How to Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Co-authored by Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: February 26, 2023 Approved

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a beautiful set of prayers said on rosary beads. It was composed by Saint Faustina Kowałska following a series of visions she had from Jesus Christ, who revealed Himself as the Divine Mercy. To pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, begin with an opening prayer sequence followed by a series of prayers based on the “decades” of your rosary.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making the Sign of the Cross

1
Familiarize yourself with the design of a traditional 5-decade rosary. There’s a small crucifix dangling from the end of the rosary. The string directly holding the rosary has a single large bead, 3 small beads, another large bead, and a small icon or image. The actual loop of the rosary is comprised of 5 “decades” of beads.^{[1]
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- A “decade” is 10 small beads followed by a large bead. The first decade begins on the left-hand side of the rosary and moves outward from the icon.
- The larger beads denoting the start/end of each decade are also called “Our Father” beads. The smaller beads in the middle sections are also called “Hail Mary” beads.
2
Hold your rosary in one hand. Most people prefer to gently grasp their rosary in their right hand. This allows you to more easily move the rosary around and touch each of the beads as you say each prayer.^{[2]
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- If you prefer to kneel, make sure that the rosary doesn’t touch the ground at any time.
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3
Raise your right hand. While still holding the rosary, move your hand so that it is in front of your body. Pull your thumb inwards towards your palm and lightly touch your ring finger with it. Alternatively, you can complete the cross with all 5 fingers.^{[3]
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- For some people, performing the cross with all 5 fingers is meant to symbolize the 5 wounds of Jesus Christ. Raising only your middle and index fingers can symbolize the divine and human parts of Christ.
- Many congregations will have a specific hand gesture that they use for the cross. Talk with your religious leaders for guidance if you are unsure.
4
Touch your fingertips lightly to the center of your forehead. Whether you use a full hand or just a few fingers, this should be a light, purposeful touch and nothing more. As soon as your fingers make contact with your forehead, say aloud, “In the name of the Father…” which is the beginning of the Trinitarian formula that is said while making the sign of the cross.^{[4]
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- You can also say the Latin translation, “In nomine Patris…”
5
Tap your fingertips against the middle of your chest. Slowly and sedately move your right hand so that your fingertips gently press against the center of your sternum. As soon as your fingers make contact, say, “and of the Son…” Continue to clasp the rosary in your right hand as you make these movements.
- You can also position your left hand flat against the center of your chest and tap your right fingertips slightly above it.^{[5]
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- The Latin translation here is, “et Filii…”
6
Touch the front of your left shoulder. Continuing to use the fingertips of your right hand, gently tap the front-facing part of your shoulder. When your fingertips make contact, say, “And of the Holy…”^{[6]
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- You can also say the Latin translation, which is, “…et Spiritus…”
7
Move your fingertips over to the front of your right shoulder. Continuing to use your right hand, touch the front-facing part of your right shoulder. As soon as your fingertips make contact, say, “…and the Holy Spirit…”^{[7]
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- The Latin translation here is, “...Sanctus.”
8
Place your hands together in prayer. Position your hands in front of your body with your palms flat and touching one another. Make sure your fingertips face upwards. When your hands touch, say, “Amen.” This is the end of the Sign of the Cross and the conclusion of the Trinitarian formula as well.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Beginning the Chaplet

1
Choose whether to chant or sing the chaplet. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a relatively quick prayer, which means that some people prefer to sing it. There are even audio guides that you can purchase for your phone or on CD to guide you along. If you chant the chaplet, try to keep a consistent and regular pace.^{[9]
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- Don’t worry too much about the quality of your singing voice. The point is to focus on the words and the meanings behind them.
- You can also sing or chant the chaplet as a group.
2
Say the optional opening prayers. As you touch the large bead immediately above the cross on your rosary, repeat the following, “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.”^{[10]
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- As soon as you are finished, you have the option to complete another prayer by repeating the following 3 times in succession, “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!”
3
Touch the first small bead and say the Lord’s Prayer. As you touch the rosary bead, say, “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.”
4
Touch the second small bead and say the say the Hail Mary. Move upwards a single bead from the previous step and say, “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.”
5
Move to the next small bead and say the Apostle’s Creed. As you touch this bead, say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary; He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to Hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”
- Continue by stating, “He will come again 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.”
6
Touch the next large bead and say the Eternal Father prayer. The next bead in the sequence is a large one. As you touch it, say, “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.”

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Finishing the Prayer

1
Say a prayer for each of the small beads in the first decade of the loop. Remember to move to the left of the icon on your rosary. When you touch the first bead say, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Repeat this process for each of the 10 small beads of the first decade.^{[11]
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2
Recite the Lord’s Prayer for the large bead at the end of the decade. As you touch the large bead at the end of the decade, say, “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.”^{[12]
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3
Repeat the process for each decade. As you move around the rosary, say “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world” as you touch each small bead in each decade. Then, say the Lord’s Prayer for each large bead between the decades^{[13]
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4
Touch the icon and recite the “Trisagion” 3 times. Once you’ve said a prayer for each bead around the loop of the rosary, hold the icon image in your right hand and repeat the following words, “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Repeat this phrase 3 times in a row.^{[14]
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5
Say the optional closing prayer. You can choose to hold the entire rosary in your right hand or just the cross. State the following words, “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.”
- After you conclude this prayer, you can make the sign of the cross once more if you choose.

Rosary Prayer

Rosary in English

Rosary in Latin

Community Q&A

Question

How many days do I pray?

Community Answer

You can pray any time. It is probably best to pray at least one time a day, but you can pray more if you feel it is necessary.
Question

When do you begin saying the Divine Mercy rosary?

Community Answer

You can begin saying it when you want to (it's traditionally said at 3 o'clock in the afternoon). Try saying it during Lent, or especially on Good Friday.
Question

Can I pray anywhere?

Community Answer

Absolutely, the only thing that matters in praying is your connection with God, no one and no where else is connected.

Warnings

Praying is not simply about saying the words. Make sure that you are concentrating on channeling your emotions and thoughts in a thoughtful, positive direction.

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