Church of St. Francis of Assisi, New York, NY

The Novena App combines beautiful art with inspiring stories. Often, we think of saints as having been very different from us. However, their lives and ours bear striking similarities. They suffered loss, disappointment, rejection, disease, heartache, or addiction just like us, the not-yet-so-saintly. Where they differed is perseverance. You and I are still in the thick of it. For the saints, obstacles were no less real, but they did not discourage their faith in a God who loved them, and through that love transformed ordinary human beings into exemplary models.

Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, OFM about Novena