Pray with us!

Novena for Mission San Juan Pilgrims, 2026

Opening Intention (Repeat each day)

Lord God, we offer this novena for the success and safety of our mission trip. We ask that You open our hearts to the people we will meet and the work we will do, that we may be true instruments of Your peace, and that we may more fully encounter you as we surrender to your will. 

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Day 1: For the Diocese of Brownsville

Lord, on this first day, we pray for all the families we will serve in the Diocese of Brownsville. May Your grace pour out upon this region. Grant them strength in their daily struggles, joy in their faith, and a deep awareness of Your abiding presence. May our time with them reflect Your boundless love.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Faith. Help us surrender our need for control and our preconceived expectations to God’s perfect plan, so that in our missionary work we may see the face of Christ in every family we encounter in the Diocese of Brownsville, trusting that He is already at work ahead of us.

• Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

• Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

• Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 2: For Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen, TX

Lord, today we lift up the people of Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen. We ask that You bless their community with unity and spiritual vitality. Strengthen their ministries, comfort those among them who are suffering, and allow our shared time together to build bridges of faith and mutual encouragement.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Hope. Help us anchor our hearts so deeply in God's promises that we can surrender all fear of inadequacy or failure. Let this hope transform our mission at Sacred Heart Parish into a joyful witness, reminding everyone we meet that God's love always has the final word.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 3: For Capilla San Jose in Edinburg, TX

Heavenly Father, we pray for the faithful community of Capilla San Jose in Edinburg. May this chapel be a constant beacon of hope and a place of refuge for all who gather there. Bless the families who call it their spiritual home, and let our service alongside them be a testament to the universal Church.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Love. Help us completely surrender our own convenience and comfort to God’s will. May this divine charity impact our missionary work at Capilla San Jose by stripping away any selfishness, allowing us to love purely, deeply, and without expecting anything in return.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 4: For Proyecto Desarollo Humano in Penitas, TX

Loving God, we bring before You the families who live and work in and around Proyecto Desarollo Humano in Penitas. We ask Your blessing upon their labor and their homes. We especially pray for the sisters who serve there; grant them endurance, wisdom, and boundless compassion as they minister to Your people.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Prudence. Help us surrender our impulsive ideas and assumptions to the quiet wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Let this virtue guide our work in Penitas, so that we may listen before we act, respect the guidance of the sisters, and serve the community’s true needs rather than our own agendas.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 5: For the Families Receiving Home Repairs

Lord Jesus, You who learned the trade of a carpenter, we pray for the families whose homes we will be repairing and servicing. As we work to restore their physical dwellings, we ask that You restore their spirits. May the hammering of nails and the sweeping of floors be a prayer of dignity, bringing comfort, safety, and lasting peace to their households.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Justice. Help us surrender our sense of ownership over our time and talents, recognizing that everything we have belongs to God and is meant for His people. May this drive us to do our construction and repair work with the highest integrity, honoring the absolute dignity of every family.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 6: For the VBS Children

Lord, we pray for every child who will attend our Vacation Bible School. Open their ears to hear the Gospel and their hearts to receive Your love. Grant our missionaries the energy, patience, and joy to minister to these young ones effectively. May the seeds of faith planted during this week grow into a lifetime of discipleship.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Fortitude. Help us surrender our physical fatigue, frustration, and weakness to God's all-powerful strength. Infuse our team with spiritual stamina so that despite the heat and long hours, we may serve the VBS children with untiring enthusiasm, patience, and Christ-like joy.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 7: For Our Partner Parishes in the Diocese of Austin

Father, we give thanks for the communities sending us forth. We pray for the pastors, staff, and families of our partner parishes in the Diocese of Austin: St. Martin de Porres; St. Mary in Temple; St. Mary, Our Lady of the Lake; St. Helen; St. Joseph in Bryan; and St. Vincent de Paul. Bless their generosity and cover their parishes with Your grace as they support this mission.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Temperance. Help us surrender our personal moods, preferences, and desires for instant gratification to God’s inner peace. Let this self-control anchor our team dynamics, keeping us unified, patient with one another, and mindful of the sacred trust placed in us by our partner parishes.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 8: For the Missionaries

Lord, today we pray for our own team. Keep us safe in our travels, protect us from injury on worksites, and guard us from spiritual discouragement. Above all, grant us a deep conversion of heart. Strip away our pride and selfishness, and mold us to be more like Christ in the world—willing to wash feet, carry heavy loads, and love without condition.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Humility. Help us undergo the ultimate surrender—dying to our pride, our desire to be the "savior," and our need for recognition. Empty us of ourselves so that we can be filled entirely with Christ’s servant heart, approaching our work not as bosses, but as brothers and sisters.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

Day 9: For the Lasting Fruit of Mission

Almighty God, as we prepare to depart for this work, we ask that the Holy Spirit bind all these intentions together. May the work we do through Mission San Juan not end when we return home, but continue to bear fruit in the Diocese of Brownsville and in our own lives. May we forever carry the faces of those we serve in our hearts, continually answering the call to missionary discipleship.

Our Lady of San Juan, by your intercession teach us to be more like Jesus through the virtue of Generosity. Help us surrender all hesitation and holding back, prompting us to give of our lives without counting the cost. May this total self-giving ensure that the fruits of this mission don't end when the trip does, but leave a lasting mark on both the communities we served and our own home parishes.

• Our Father...

• Hail Mary...

• Glory Be...

• Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, pray for us.

• St. Joseph the Worker, protect us.

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Concluding Prayer of Thanksgiving

Heavenly Father, as we conclude this novena, our hearts overflow with gratitude for Your boundless love and the unmerited grace You pour out upon us. Thank You for the gift of our faith, for the community that sends us forth, and for the holy privilege of being called to serve Your people. We thank You in advance for the ways You will stretch us, protect us, and break our hearts open on this journey. May we always rest secure in Your love, trusting that Your grace is sufficient for every step of the road ahead. We ask all of this through Christ our Lord. Amen.