Pray: The Catholic Novena App Review (How about a Novena to Mary?)
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”702″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1319″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_border” title=”Free”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A brand new Catholic app is out and it makes it so EASY to pray with other Catholics around the world. I have used rosary apps, and other specific novena catholic apps on my iPhone and iPad before (NOW ON ANDROID), but this cool new app has a great twist that allows you to share your own specific prayer request and have others join you in prayer.

Awesome.

That takes this app to another level. This Novena app is not just a single app on my iPhone, but rather an app that will connect me with other prayerful Catholics on Facebook. Best of all it has several Novenas to Mary as part of the first run of Novenas.

It actually has three of them “Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena”, “Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena”, and “Our Lady of Sorrows Novena”. It is so great to have all these Novenas together in one app – as I’ve said before, I know they are all out there, but I like it when things are made easy to access!

Update July 16, 2016:We just released a new version of the app and the requirement to log in with facebook is gone.

For those interested, our rationale with having facebook integration from the get-go was to make it easy for you to invite friends to pray a novena with you. All friends who were also using the app and chose to be visible would show up as people you could notify when you started a novena so that they would pray it with you.

Update April 17, 2017: Just released the Android version of the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devotedcoders.praythecatholicnovenaapp

The Pray App contains lots of Catholic Novena prayers. It allows you to experience novenas to Mary and other Saints.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537365994072{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”What Is A Novena, Do You Really Know?” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As described on this site … Novena comes from the Latin language and it means nine.

Novenas as used by Catholics means a series of nine prayers. Usually the series refers to a prayer or devotion offered on nine consecutive days, but the series could be a series of devotions for nine consecutive weeks, or months, or – Mother Teresa’s so-called ’emergency novena’ or ‘express novena’ consisted of reciting nine consecutive Memorares!

Much of the prayer life of the Catholic faithful, liturgical and devotional, really owes its origins to our spiritual ancestors in faith, the Jewish people. The Old Testament shows us that the Jews prayed over a series of days in petition, celebration and repentance on numerous occasions – nine seems not to have been an important number for them though.

The scriptural nine days of prayer is found in the Acts of the Apostles and consists of the nine days the Apostles spent waiting in prayer in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 5). The church uses seasons of devotion throughout the calendar year, things like ordinary time, or Easter Octives, etc. Days and seasons are really important to the Catholic faithful, Novenas are like an extension of this.

A novena is an ancient devotion that consists of 9 days of prayer. Novenas are often prayed in preparation for a feast day or for a specific intention. Many seminarians use a novena as preparation for ordination, or engaged couples leading up to their wedding date.

Have a look at this Novena sample to the Holy Spirit, great artwork, and you are ready to find others to pray with you!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537365994072{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”What Is Great About A Brand New Catholic Novena App?” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Well for starters it is pretty. I know, I know, pretty doesn’t mean useful, but new apps are coming out everyday and it is excellent to see that care and thought has been put into the look of this app. Another bonus is it is native to the iPad.

It doesn’t necessarily take advantage of the large iPad screen real estate, BUT it does work natively and it doesn’t need to be ‘blown up’ x2 like a lot of other iPhone only apps.

Lot’s of Catholic Novenas are offered, and the community aspect is AMAZING! Great work to the developer!

The Pray App uses Facebook as it’s connection point for you to being your communal prayer. Everyone is on Facebook aren’t they? We are!

I think their description from iTunes, says it well:

Join millions of other Catholics who have had their prayers answered by God by invoking the intercession of the great saints of the Church. Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them.” The Pray app enables friends and communities to pray novenas together for specific intentions.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1537365994072{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-left-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #dbdbdb !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”What Novenas are Available?” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;”][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
  • St. Monica Novena – New
  • St. Terese of Lisieux Rose Novena
  • St. Joseph Novena
  • Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena
  • Sacred Heart of Mary novena
  • Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena
  • St. Anthony Novena
  • St. Josephine Bakhita Novena
  • St. Dymphna Novena
  • St. Michael Novena
  • St. Benedict Novena
  • Our Lady of Sorrows Novena
  • St. Clare Novena

I anticipate that the developer will continue to add novenas to the app. (At least I hope so, that would be awesome).

This app is a one horse rodeo, it isn’t trying to be like Laudate, or the Mega Catholic App, it is doing one thing, helping you to pray Novenas with the Catholic community and in intercession with the Saints and Mary. To tell you the truth I like that. It has definitely done it well and with intention.

The Pray App provides positive affirmations for your prayer time. Which is great for those of us who need a little bit more.

As it grows, there will be more Novena Prayers prayed all over the world. My own prediction here is that it will be one of the best Catholic apps out there. (I could be wrong, but I think that once this catches on, it will be powerful to watch it grow). I’d love to connect with many of you in prayer, I’ll be posting several of the connections for novenas so that we can pray together. Follow us on our Facebook page.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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  1. 13 Best Catholic Apps for 2017 - CatholicApps.com February 1, 2017 at 7:47 pm - Reply

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