Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: A Nine-Day Prayer for Life and Those Who Suffer

September 6, 2026: The Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as the Nine-Day Prayer for Life, invites Catholics to pray for mothers, fathers, children, families and all those who experience suffering, while entrusting human life to the compassionate care of Mary.

The novena is prayed from 7 to 15 September, leading to the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Prepared by James Moroney, Executive Director of the NCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy, it draws the faithful into reflection on Mary's own suffering and her presence at the foot of the Cross.

(Click here to follow Catholic Connect for regular News and Content)

Reflecting on Mary, whose heart was pierced by a sword, the novena remembers women who suffer physically or morally. It brings to prayer mothers caring for sick or struggling children, widows, women who face loneliness or hardship, those who struggle to provide for their families, and women who have experienced injustice or exploitation.

Each day combines prayers to Mary with Scripture and a reflection centred on the dignity and protection of human life. The reflections encourage the faithful to pray for mothers giving birth, fathers awaiting the birth of their children, children, families and people carrying hidden suffering.

The novena also emphasises the role of the family in fostering a culture of life. It encourages families to pray for unborn children, babies, the sick and dying, and those who face difficult circumstances. Prayer, it suggests, can become a source of hope and strength amid suffering.

A central theme of the novena is the Holy Cross. By contemplating Christ's suffering and Mary's presence beside Him, the faithful are encouraged not only to pray for those who suffer but also to work against violence and every threat to human life.

The final reflections entrust human lives, struggles and fears to God, recalling the words of Psalm 31: “My times are in thy hand.”

Through Scripture, Marian devotion and prayers for life, the Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows offers a time of reflection on human suffering, the dignity of every person and the call to stand with those who carry their burdens, whether publicly or in silence.

By Catholic Connect Reporter