Best Catholic novenas for the dying
The Catholic tradition has cultivated specific devotions for the consolation of the dying and for the grace of what Catholics call a happy death: a death in the state of sanctifying grace, fortified by the sacraments, and prepared for the immediate meeting with Christ. The three principal Catholic novenas for these intentions are featured below: to Saint Joseph (the universal patron of a happy death), the Divine Mercy Novena (given to Saint Faustina with explicit promises for the dying), and the Surrender Novena (for the final prayer of release).
For the dying: before any novena, ensure the Catholic priest is called for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, sacramental Confession (if possible), and Holy Communion as Viaticum. Novena prayer is the accompaniment of these sacraments, not their replacement.
The St Joseph Novena
For: the protection and intercession of Saint Joseph for family, employment, holy death, and the needs of the Universal Church
Saint Joseph is the universal Catholic patron of a happy death. The tradition holds that Joseph died in the presence of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the only Catholic to die under the consolation of the immediate presence of both the Son of God and His Mother. The Catholic Church has therefore consecrated him as the special patron of the dying and the principal Catholic intercessor at the hour of death. The Saint Joseph Novena is prayed for terminally ill family members, for the dying who have lost the capacity to pray for themselves, and for the soul's preparation for its own death in the season of advancing age or grave illness.
When to pray it: When death is approaching for oneself or a family member, in conjunction with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
The Divine Mercy Novena
For: trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus, with each day praying for a specific group of souls
The Divine Mercy Novena, given by the Lord Jesus to Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), contains explicit promises of mercy at the hour of death for those who pray it. The Catholic Church has approved the Divine Mercy devotion under multiple popes, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet is the Catholic prayer most directly associated with the moment of death. Pope Saint John Paul II canonized Faustina in 2000 and instituted Divine Mercy Sunday on the second Sunday of Easter, anchoring the devotion firmly in the universal Catholic liturgical calendar.
When to pray it: Beginning on Good Friday and concluding on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, or as a perpetual prayer for the conversion of sinners at the hour of death.
The Surrender Novena
For: surrendering anxieties, illnesses, family troubles, and impossible situations to Jesus
The Surrender Novena, composed by Don Dolindo Ruotolo, is the Catholic prayer of release: the giving over of every situation, including one's own death or the approaching death of a loved one, into the hands of Christ. Catholic spiritual writers have recognized the Surrender Novena as particularly fruitful in the final season of life, when the soul is called to release every remaining attachment in preparation for its meeting with God.
When to pray it: When the soul (one's own or another's) is approaching the threshold of death.
The Catholic theology of a happy death
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that death is the moment in which the soul passes from this life to its eternal destiny, and that the form of death the Catholic must above all avoid is the death without sacramental preparation (CCC 1014-1019). The traditional Catholic prayer asks specifically for the grace of "a holy death" or "the death of the just": death in the state of grace, accompanied by the sacraments, and made in the conscious offering of the soul to Christ.
The Catholic spiritual tradition has therefore developed a rich body of devotion specifically for the hour of death: the prayer to Saint Joseph, the Divine Mercy Chaplet (with Christ's explicit promises to Saint Faustina for the dying), the Anima Christi (with its closing line "In the hour of my death call me"), and the Sub Tuum Praesidium (the most ancient surviving Marian prayer of the Catholic Church, dating to the third century).
The Last Rites of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church calls the three sacraments traditionally administered to the dying the Last Rites. They are:
- The Sacrament of Penance, by which the dying Catholic is restored to the state of sanctifying grace and reconciled to the Catholic Church.
- The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (formerly called Extreme Unction), which confers spiritual strength, forgiveness of any remaining venial sins, and, where God wills, the grace of physical healing.
- The Holy Eucharist received as Viaticum, the Catholic word for "provision for the journey": the dying Catholic receives the Body and Blood of Christ as the immediate spiritual food for the passage from this life to the next.
The Catholic faithful are urged to call the priest at the first serious signs of approaching death, not at the last possible moment. Novena prayer at the bedside is the accompaniment of these sacraments and continues even after sacramental administration is complete.
Prayer for the holy souls in purgatory
The Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of purgatory: that souls who die in the state of grace but with remaining temporal punishment for sin undergo a final purification before entering the Beatific Vision (CCC 1030-1032). The Catholic faithful are bound by charity to pray for these souls, and the novenas above may legitimately be redirected to the holy souls after the death of a family member.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet, prayed for the dying, is by long Catholic tradition prayed also for the holy souls. The Mass offered for the deceased remains the supreme Catholic prayer of intercession for them.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Saint Joseph the patron of a happy death?
Catholic tradition holds that Saint Joseph died before the public ministry of Christ began, in the presence of the Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is the only Catholic saint understood to have died in the immediate consolation of both the Son of God and His Mother. The Catholic Church has therefore consecrated him as the special patron of the dying and the principal Catholic intercessor at the hour of death.
What is the difference between a happy death and a peaceful death?
A peaceful death (in the natural sense) is one without pain or distress. A happy death (in the Catholic theological sense) is one in the state of sanctifying grace, fortified by the sacraments, and prepared for the immediate meeting with Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that a death may be physically painful and yet supremely happy in the theological sense, and conversely that a death physically peaceful but unprepared spiritually is the great catastrophe of the soul.
Should I call a priest for a dying Catholic?
Yes, as soon as possible. The Catholic Church urges the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, sacramental Confession (where the dying person remains capable of it), and Holy Communion as Viaticum ('food for the journey'). These three sacraments together constitute what the Catholic tradition calls the Last Rites. They confer specific graces for the soul's passage and should never be delayed under the misimpression that calling the priest will frighten or upset the dying person.
Can I pray a novena for someone who has already died?
Yes. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory teaches that souls who die in the state of grace but with remaining temporal punishment for sin undergo a final purification before entering the Beatific Vision (CCC 1030-1032). The Catholic faithful pray for the holy souls in purgatory, and the novenas of the dying may legitimately be redirected to this intention. The Divine Mercy Chaplet in particular is widely prayed for the holy souls.
Related Catholic devotions for the dying
Beyond these three novenas, several Catholic prayers are traditionally prayed at the bedside of the dying: the Anima Christi in its entirety, the Divine Mercy Chaplet at three o'clock, the Salve Regina (the great evening hymn of the Catholic Church), and the Memorare as the final entrustment of the soul to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Holy Rosary, prayed aloud at the bedside, has been the most universal Catholic prayer of accompaniment for the dying across the centuries.