Novenas are nine days of concentrated prayer modeled on the nine days that Mary and the apostles prayed in the upper room between Jesus Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Catholics have prayed them for centuries Now novenas are under shy going a surge of renewed popularity as Catholics reclaim their devotional heritage Compiled and edited by William G Storey author of best selling prayer books and one of the world s authorities on Catholic devotional prayer it is the first novena prayer book of its kind Storey has collected and edited forty novenas as well as shorter prayers in updated form and in modern English They include novenas of intercession for special needs novenas to saints and novenas to Mary to God the Father to the Son and to the Holy Spirit Of particular note are newly deigned novenas to modern holy people Pope John XXIII Mother Teresa Archbishop Oscar Romero and others