Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. Begin with the opening prayers, pray five decades of one offering and ten petitions, then repeat the concluding invocation three times. The complete prayers are below.
You can offer the Chaplet for someone who is dying or has died. For the Rosary and prayers for the departed, see Rosary for the Dead.
On this page
Opening prayers
Begin once, in this order.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional opening prayers
Optional; say this prayer once after the Sign of the Cross.
You expired, Jesus
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
Optional; repeat this invocation three times.
O Blood and Water
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Five decades
Pray the following decade five times.
Eternal Father
Say once at the start of each decade.
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion
Say once on each of the ten small beads.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God
After the fifth decade, say this invocation three times.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Optional closing prayer
Optional; say once after the three concluding invocations.
Eternal God
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
The Chaplet and the Rosary
The Divine Mercy Chaplet uses an ordinary five-decade rosary. Its prayers are addressed to God and ask mercy for us and for the whole world. The bead prayers follow their own sequence; the Rosary's mysteries and prayers between decades are not part of the Chaplet.
An intention may be named before beginning. The words of the Chaplet remain the same when praying alone or with others, including its petitions for the whole world.
Saint Faustina
Saint Faustina Kowalska recorded receiving the Chaplet in Vilnius on 13–14 September 1935. Her Diary, §476, gives its prayers and order. It belongs to Catholic devotion to Divine Mercy and is often prayed for people who are dying.
Is it prayed at three o'clock?
Many communities pray the Chaplet at 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, in remembrance of Christ's death. The Chaplet can also be prayed at another time. The Hour of Mercy is a distinct devotion centered on Christ's Passion.
The Chaplet accompanies care for the sick and dying. A priest can also be contacted for the sacraments when someone is seriously ill.
The Devotions guide gathers prayers and guidance for offering an intention. For prayer with a family after a death, see the Rosary for the Dead.