Pray one Rosary a day for nine days, from Sunday, November 29 to Monday, December 7, 2026, the eve of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday, December 8.
- Begin each day with its intention.
- Pray the day's mysteries.
- Close with the prayer of the Miraculous Medal: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."
What is the Immaculate Conception?
It is the Church's faith that Mary was kept free from original sin from the first moment of her own life in her mother's womb, by a singular grace of God given in view of the merits of Jesus Christ. Pope Pius IX defined it as a dogma on December 8, 1854, and the Catechism teaches it in its own words: Mary was "from the first moment of her conception... preserved immune from all stain of original sin" (Catechism 491).
It is often mistaken for the virgin birth, but it is about Mary's conception, not Jesus'. The conception of Jesus is the Annunciation, the first Joyful Mystery, kept on March 25.
Why does December 8 matter in the United States?
In 1846 the bishops of the United States, gathered at the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, placed the country under the patronage of Mary under this title, and Pope Pius IX approved it in 1847 (EWTN News). The largest Marian shrine in the country, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to her under this title.
December 8 is a holy day of obligation in the United States, and unlike January 1, August 15 and November 1, its obligation is not lifted when it falls on a Saturday or a Monday (USCCB). In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday: pray the novena up to the eve, and go to Mass on the feast.
The nine daysNovember 29 to December 7, 2026
Day 1, Sunday, November 29: First Sunday of Advent
For a heart made ready. God prepared Mary from the first moment of her life; ask him to begin making room in you for Christmas. Joyful Mysteries.
Day 2, Monday, November 30: St. Andrew
For the grace to answer when Christ calls, as Andrew left his nets and followed him. Joyful Mysteries.
Day 3, Tuesday, December 1
For freedom from the sins that keep coming back, and for the courage to bring them to confession before Christmas. Sorrowful Mysteries.
Day 4, Wednesday, December 2
For the United States, placed under Mary's care by this very title: for peace in our towns and in our homes. Glorious Mysteries.
Day 5, Thursday, December 3: St. Francis Xavier
For missionaries, and for everyone who will hear of Christ for the first time this year. Luminous Mysteries.
Day 6, Friday, December 4
For the sick and the dying, and for the people who sit up with them through the night. Sorrowful Mysteries.
Day 7, Saturday, December 5
For mothers, for every child not yet born, and for those who long for a child. Joyful Mysteries.
Day 8, Sunday, December 6: Second Sunday of Advent
For families: the ones who pray together, and the ones who no longer do. Joyful Mysteries.
Day 9, Monday, December 7: St. Ambrose
For bishops and priests, and for the whole Church to grow in holiness. Joyful Mysteries.
How do you pray each day of the novena?
- Make the Sign of the Cross and say the day's intention, in your own words or as it is written above.
- Pray the Rosary: the Creed, then five decades of the day's mysteries, ending with the Hail Holy Queen. If a whole Rosary is too much on a given day, one decade is a real offering.
- Close by praying three times the prayer of the Miraculous Medal, below. If you like, add the Memorare.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
O Maria, sine labe concepta, ora pro nobis qui ad te confugimus.
These are the words St. Catherine Labouré saw around the image of Our Lady when the medal was shown to her in Paris in 1830 (America), sixteen years before the American bishops chose the same title for their country.
Praying the novena with others
A family or a parish can pray the novena together. Choose one hour for all nine days, and each day one person opens a Group Rosary on Orabimus at that hour, or sets it ahead with "Set a time" so everyone is reminded.
Anyone with a free account can open a Group Rosary at any hour, or join a public one that is praying.
Pray today's Rosary.
Today's mysteries are already set. Free, in nine languages with audio in seven, nothing to download.
Pray today’s RosaryNine days, one Rosary a day · Works offline · No account to pray
Questions about the novena
What if I start late?
Start on the day you find this and pray the days that remain. A novena is a devotion, not a law; what matters is the prayer.
Do I have to pray all five decades every day?
A full Rosary each day is the usual form of a Rosary novena. On a day when that is too much, a single decade prayed with attention is still a true offering.
Is December 8, 2026 a holy day of obligation?
Yes. The Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation in the United States, and in 2026 it falls on Tuesday, December 8.
Is the Immaculate Conception the same as the virgin birth?
No. The Immaculate Conception is about Mary: she was preserved from original sin from her own conception. The virgin birth is about Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
See also: The Rosary in Advent · Our Lady of Guadalupe · Joyful Mysteries · The Memorare · The Hail Mary
Sources: Catechism 490 to 493 · USCCB, Holy Days of Obligation (canon 1246) · EWTN News, the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States · America, the Miraculous Medal