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This is considered to have been the first novena. Early Christians observed a nine-day mourning period following the death of a loved one. Later, that tradition would be followed by a Mass offered for the repose of the soul. This practice continues today, as an example in the form of the novemdiales, observed upon the death of a Pope. In the Middle Ages, especially in Spain and France, novenas were prayed before Christmas to symbolize Christ's nine months in the womb, later evolving

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