Our Annual Parish Novena
Saint Paul of the Cross Parish offers an annual Novena to Saint Anne. This devotion is a powerful way to lay our most precious prayers for our families, marriages, children, grandchildren, and friends before the throne of our Heavenly Father, through the intercession of Saint Anne.This year's Novena begins Saturday, July 18, and concludes on Sunday, July 26, at St. Anne Church. Each day, Mass and Novena prayers will be offered, with special times set aside for Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, veneration of the St. Anne relic, and Anointing of the Sick. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Joachim Morgan, OSB, and Fr. Barnabas O’Reilly, OSB, the leaders of the campus ministry at Penn State University, as this year’s guest speakers! Fr. Joachim and Fr. Barnabas will give a multi-part talk during the Novena, speaking at every Mass with a new segment shared each day.
They will be speaking on finding faith when it doesn’t make sense, discovering hope in times of despair, and learning to love through the perfection of sacrifice - all viewed through the beautiful life of St. Anne and her family.
Novena Candles
Catholics light candles as a symbol of the light of faith which we ask for God's help. The candles burn for nine days and may be left at the church or given to those who are unable to attend the Novena.
St. Anne Novena Schedule, July 18 - 26
Saturday, July 18
- 8:00 AM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following Mass)​
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11:00 AM – 11:45 AM – Confessions
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4:00 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers
Sunday, July 19
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8:00 AM, 10:00 AM & 6:00 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers
Monday, July 20
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8:00 AM & 6:30 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following both Masses)
Tuesday, July 21
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8:00 AM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following Mass)
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After 8:00 AM Mass – 6:15 PM – Eucharistic Adoration
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5:15 PM – 6:15 PM – Confessions
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6:30 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following Mass)
Wednesday, July 22
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8:00 AM & 6:30 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following both Masses)
Thursday, July 23
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8:00 AM & 6:30 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following both Masses)
Friday, July 24
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8:00 AM & 6:30 PM – Mass & Novena Prayers (Confessions following both Masses)
Saturday, July 25
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8:00 AM – Mass with Anointing of the Sick (Novena Prayers and Confessions following Mass)
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11:00 AM – 11:45 AM – Confessions
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4:00 PM – Solemnity Mass (Reception following Mass)
Sunday, July 26 (Feast of St. Joachim & St. Anne)
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8:00 AM – Solemnity Mass & Novena Prayers (Reception following Mass)
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10:00 AM – Solemnity Mass & Novena Prayers (Reception following Mass)
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6:00 PM – Solemnity Mass & Novena Prayers
Meet Our Guest Speakers!
Fr. Joachim Morgan, OSB
Director of Campus Ministry at Penn State University
Fr. Joachim, a native of Michigan, attended Central Michigan University, and subsequently enrolled at Saint Vincent Seminary, where he earned a Master of Arts and a Master of Divinity degree (cum laude), as well as the Demetrius R. Dumm, OSB, Sacred Scripture Award, given by the faculty to the student who most demonstrates excellence in the study of Sacred Scripture. He most recently served as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Fatima, St. Frances Cabrini, and St. Titus Parishes before coming to Penn State in 2024.Fr. Barnabas O’Reilly, OSB
Assistant Director & Campus Minister at Penn State University
Fr. Barnabas, a Johnstown native, earned his undergraduate degrees from Saint Vincent College, and subsequently enrolled at Saint Vincent Seminary, receiving a Master of Arts (cum laude) in Catholic philosophical studies. He most recently taught at the Benedictine College in Savannah. During his time as a monk, Fr. Barnabas worked for many years in campus ministry at Saint Vincent College. Before entering the monastery, he worked for two years as a missionary with St. Paul’s Outreach and was stationed at West Virginia University. Fr. Barnabas is passionate about sharing the Catholic faith and helping people growing in their own sense of mission and relationship with God.St. Anne Novena Prayers
If you can't make it to Mass each day, you can still join us in prayer! Visit this page to pray the Novena at home, or click HERE to download a printable copy of the prayers.
Opening Prayer
O Good Saint Anne, I come to you with confidence, since you are the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. You are powerful and kind. You are close to me and to all of us. You help all those who pray to you. Your sole desire is to lead us to Jesus, to obtain from Him all the graces we need in order to follow Him with joy and peace. I entrust to your care all my intentions, all my needs. Help me open my heart to the graces of the Holy Spirit. Protect the Church, our parishes, and our Church leaders. Take care of our families and those who are sick. We commend to you all those who are dear to us, especially our children and grandchildren.
O Good Saint Anne, through your intercession help us bear witness to Jesus by our Christian life. May we proclaim His message of hope and love. Amen.
O Good Saint Anne, through your intercession help us bear witness to Jesus by our Christian life. May we proclaim His message of hope and love. Amen.
Petitions To Saint Anne
When we are stressed or distressed...Saint Anne, pray for us.
When we are sick and infirm...Saint Anne, pray for us.
When we are jobless and short of money...Saint Anne, pray for us.
For our broken homes...Saint Anne, pray for us.
For marriages in distress...Saint Anne, pray for us.
For our children, our teenagers, and loved ones who keep us worried...Saint Anne, pray for us.
For those in our community with substance abuse problems...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our physical, emotional, moral, and spiritual problems...Saint Anne, pray for us.
When we work, relax, play or rest...Saint Anne, pray for us.
When we struggle with temptation or give way to sin...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our desire for unity and peace...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our hopes to heal broken relationships...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our eagerness to relieve those who suffer...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our prayers for vocations...Saint Anne, pray for us.
In our charitable efforts to help the souls in Purgatory...Saint Anne, pray for us.
For all of our intentions...Saint Anne, pray for us.
Glorious Saint Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer, burdened by the weight of my troubles I kneel before you and humbly beg you to take the present petition I bring to you under your maternal protection. Ask your daughter Mary to intercede for me and to bring my petition to the feet of Jesus so that He may answer my request. Keep interceding for me until my request is granted. (Ask for your favors)
Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day seeing my God face to face and praising Him with you and Mary and all the saints, through all eternity. Amen.
Good Saint Anne, mother of her who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our request. (Repeat 3 times)
Pray for us Saint Anne... Who have given life to the Immaculate Mother of God.
O God, who granted Saint Anne the grace to become the mother of her who gave birth to your only Son; grant that we, who keep her in remembrance, may obtain her protection. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day seeing my God face to face and praising Him with you and Mary and all the saints, through all eternity. Amen.
Good Saint Anne, mother of her who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our request. (Repeat 3 times)
Pray for us Saint Anne... Who have given life to the Immaculate Mother of God.
O God, who granted Saint Anne the grace to become the mother of her who gave birth to your only Son; grant that we, who keep her in remembrance, may obtain her protection. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Saint Anne Bless My Family
I entrust my family to you, Good Saint Anne. Keep a careful eye on them and guard them against all physical and spiritual danger. My family is where my life develops; it is my vital setting; made up of the persons that I love most in the world. My family is the small community where I live through a succession of joys and pains. It is, as it were, my home church. I know that the model of all families must be found in the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You yourself, Saint Anne, with your husband Joachim and your daughter, the Virgin Mary, gave the example of an ideal family. Help my family be as closely united as yours and that of Jesus. Make us love and help one another as you did. Saint Anne, you were a spouse, a mother, and a grandmother. Bless all the members of my family. Keep them united and always faithful to the Lord. Help all Christian families become a living example of love and peace to people they meet. May they proclaim Christ and His Gospel by word and charity. Thanks to your intercession, may the whole family of the children of God, the Church, remain faithful to Jesus. Amen.