The Catholic Church is officially Pope-less. However, Christ is still the divine Head and High Priest of the Mystical Body, Mary is the mediating neck, and the heavenly Saints are still praying for us. Saint Peter, our first Pope, is praying for us, even encouraging us:

“And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us.” (Hebrews 12:1, D-R)

Below is the “Novena to Saint Peter.” Print it out and place it in your prayerbook or Bible. Put it on your nightstand and pray it with your spouse before bed. Whatever it takes to remember it. 

Let’s try to encourage thousands of Catholics to pray this novena before the conclave meets in the next 10-15 days! Please share this post with friends. 

O Holy Apostle, because you are the Rock upon which Almighty God has built His Church,obtain for me I pray you: lively faith, firm hope, and burning love, complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be made worthy to appear before the Chief and Eternal Shepherd of Souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever. Amen.

Gracious Father, by Whose Hand Thy servant Simon Peter was most wonderfully delivered out of prison and from impending death. Grant us, in all the changes and chances of mortal life, to dread nothing but the loss of Thee, and to cast all our care upon Thee, Who carest for us. When disasters lie ahead, help us to avoid them if we may, and to endure them if we must, knowing that we walk with Him Who endured all for us, Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who now liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. 

Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us. 

Saint Peter, pray for us. 

Prince of the Apostles, pray for us. 

St. Peter, to whom were given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, pray for us. 

St. Peter, so ardent for the glory of Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose heart was pierced with one look from Jesus, pray for us. 

St. Peter, who ceased not to grieve for having denied the Son of God, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose cheeks were furrowed by a stream of tears which flowed to the end of thy life, 

pray for us. 

St. Peter; who cried out, “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee,” pray for us. 

St. Peter, bound in chains for Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, delivered from prison by an Angel, pray for us. 

St. Peter, who rejoiced to suffer for Christ, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose very shadow healed the sick, pray for us. 

St. Peter, whose voice even the dead obeyed, pray for us. 

St. Peter, that we may have a constant and mutual charity among ourselves, pray for us. 

That we may taste and see more and more how sweet is the Lord, pray for us. 

That we may be zealous in loyalty to thy successor, the present Vicar of Christ, pray for us. 

That we may help, at least by prayer, to restore to the unity of thy Holy See the scattered sheep, 

pray for us. 

That we may be prudent and watchful in prayer, pray for us. 

That we may die the death of the just, pray for us. 

V. Let the mercies of the Lord give glory to him,

R. And His wonderful works to the children of men.

V. Pray for us, Saint Peter the Rock, 

R. That we may be worthy of the Vicar of Christ.

Let Us Pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who upon blessed Peter, Thine Apostle, didst bestow the pontifical power of binding and loosing, and didst give to him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, grant that his intercession may ensure our deliverance from the bondage of sin, Thou Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.