ Grant our prayer,
Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 2 – Ordained ‘A Man for Others’
Friday, Oct. 23
I will raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them;
and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified,
nor will any be missing (Jer 23:4).
Intention: For vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life.
Virtue: Courage to respond to God’s call.
Young Michael’s desire to be “a man for others” was recognized by his
pastor, who encouraged him to enter the seminary at age 16. Yet Michael’s
path to the priesthood was neither smooth nor direct. After gaining his
father’s permission to leave his work in a Waterbury factory, Michael
traveled far, to Canada and upstate New York, to receive the proper
education and spiritual formation. After his father died, Michael would
have been forced to stay home to support the family if not for a scholarship
supplied by the bishop of Hartford to continue studies at St. Mary’s
Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained Dec. 22, 1877, in America’s first
cathedral, and returned to Waterbury to celebrate his first public Mass for
Christmas, with his widowed mother attending. Assigned to St. Mary’s
Church, the first Catholic parish in New Haven, he served a large, mostly
immigrant population and worked without a single day off for more than a
year, filling in for an ailing pastor. Father McGivney’s experience shows
that vocations are discerned and nurtured in a family, encouraged by
spiritual advisors, supported by prayer, and tested by adversity. With this
example in mind, let us beseech the Lord anew “to send out workers into
his harvest” (Mt 9:37-38).
Petitions
For an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, that
many more men and women may respond to God’s call to serve his people.
R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For a greater collaboration between clergy and laity, that Father McGivney’s
example of helping laypeople to understand and live their vocation to
holiness may serve as a model for the Church today. R/ Grant our prayer,
Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 3 – Ministry to the Marginalized
Saturday, Oct. 24
I have become all things to all men,
so that I may by all means save some (1 Cor 9:22).
Intention: For all who suffer on the peripheries of society, including
immigrants, those persecuted for their Christian faith, and persons who are
imprisoned, poor, homeless or addicted.
Virtue: Perseverance amid adversity and trials.
Father McGivney did not confine himself to the sacristy or rectory. The
needs of his people took him far from the church doors as he served as an
advocate for families in court; a friend of those from other Christian faiths;
a consoling presence to a prominent Protestant minister whose daughter
had died; the director of public plays and fairs; and, of course, the founder
of the Knights of Columbus. In these and many other ways, he was a man
ahead of his time, anticipating by nearly a century the Second Vatican
Council’s teachings on ecumenical dialogue, a more active and engaged
laity, and the “universal call to holiness.”
In a notable case, he ministered to James “Chip” Smith, a 21-year-old
Catholic who was on death row for fatally shooting a police officer while
drunk. Father McGivney visited him often over many months to offer
guidance, prayer and Mass in the city jail, to great effect. The young man’s
change of heart was so marked that local newspapers hailed Father
McGivney’s ministry. After Mass on execution day, the priest’s grief was
profound. Smith comforted him, saying, “Father, your saintly ministrations
have enabled me to meet death without a tremor. Do not fear for me, I must
not break down now.” Father McGivney walked with him to the end,
leading him in prayer and blessing him at the scaffold. He still walks with
us in our needs today as we look to him for guidance in times of affliction,
grief and hopelessness.
Petitions
For those who are neglected and in need, that we may respond to the Lord’s
call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, give shelter to
the homeless, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned (see Matt 26:31-46).
R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For those throughout the world who are persecuted or killed for their
Christian faith, that the Knights of Columbus Christian Refugee Relief
Fund may continue to provide help in their time of great need. R/ Grant our
prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 4 – Founder of the Knights of Columbus
Sunday, Oct. 25
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers
to dwell together in unity! (Ps 133:1).
Intention: For Catholic men and their families.
Virtues: Charity, unity and fraternity.
The Knights of Columbus grew out of Father McGivney’s personal
experience. He knew firsthand the hardships families faced when the father
of a family died young. He saw Catholic men lured by secret societies that
promised brotherhood and financial benefits but whose practices were
contrary to the Catholic faith. Yet he also knew the strength and character
of Catholic men who kept their faith and worked hard to support their
families. A priest of deep prayer and practical action, Father McGivney
called together the accomplished, “go-ahead” Catholic men of New Haven
for a meeting in the basement of St. Mary’s Church. They were to form a
new society that would support men in the faith and assist widows and
orphans when a member passed away. Summing up the mission of the
Knights of Columbus, he wrote, “’Unity and charity’ is our motto. Unity
in order to gain strength to be charitable to each other in benevolence
whilst we live and in bestowing financial aid to those whom we have to
mourn.” The members of the Order today carry out his vision and mission
through a charity that evangelizes, a charity that answers the simple
question that lies at the heart of each person: How am I to live, and whom
am I to serve? Father McGivney answered these questions with his personal
witness of practical sanctity and charity, and his Knights continue to this
day to follow in his footsteps through lives devoted to charity, unity and
fraternity.
Petitions
For the pursuit of holiness among members of the Knights of Columbus,
that according to Father McGivney’s vision, Catholic men may step
forward to lead, serve and sacrifice. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the
intercession of Father McGivney.
For the continued growth of the Knights of Columbus, that many more
men may commit to their faith and protect the financial future of their
families through membership in the Order. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord,
through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 5 – A Holy Life
Monday, Oct. 26
Therefore, you are to be perfect,
as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48).
Intention: For the sanctification of clergy and laity in their mutually
enriching vocations within the Church.
Virtue: Discernment of God’s will in our lives.
Father McGivney was a man of few yet effective words who drew upon the
Word of God for inspiration. Those who knew him, however, had much to
say about his character and manner. They remarked on the inviting tone
of his voice, his firm yet friendly demeanor, his popular personality and the
positive and lasting impression he made on others. According to one
contemporary, parishioners “called him a positive saint, and meant it.” A
blind man would come each Sunday to hear “that voice.” A fellow priest
observed, “Father McGivney, though a man of unassuming character, was
possessed of an indomitable will.” Another priest said he lived “a life
unselfishly given to the service of others, a life spent in the promotion of
his neighbors’ welfare, a life redolent of deeds whose motive was the social,
moral, intellectual and religious improvement of his fellows. … Coincident
with his spiritual labors, he wrought also for the temporal welfare of his
brethren …” Perhaps the best description came from a contemporary who
wrote of his “priest’s face … a face of wonderful repose. There was nothing
harsh in that countenance although there was everything that was strong.”
Petitions
For all those who seek a life of holiness in the priesthood, consecrated life,
and the lay apostolate, that they may follow Father McGivney in leading
“a life unselfishly given to the service of others.” R/ Grant our prayer, Lord,
through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For a renewal of the practice of frequent sacramental confession and
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, that many more Catholics may seek
union with God through the forgiveness of their sins and worship of the
Real Presence of Jesus. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession
of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 6 – Shepherd of Souls
Tuesday, Oct. 27
For I became your father in Christ Jesus
through the Gospel (1 Cor 4:15).
Intention: For priests who labor in parishes, apostolates and missions.
Virtue: Zeal for the salvation of souls.
After seven years at St. Mary’s Church, Father McGivney was named pastor
of St. Thomas Parish in Thomaston, 30 miles from New Haven, in the
northern hills of Connecticut. On his final Sunday at St. Mary’s, people
wept openly in the pews as he offered his farewell with tears filling his own
eyes. He concluded, “Wherever I go, the memory of the people of St. Mary’s
and their great kindness to me will always be uppermost in my heart.” The
local newspaper noted, “Never, it seemed, was a congregation so affected
by the parting address of a clergyman as the great audience which filled St.
Mary’s.” Relying on the grace of God, Father McGivney was the image of
the Good Shepherd in his six years as pastor of St. Thomas Church. His
sacramental records show a steady schedule of Mass, baptisms, confessions,
anointings, weddings and funerals — the daily labor of a parish priest
charged with the care of souls. Knowing the hard life of his people, he also
planned for them regular periods of respite and recreation. Soon he was
entrusted with a mission church four miles away, Immaculate Conception
in Terryville. Ever faithful to his daily duties, Father McGivney would offer
an early Sunday Mass in Thomaston, ride the horse-drawn carriage to
Terryville for a mid-morning Mass, and return to St. Thomas Church for
the noon Mass. This tiring regimen, over rough roads and often in
inclement weather, wore down his health. On one occasion, as a
Thomaston resident related, Father McGivney lost control of the horse and
his carriage crashed into a fence, and he was thrown some distance. Dusting
off his cassock and shaking off the bruises, he thanked God for preserving
his life and continued his journey. With the Lord leading, nothing would
keep him from fulfilling his obligations to his people.
Petitions
For pastors and all those who serve as shepherds of souls, that they may
practice prayerful zeal in carrying out their duties, for the greater glory of
God. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father
McGivney.
For laypeople, that they may offer friendship, support and prayers for
priests, who battle on the front lines of spiritual warfare. R/ Grant our
prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 7 – A Holy Death
Wednesday, Oct. 28
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that is to be revealed in us (Rom 8:18).
Intention: For the dying and those suffering from serious illness.
Virtue: Hope for eternal life.
Falling ill amid the influenza pandemic of 1889-90, Father McGivney
traveled far to find effective treatments but always returned to his parish
to tend to his duties while his health lasted. In his final days, priests visited
to comfort him, learn from him, and administer the Last Rites. For his own
part, he prayed fervently for his parishioners and his Knights, offering his
sufferings for their spiritual and temporal welfare. A man of practical action
till the end, he updated his will, providing for the seminary education of
his youngest brother and dividing his goods among his siblings. The flu,
known as the “grippe,” that consumed the world’s attention also grabbed
hold of his body. He was confined to bed in his rectory for much of the
summer before succumbing to the virus, with an underlying condition of
tuberculosis, on Aug. 14, 1890, two days past his 38th birthday, on the vigil
of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was a
model of goodness and patience and — in his last priestly act on earth —
offered himself to God in a holy death. As one of his Knights remembered,
“He was a man of the people. He was zealous of his people’s welfare, and
all the kindness of his priestly soul asserted itself more strongly in his
unceasing efforts for the betterment of their condition.” The remembrance
card at his funeral quoted a passage from the Book of Wisdom that
highlighted his holiness of life and closeness to God: “Being made perfect
in a short space, he fulfilled a long time; for his soul pleased God, therefore
He hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquity” (Wis 4:13-14).
Petitions
For our loved ones who have died, that they may soon see the face of God
in the land of the living. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession
of Father McGivney.
For those who suffer in mind, body or soul, that they may be comforted
and healed by God’s gracious hand. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the
intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 8 – A Legacy of Love
Thursday, Oct. 29
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;
for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law (Rom 13:8).
Intention: For the mission of the Knights of Columbus.
Virtue: Love of God and neighbor.
Father McGivney had a genius for turning neighbors into friends and friends
into brothers. He set the example by serving as a Good Samaritan, stopping
to assist, binding up wounds, and caring for the temporal and spiritual
welfare of those who had fallen along the wayside of society. In this, he
lived out the true meaning of charity — of love: to will the true good of
another. Love is a dying to self so that the other may more fully live. Jesus
Christ, who is love himself, has told us this — “Greater love has no one
than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) — and showed
us the authentic face of love on the cross. By forming the Knights of
Columbus, Father McGivney was leading men not only to do something
but to be someone — a better person ready to live according to the
challenges of love. He knew the full meaning of love and he gave men and
their families a way — through charity, unity and fraternity — to live that
fullness of the Gospel in their own place and time, in their own homes,
parishes and communities. We are invited, in these days leading up to
Father McGivney’s beatification, to follow his example, to live out his
legacy, to be Catholics who love God above all things and our neighbors as
ourselves, as we strive each day to build up the kingdom of God for the
good of all.
Petitions
For Knights in local councils, that their love of God and devotion to Father
McGivney will help to build up their parishes and communities. R/ Grant
our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For families that suffer from discord or misunderstanding, that they may
experience God’s healing, and work toward unity of heart, mind and spirit.
R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
Day 9 – Heavenly Intercessor
Friday, Oct. 30
Smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints
from the hand of the angel before God (Rev 8:4).
Intention: For those who seek a miracle.
Virtue: Devotion and dedication in prayer.
From the witness of his life on earth, we are convinced of Father
McGivney’s holiness and heroic virtue. With an approved miracle worked
by God through his intercession, we are now assured of the efficacy of his
heavenly intercession. Known as an Apostle of Christian Family Life,
Father McGivney continues to care for families, marriages and children.
He also works through his Knights of Columbus, who bring the principles
of charity, unity and fraternity into the everyday lives of people around the
world. The miracle that was attributed to his intercession is a perfect
example of the life-affirming vision and mission of Father McGivney. It
involved the healing from a fatal condition of a child in the womb who was
born with Down syndrome into a large, loving family. The parents prayed
fervently to Father McGivney for their child to live and asked all their
family members and close friends to do the same. Their prayer was
answered in a miraculous fashion, and today the boy is an active, thriving
5-year-old.
On October 31, Father McGivney will be declared “Blessed” not for his
benefit but for ours. He is being lifted up by the Church as an example for
us to follow, as an intercessor for our most heartfelt prayers, as a friend in
times of trouble who has gone before us into heaven. Let us rejoice that
this model parish priest is being honored in our time for the needs of our
world, and call upon Father McGivney for a second miracle that will open
the way for his canonization.
Petitions
For all members of the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild, that their many
prayers and intentions will be answered in God’s time and according to his
providence. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father
McGivney.
For an increase in devotion to Father McGivney, that Knights and others
throughout the world may look to him as a friend and companion in the
triumphs and trials of life. R/ Grant our prayer, Lord, through the
intercession of Father McGivney.
Continue with the Daily Prayers on the back cover.
DAILY PRAYERS
Petitions
For many graces to come through the beatification of Father Michael
McGivney, that by his example of virtue we may be inspired to put our
faith into action for the good of our families, parishes and communities. R/
Grant our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
For the personal petitions of those who pray this novena, and for a miracle
from God that will lead to the canonization of Father McGivney. R/ Grant
our prayer, Lord, through the intercession of Father McGivney.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be…
Prayer for the Canonization of Father McGivney
God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and
orphan, you called your priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, to be an apostle
of Christian family life and to lead the young to the generous service of
their neighbor. Through the example of his life and virtue may we follow
your Son, Jesus Christ, more closely, fulfilling his commandment of charity
and building up his Body which is the Church. Let the inspiration of your
servant prompt us to greater confidence in your love so that we may
continue his work of caring for the needy and the outcast. We humbly ask
that you glorify your venerable servant Father Michael J. McGivney on
earth according to the design of your holy will. Through his intercession,
grant the favor I now present (here make your request). Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.