On July 29, the novena in honor of St. Cajetan begins.
St. Cajetan was an Italian priest, known as the saint of bread and work. He founded the Order of Clerics Regular (Theatines), dedicated to renewing the spiritual life of the clergy and serving those most in need.
He was distinguished by his deep faith in Divine Providence, his love for the poor, and his tireless efforts to help those who lacked food, employment, and dignity. For this reason, he is venerated as the patron saint of work, daily bread, and social peace.
Every year, on August 7, thousands of faithful around the world visit his shrines to ask for employment, sustenance for their families, and strength in times of economic hardship.
We invite you to join this novena in preparation for the feast of St. Cajetan. Did you know that praying a novena to the saints helps you deepen your faith, draw closer to God, and seek the intercession of a saint for specific needs?
The word novena comes from the Latin novem (meaning “nine”) and refers to nine consecutive days of prayer, recalling the nine days the apostles prayed with the Virgin Mary before Pentecost.
When you pray a novena to a saint, you are asking them to intercede for you before God, since the saints are God’s friends and examples of a holy Christian life.
A novena helps you:
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Ask for special graces (health, work, family, vocation, conversion, etc.)
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Strengthen your faith and patience, trusting in God’s timing and will.
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Unite yourself spiritually with the Church, as novenas are a communal and traditional practice.
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Imitate the virtues of the saint by reflecting on their life and example.
May you receive abundant graces through the intercession of St. Cajetan as you pray this novena in his honor!
Puedes utilizar la aplicación Horarios de Misa para encontrar la iglesia católica más cercana con horarios de Misa, Confesión y Adoración. ¡Seguro te servirá! Descárgala ahora.
Structure of the Novena
The novena is prayed in the following order:
- Intro Prayer.
- Daily Prayer for each specific day of the novena.
- Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Intro Prayer
The opening prayers help prepare the heart so the novena can bear true spiritual fruit in our souls.
O glorious St. Cajetan, you studied to be a lawyer, but when you felt that the Lord was calling you to his service, you abandoned everything and became a priest.
You excelled in virtues, shunning all material rewards for your labor, helping the many unemployed people of your time.
You provided loans without interest and you attracted benefactors who donated to your resources so that you could go on with your activities.
Look on us with mercy. We wish to find employment that could help us and our families live with dignity.
Listen to our petitions, dear saint; you, who could easily give up the food on your table for the needy, bring our petitions to Jesus (mention request here…).
Amen.
Daily Prayer for each specific day of the novena
Day 1 Prayer
You were a model of virtue among the priests of your time, O St. Cajetan. You sought not to receive payments from your ministry, and you taught people how to pray the rosary and develop devotions to saints. You were truly a spiritual shepherd, and your concern was always focused on the salvation of souls. But despite this, you were also aware that with hungry stomachs, the faithful would have difficulty in understanding God’s Word. You embarked to help them, not just by giving them bread but helping them gain their living by work. Look on us with pity, O glorious saint. We have many unemployed people in our midst and their families go hungry. We ask you to guide the fathers and mothers who are looking for work. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 2 Prayer
Despite your busy schedule, dear saint, you spent eight hours a day in prayer. Your happiness consists in being united with Jesus, to savor his presence in the Eucharist. Guide us to be like you by giving priority to prayer in our life. Enable us to savor Jesus’ presence and help us become contemplatives like you. Inspire us to understand that prayer is not just asking Jesus for our needs, but being with him, delighting in his presence. We ask you, dear saint, to lead us in this direction that we may learn to delight in Jesus’ presence. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 3 Prayer
Since your death, dear St. Cajetan, the unemployed people of the world had sought your intercession. Work is the key to a happy life. Look with pity on the millions of people in our country who wake up each morning without certainty of finding food because they don’t have work. These people become victims of desperation and some even resort to crimes to survive. Help our government leaders formulate policies that will bring about employment. You who established a bank for the needy inspire our leaders to extend loans for the poor so that they may provide for the needs of their families. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 4 Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, like the society where you lived, we are also beset by the same economic set up where the poor are becoming poorer and the rich, richer. You fasted so that the money you saved could be used to buy food for the poor, you did not accept any payment for your ministries because you wanted people to help the needy. You lived very frugally because you wanted to teach the rich about the need to share. Look with pity on our society where resources are wasted in buying useless goods, while the poor and the needy among us have not received the basic necessities. Inspire us to share that nobody among us would go hungry, and that everybody may live with dignity. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 5 Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, you spent long hours helping the sick and worked yourself to exhaustion in helping victims of plagues which were frequent in your time. You cared for the sick not just to heal them, but to guide them to a happy death. You wanted their souls, not their bodies. Help us to understand that we have to prepare ourselves to a happy death. May we likewise see that the most terrible sickness is our sinfulness, and we always have to examine ourselves for the sins we commit daily. Inspire us to have repentant hearts that we may always be prepared to meet the Lord. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 6 Prayer
O humble St. Cajetan, you spoke with rulers and kings, but you never gave them much importance. You know that prestige, honor, and positions in society could only be good if they are use to help the needy and the poor. For this reason, you also confronted tyrants and stood against armies that looted, killed, and raped. Your humility did not prevent you from becoming a prophet. You only feared Jesus. Help us to remain humble and self-effacing, knowing that before God, we remain nothing. We can only be someone if we stand close to Jesus. Inspire us to follow your footsteps so that we, too, may fight for justice and help stop corruption in our government. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 7 Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, your unceasing fasting and penance help people understand that God must be loved above all things and above all persons. You sacrificed anything or anyone that could block you from loving God with your whole soul, mind, heart and body. By eating little, you showed to others that man does not live on bread alone. You renewed the faith of many people, touched their hearts, and helped much in the reformation of the Church. Inspire us to fast and do penance for our sins. Instill in us the spirit of sacrifice that we, too, may love God intensely as you did. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 8 Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, it pained you to see the Catholic Church divided into hostile groups. You always prayed for unity in the Church, asking laypersons, priests, and bishops to support the Pope through preaching, prayer, and sacrifices. You see the Church as the bride of Christ, the sacrament by which men and women can become holy. You worked hard for the return of the Protestants to the Catholic Church, and you preached against Protestant reformers who were attacking the heart of Catholic teachings. Teach us then to work for unity in our Church and at the same time, to defend her from sects and religious movements that attack her. Inspire us to follow your path. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Day 9 Prayer
O glorious St. Cajetan, you received many special blessings from Jesus, visions and mystical experiences because of your union with him. While contemplating the mystery of incarnation, Mary appeared to you and put on your lap the baby Jesus. You held on to the baby and made your heart his dwelling place. Jesus truly loved you and his Mother trusted you. Listen then to our petitions on this last day of our novena and bring them to Jesus. Prove to us that now in heaven you are closer to Jesus and he listens to you. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
To truly benefit from the novena to Saint Cajetan, it’s not enough to simply recite the prayers. It’s essential to live it with an open heart, trusting fully in God’s Providence—just as the saint of bread and work did.
You can deepen the experience by:
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Reflecting each day on Saint Cajetan’s virtues, such as his unwavering faith and love for the most vulnerable, and striving to imitate them in your own life.
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Accompanying your prayers with concrete acts of charity, like helping someone in need.
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Offering each day with a clear intention, while remaining ready to accept God’s will with peace and trust.
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Joining spiritually with other devotees, remembering that novenas are a communal prayer that strengthens the faith of the entire Church.
We also encourage you to attend Holy Mass during the novena, go to Confession, and receive Communion. Remember, the Holy Mass is the highest and most complete form of prayer, where we can offer our petitions and sacrifices to God for our needs.
You can also pray this miraculous prayer to Saint Cajetan to seek work and daily bread.
What is St. Cajetan known for?
St. Cajetan was an Italian priest known as the Saint of Bread and Work. He founded the Theatine Order to renew the spiritual life of the clergy and help the poor. He is remembered for his deep trust in Divine Providence, his care for those without food, work, or dignity, and his tireless service to those in need.
When is St. Cajetan’s feast day?
St. Cajetan’s feast day is celebrated on August 7. On this day, thousands of faithful visit his shrines around the world to pray for jobs, daily sustenance, and strength during times of financial hardship.
Why is St. Cajetan the patron saint of the unemployed?
St. Cajetan is the patron saint of the unemployed because of his life of compassion for those who lacked work and food. He trusted fully in God’s Providence and dedicated his ministry to supporting the poor and those in economic distress, earning him the title Patron Saint of Bread, Work, and Social Peace.
What is the St. Cajetan Novena for Employment?
The St. Cajetan Novena for Employment is a nine-day prayer asking for his intercession to find meaningful work, provide for one’s family, and grow in faith. By meditating on his virtues and trusting in God’s will, many believers find hope, strength, and sometimes miraculous help in securing employment.
