Novena to Saint Augustine for Conversion and Spiritual Renewal
Feast Day: August 28 — Doctor of the Church, Patron Saint of Theologians, Printers, and Those Seeking Conversion
Few conversions in the history of the Church are as well documented, or as deeply human, as that of Saint Augustine. A brilliant mind who spent years chasing pleasure and philosophy before surrendering to God, his story reminds us that no heart is too restless, too proud, or too far gone for grace to reach. This novena walks with us through his journey — and through his mother Monica’s thirty years of prayer — as we bring our own conversions, and those of the people we love, before God.
Who Was Saint Augustine?
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) was one of the most influential figures in the history of the Catholic Church. Born in Tagaste, North Africa, he was gifted with a brilliant mind but spent many years far from God, seeking meaning in worldly pleasures and passing philosophies. His mother, Saint Monica, prayed and wept for his conversion for decades, never losing hope even when every sign pointed away from it.
At the age of 31, touched by the Gospel and drawn by the example of faithful Christians around him, Augustine surrendered his life to Christ. He became Bishop of Hippo, a brilliant theologian, and one of the Doctors of the Church. His works, including Confessions and The City of God, continue to shape Christian thought today. His journey reminds us that no heart is too far from God’s mercy.
The Conversion of Saint Augustine: The Garden in Milan
Augustine himself recorded the moment of his conversion in his own words, in the eighth book of his Confessions, written around the year 400. In the summer of 386, while staying in Milan, he found himself torn between his old life and his growing desire for God. Overwhelmed with grief over his own indecision, he withdrew into a garden, threw himself down beneath a fig tree, and wept.
In the middle of his tears, he heard what sounded like a child’s voice from a nearby house, chanting over and over: “Tolle, lege” — “Take up and read.” Not recognizing it from any children’s game he knew, Augustine took it as a command from God. He returned to where his friend Alypius was sitting, picked up a book of Saint Paul’s letters, and opened it at random.
His eyes fell on a passage from Romans, urging the reader to put aside sin and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Augustine later wrote that he had no desire to read further — every doubt in his heart dissolved in that instant. He soon told his mother, Saint Monica, who had prayed for his conversion for over thirty years. He was baptized by Saint Ambrose the following Easter, in 387.
Why Pray This Novena?
Through this novena, we ask Saint Augustine’s intercession for the same graces that transformed his own restless heart. We can bring to this novena:
- Conversion of heart for ourselves or for someone we love who feels far from God
- Wisdom in discernment, especially when we feel torn between competing paths
- Perseverance in prayer, following Saint Monica’s example of thirty years of hope
- Freedom from old patterns of sin that we have struggled for years to leave behind
How to Pray the Novena
This novena is traditionally prayed over nine consecutive days, from August 20 through August 28, the feast of Saint Augustine — though it can be prayed at any time of the year when conversion, discernment, or perseverance is needed.
- Find a quiet moment each day to read the short reflection before praying.
- Mention your intention, or the name of the person you are praying for, where indicated.
- Pray the novena prayer below, one day at a time.
- Close each day by entrusting your intention into God’s hands, trusting His timing even when the answer is slow to come.
Novena Prayer to Saint Augustine
Pray this novena prayer once each day for nine consecutive days, from August 20 to August 28, his feast day.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O holy Saint Augustine,
You searched for truth with a restless heart until you found your rest in God.
Through your example and intercession, help me turn away from sin and grow in faith, humility, and love for Christ.I pray especially for the conversion of [name(s)], that they may open their hearts to the mercy of God and embrace the fullness of the truth.
Teach me to persevere in prayer, to love God above all things, and to live according to His will.
Saint Augustine, pray for us. Amen.
Daily Reflections
Before praying the novena prayer each day, take a moment with this short reflection on Saint Augustine’s journey.
- Day 1 — August 20: Augustine grew up with a mother of deep faith and a father who was not yet baptized. Today, we ask for the grace to plant seeds of faith in our own families, even when the soil seems unready.
- Day 2 — August 21: As a young man, Augustine chased pleasure and philosophy, searching for happiness in everything except God. Today, we bring before Him the restlessness in our own hearts.
- Day 3 — August 22: For years, Augustine followed Manichaeism, convinced he had found the truth. Today, we ask for the humility to question our own certainties when they lead us away from God.
- Day 4 — August 23: Saint Monica wept and prayed for her son for more than thirty years, never losing hope. Today, we entrust to God the people we have prayed for the longest, without yet seeing the answer.
- Day 5 — August 24: In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of Bishop Ambrose, whose preaching slowly opened his mind to the truth of the Gospel. Today, we give thanks for the people God has placed in our path to guide us.
- Day 6 — August 25: Torn between his old life and his longing for God, Augustine wept beneath a fig tree in a garden in Milan. Today, we bring our own unresolved struggles into that same garden of prayer.
- Day 7 — August 26: Hearing a child’s voice say “Take up and read,” Augustine opened Scripture and felt every doubt dissolve. Today, we ask for the grace to recognize God’s voice, however small, in our own lives.
- Day 8 — August 27 (Feast of Saint Monica): One year after his conversion, Augustine’s mother Monica died in peace, her prayers finally answered. On the feast of Saint Monica, we remember a mother whose faithful prayers never ceased. Today we entrust to God every loved one for whom we have prayed with patient hope.
- Day 9 — August 28 (Feast of Saint Augustine): Augustine became a bishop, a theologian, and one of the great Doctors of the Church — proof that no heart is too far from God’s mercy. Today we entrust our own conversion—and that of those we love—into God’s patient hands, trusting that His mercy is always at work, even when we cannot yet see it.
Closing Prayer for Each Day
Renew in Your Church, O Lord, the spirit You gave to Saint Augustine, so that, filled with the same spirit, we may thirst for You, the only source of true wisdom, and seek You above all things. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Intercessory Intentions
This novena is especially powerful when prayed for:
- The conversion of friends or family members who feel far from the Church
- Greater understanding of the Catholic faith
- Strength to persevere in difficult spiritual battles
- Mothers and fathers who continue to pray for children who have strayed
- Students, teachers, and those seeking wisdom in their vocation
About Saint Augustine
After his baptism, Augustine returned to North Africa, where he was ordained a priest in 391 and became Bishop of Hippo in 396. He spent the rest of his life preaching, writing, and defending the faith against heresies of his time. His autobiography, Confessions, remains one of the most influential spiritual works ever written, still read today by believers and non-believers alike for its honest account of a soul’s search for God.
He died in 430 as the Vandals laid siege to Hippo and was later declared a Doctor of the Church for the depth and lasting influence of his theology. Today he is the patron saint of theologians, printers, and all who seek conversion—a reminder that even the most restless heart can find its rest in God.
His work, Confessions, is considered the first great spiritual autobiography in Christian history, offering an honest account of sin, grace, and conversion that continues to inspire readers today.
Related Devotions
- Novena to Saint Monica — pray with the mother whose tears and perseverance won her son’s conversion.
- Prayer to Saint Paul for Conversion
- Catholic Examination of Conscience
Frequently Asked Questions
Begin on August 20 to finish on his feast day, August 28. You can also pray it at any time you seek conversion, wisdom, or perseverance in the spiritual life.
Saint Augustine is the patron saint of theologians, printers, and those seeking conversion. He is one of the most influential Doctors of the Church.
The Confessions is Saint Augustine’s autobiography, written around the year 400. It recounts his years of searching before his conversion in a garden in Milan in 386, and remains one of the most influential spiritual works in Christian history.
Saint Augustine was the son of Saint Monica, who prayed and wept for his conversion for more than thirty years. Her perseverance is remembered as one of the most powerful examples of a mother’s intercessory prayer in the Church.
Yes. Many pray this novena for loved ones who have drifted away from the faith or no longer practice it. Following Saint Monica’s example of faithful prayer for her son Augustine, we ask God to touch hearts with His grace, always respecting each person’s freedom and trusting in His perfect timing.
