Novena to St Martin De Porres

The novena to St Martin de Porres is a nine-day prayer to the humble Dominican lay-brother of Lima — the barber-surgeon whom all Peru called "the Father of the Poor" — asked most often for the healing of the sick, the poor and outcast, humility, and the mending of quarrels. It is traditionally prayed from October 26 to November 3, ending on his feast, though it may be said at any time of need. Below is the complete authentic novena — nine days of meditations and prayers, the invocation, and the classic prayer to St Martin — with his life and the questions most often asked.

The full novena to St Martin de Porres

This is the traditional devotion carried in the old Catholic Truth Society prayer-books. Each day has its own meditation on one of the saint's virtues and its own prayer, closing with one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be. Name your intention at the start and keep it through all nine days. If you are new to this, see our short guide to what is a novena.

First Day — Saint Martin's Humility

Saint Martin imitated Our Lord, Who was meek and humble of heart, with no pride or vanity in his soul. He knew that God is our Creator and we but His creatures, and submitted wholly to His Holy Will. Let us imitate him by humbly doing God's Will in all things.

Let us pray. O humble Saint Martin, ask Our Lord to give us the grace of true humility that we may not be puffed up with foolish pride, but may be contented with the gifts that God gives us. Obtain for us the light of the Holy Ghost that we may understand, as you did, that pride is a deceit of the devil and that only by doing the Will of God can we be truly happy. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Second Day — Saint Martin's Love of God

Saint Martin's whole soul was filled with God's love. He knew that Almighty God sent His Only Son to die on the Cross for our sins, and his heart was stirred with affection for so loving a Redeemer. May we too learn to love Our Saviour more and show that love by our good works.

Let us pray. O Saint Martin, why are our hearts so cold and lacking in love for the Son of God, Who became a little Child for our salvation? Why are we so slow to love One Who loved us so much that He gave His life for mankind? Ask God to make us realise that the only way to happiness is by loving and serving Him with all our hearts and souls. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Third Day — Saint Martin's Love of the Poor

Saint Martin was called "the Father of the Poor." He saw in the poor, the sick, and the dying the children of God: he studied medicine to cure the sick, distributed alms daily, and built an orphanage. Let us imitate his charity that God may bless us as He blessed him.

Let us pray. Dear Saint Martin, teach us to be generous with the gifts that God has given us. Make us sympathetic towards those who are suffering and afflicted. Pray to Our Redeemer and to Our Lady of Mercy that our hearts may not be hardened by sin and selfishness, but that we may always be kind and generous to our neighbours because they are the children of Our Heavenly Father. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Fourth Day — Saint Martin's Faith

Saint Martin had a lively faith in all the teachings of the Catholic Church, knowing it was founded by Jesus Christ, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. God rewarded his humble faith by enlightening his mind to believe the mysteries of our Holy Religion. May He give us the grace always to believe the truths He has revealed.

Let us pray. O glorious Saint Martin, we need strong faith in God and His Holy Church, especially in these days when so many people have turned against religion. Ask God to make us faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ in life and in death, and to bring back to the true Church all who have wandered from her. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Fifth Day — Saint Martin's Confidence in God

Saint Martin firmly relied on the goodness and promises of God, hoping through His grace and the merits of Jesus Christ one day to obtain an eternal reward. We too are confident that God will forgive our sins if we are truly sorry, and give us everlasting life if we keep His commandments.

Let us pray. Saint Martin, help us to have a great trust in Almighty God. Make us understand that He is the One Friend who will never desert us as long as we are true to Him. Keep us from foolishly presuming that we will be saved without doing our part, but keep us also from despair, which forgets the mercy of God. Ask the Child Jesus to increase in our hearts faith, hope, and charity. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Sixth Day — Saint Martin's Devotion to Prayer

Saint Martin kept his mind and heart always lifted up to God. His prayer came from the depths of his soul, to adore Him, thank Him, and ask His help. He prayed with humility and perseverance, and God answered him in miraculous ways. He will pray for us now before the Throne of God.

Let us pray. Saint Martin, help us to realise that Christ meant what He said when He promised: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find." Make us faithful in attending Holy Mass and other devotions. Remind us to say our daily prayers to obtain the blessing of God. Ask the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary to obtain for us a share of the treasures of the Holy Rosary. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Seventh Day — Saint Martin's Spirit of Penance

Saint Martin was a brave man, unafraid of hard work and never seeking comforts. Though he laboured hard, he gladly did severe penances for his sins and for the salvation of souls. If so holy a man did penance, how much more should we, who have so gravely offended Almighty God by our sins!

Let us pray. Saint Martin, from you we learn how to be courageous and valiant. From your life we learn to avoid idleness and self-seeking. Give us some of that spirit of penance which you had, so that we may be brave in the struggle with temptation. Ask Jesus Crucified to give us the grace to fight the good fight for victory. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Eighth Day — Saint Martin's Reward

Saint Martin died a holy and peaceful death, having spent his life doing good as a humble Dominican lay-brother. But he that humbleth himself shall be exalted: his heroic life soon became known, and the Church proclaimed him a Saint of God. Let us rejoice that we have such a noble brother among the Saints in Heaven!

Let us pray. Dear Saint Martin, you have been raised up by Almighty God to show us the way to our true home. You have given us the good example and the encouragement that we need. We know from your life that to win the reward of glory we have but to love and serve the Best of Masters. May we ever be humble, that we, too, may be exalted unto everlasting life. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

Ninth Day — Saint Martin's Miracles

Saint Martin performed many miracles in his life and after his holy death. We can go to him with confidence, for he will grant our petitions if they are for the good of our souls. We have only to tell him our troubles and ask his aid; if we do our part, our dear friend Saint Martin will do his.

Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst inflame the heart of Saint Martin with an ardent love of the poor, and Who didst teach him the wonderful joy of true humility and the wisdom of accepting God's Holy Will, grant that, like him, we may be ever truly humble of heart and full of Christ-like love for suffering humanity. Deign, we beseech Thee, that by imitating the holy life and enjoying the powerful help of this saintly brother, the whole world may be drawn nearer to Thee, the Saviour of the human race, Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

One Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. One Glory Be.

The prayer to St Martin de Porres

Many keep this classic prayer at hand throughout the nine days, or say it whenever they invoke the saint:

Most humble Martin de Porres, whose burning charity embraced not only thy needy brethren, but also the very animals of the field, splendid example of charity, we hail and invoke thee! From that high throne which thou dost occupy, deign to listen to the supplications of thy needy brethren, that, by imitating thy virtues, we may live contented in that state in which God has placed us, and, carrying our cross with strength and courage, we may follow in the footsteps of Our Blessed Redeemer and His most afflicted Mother, to reach at last the Kingdom of Heaven through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The invocation for the sick

Because St Martin worked so many cures, a short invocation has long been said when his relic, picture, or medal is applied to a sick person, or held by anyone in need:

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the name of Mary, Queen of Heaven, in the name of Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Saint Martin, cure (help) me. For the honour and glory of God and the salvation of souls. Amen.

A shorter novena prayer to St Martin de Porres

Where the full nine meditations are too long, this short prayer may be said once on each of the nine days, with your request named:

Saint Martin de Porres, your concern and charity embraced not only your needy brethren, but also the animals of the field. You are a splendid example of charity; we thank and praise you. From above, hear the requests of your needy brethren. (Name your request.) By modelling our lives after yours, and imitating your virtues, may we live content, knowing that God has looked favourably upon us. And so may we carry our burdens with strength and courage, following in the footsteps of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, until we reach the Kingdom of Heaven through the intercession of Jesus Christ. Amen.

How to pray this novena

A novena is nine days of prayer for one intention, in imitation of the Apostles and Our Lady between the Ascension and Pentecost. To pray this one well:

• Choose your nine days. The traditional dates are October 26 through November 3, so the ninth day falls on his feast — but you may begin whenever a need presses.
• Name one intention and keep it through all nine days: a sickness, a family quarrel, work, or the grace of humility itself.
• Pray at a fixed hour, unhurried, adding the day's Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and Glory Be. Some pray the whole Rosary on the sixth day, since St Martin loved the Rosary and the meditation names Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.
• Ask in submission. A novena does not compel God; it entrusts a need to a friend in Heaven and leaves the outcome to Providence. Pray always, Thy will be done.

If your need is desperate or hopeless, St Martin is a fitting patron — you may join his novena to that of the patron saint of hopeless cases, St Jude, whose own novena to St Jude is prayed for causes the world has given up.

Who is St Martin de Porres?

Martin de Porres was born at Lima, in Peru, on December 9, 1579, the son of a Spanish nobleman, Don Juan de Porres, and Ana Velázquez, a freed woman of African descent from Panama. Born outside marriage and dark of skin, he knew poverty and slight from his earliest years, and was apprenticed to a barber-surgeon — the trade of cutting hair, drawing blood, and dressing wounds that would make him the physician of the poor of Lima.

At about fifteen he offered himself to the Dominican priory of the Holy Rosary in Lima as a donado, doing the humblest work for the love of God. So plainly did his sanctity declare itself that his superiors set aside the law barring those of mixed race from religious life, and received him to full profession as a lay-brother of the Order of Preachers.

His charity knew no bounds. Daily he fed nearly two hundred poor and disbursed great sums for the destitute — Indians, Africans, and Spaniards alike — and founded the Orphanage of the Holy Cross for the homeless waifs of the city, which called him affectionately "the Father of the Poor." God favoured him with gifts of healing, of hidden knowledge, and of bilocation — for though he never left South America, captives in Africa and the sick as far as Mexico reported his help. He was tender even toward animals, for which he is often shown with a broom and the household creatures at his feet. Yet the wonders never touched his humility; he called himself a "poor mulatto dog" and did the lowest work to the end.

Saint Martin died at Lima on November 3, 1639, at the age of sixty, and miracles multiplied at his tomb. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI in 1837 and, after long veneration, canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. His feast is kept on November 3, the day of his death. He is honoured as patron of the poor, of the sick and those who nurse them, of barbers, of interracial harmony, and of the hidden path of humility. For his whole life and patronage, see our page on Saint Martin de Porres; and because he is above all a master of the lowly heart, his devotion pairs naturally with the Litany of Humility.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do you pray the novena to St Martin de Porres?

The traditional time is the nine days from October 26 to November 3, so the last day falls on his feast. But it may be prayed at any time of need; what matters is nine consecutive days held to one intention.

What is the novena to St Martin de Porres for?

It is prayed above all for the sick and their recovery, for the poor and outcast, for humility and the grace to accept God's will, and for the healing of quarrels and racial division. St Martin cured thousands, so the sick have a special claim on him.

How many days is the St Martin de Porres novena?

Nine days. The word novena comes from the Latin novem, "nine," recalling the nine days Our Lady and the Apostles prayed before Pentecost. Each day has its own meditation and prayer, and closes with one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

Is St Martin de Porres a canonized saint?

Yes. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI in 1837 and canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. He is a saint of the universal Church, his feast kept on November 3.

What is St Martin de Porres the patron saint of?

He is the patron of the poor, of the sick and of public-health and medical workers, of barbers (his own trade), of interracial justice and harmony, and of mixed-race people. More widely he is invoked by all who need charity, healing, or humility.

Why is St Martin de Porres shown with a broom and animals?

The broom recalls the humble work he chose — sweeping the priory as a servant of God. The animals recall his tenderness toward every creature: dogs, cats, and even mice, which tradition says he fed and reconciled. Both signify the one virtue that ran through his life — a charity that stooped to the very least.

Is there a printable PDF of the novena to St Martin de Porres?

The complete text above — the nine days with their meditations, the prayer to St Martin, the invocation for the sick, and the shorter form — is the whole novena; copy it to keep beside you for the nine days. The Iter Fidei app also carries it in full, to be prayed from a phone without a printed sheet.

Pray this novena to St Martin de Porres with day-by-day reminders and audio in the Iter Fidei app, so you never lose the thread. Download it here.

Sources. The traditional nine-day Novena and Prayers to Saint Martin de Porres (Catholic Truth Society, printed with ecclesiastical approval, 1962); the prayer Most humble Martin de Porres and the Invocation to St Martin, from the same; the beatification of Bl. Martin de Porres by Pope Gregory XVI (1837) and his canonization by Pope John XXIII (May 6, 1962); Holy Scripture (Matthew 7:7; Luke 14:11).