What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy — also called the Divine Mercy Chaplet or simply the Chaplet — is one of the most powerful Catholic prayers in existence. It is prayed on ordinary rosary beads and takes approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Unlike the Holy Rosary, which meditates on the life of Christ, the Chaplet is a prayer of pure intercession: an offering to the Father of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of His Son Jesus Christ, in atonement for the sins of the world.
The prayer was revealed by Jesus Christ Himself to a young Polish nun, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, in September 1935. She recorded His words in her spiritual diary: "Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great mercy at the hour of death."
The devotion was formally approved by the Catholic Church and is strongly promoted by the Vatican. Pope Saint John Paul II, who canonised Saint Faustina in 2000 and declared the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church, called it "the spark that will prepare the world for the final coming."
Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet Now
Our free interactive prayer tool includes the Divine Mercy Chaplet with every prayer guided step by step.
✦ Open the Chaplet GuideHow to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads of five decades. You do not need a special chaplet rosary — your regular 59-bead rosary is exactly right. If you have no beads, you can count on your fingers.
Sign of the Cross
Begin by making the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional Opening Prayers
You may begin with one or both of the optional opening prayers from Saint Faustina's Diary (see full text below). These are not required but deepen the spirit of the chaplet.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles' Creed
On the introductory beads (before the circle begins), pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed.
On each LARGE bead — the Eternal Father prayer (× 5)
At the beginning of each decade, on the large Our Father bead, pray:
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.
On each SMALL bead — For the sake of (× 10 per decade)
On each of the ten small beads, pray:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Repeat for all five decades
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all five decades: large bead prayer once, then small bead prayer ten times. This gives 5 large bead prayers and 50 small bead prayers in total.
Closing Doxology × 3
At the conclusion of the five decades, pray three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Optional Closing Prayer
You may close with the prayer: 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. Amen.
Full Prayer Text — Divine Mercy Chaplet
Below is the complete text of the Divine Mercy Chaplet as recorded in the Diary of Saint Faustina and taught by Jesus Christ.
For each of the Five Decades
"Jesus, I trust in You." — The motto of the Divine Mercy devotion, as taught by Jesus to Saint Faustina
The 3 O'Clock Prayer — The Hour of Mercy
In October 1937, Jesus appeared to Saint Faustina and spoke of the special significance of 3 o'clock in the afternoon — the hour at which He died on the Cross. He said:
"At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion." — Jesus to Saint Faustina, Diary 1320
The 3 o'clock prayer is separate from the Chaplet and shorter. It takes less than one minute. Jesus asked that at this hour, even if only for a moment, we immerse ourselves in His Passion.
Many Catholics combine the 3 o'clock prayer with the full Chaplet, praying both together at this sacred hour. Even in a workplace or public place, a moment of silent recollection at 3 pm is sufficient — Jesus said "if only for a brief moment."
The Promises of Jesus for the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Jesus made extraordinary promises to Saint Faustina regarding those who pray the Chaplet. These promises are recorded throughout her Diary and have been recognised by the Church as part of the authentic Divine Mercy message.
Anyone who recites this chaplet will receive great mercy at the hour of death. (Diary 687)
Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this chaplet only once, will receive grace from My infinite mercy. (Diary 687)
When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person — not as the just Judge but as the merciful Saviour. (Diary 1541)
Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. (Diary 687)
Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. (Diary 687)
Through this chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (Diary 1731)
Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. (Diary 476)
Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet. (Diary 848)
I will defend as My own glory every soul who will say this chaplet. (Diary 1541)
By means of this chaplet, I will grant every grace to souls. (Diary 1541)
The souls who will say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death. (Diary 754)
When hardened sinners say this chaplet, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. (Diary 1541)
"I want the whole world to know My infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My mercy." — Jesus to Saint Faustina, Diary 687
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska — The Apostle of Mercy
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was born on 25 August 1905 in Głogowiec, Poland, the third of ten children of poor peasant farmers. She received only minimal formal education but from childhood showed remarkable depth of piety and sensitivity to God's presence.
In 1925, after years of feeling called to religious life, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw. She worked in the congregation's houses as a cook, gardener, and portress — humble exterior tasks that concealed an extraordinarily rich interior life.
From 1931 onwards, Saint Faustina received a series of mystical visions of Jesus Christ. In these apparitions, Jesus appeared to her as the King of Mercy — a figure in white robes with two rays of light streaming from His heart (one red, one pale) — and entrusted her with a message of mercy for the entire world.
Jesus instructed her to record His messages and revelations in a spiritual diary. This diary — Divine Mercy in My Soul — runs to nearly 700 pages and contains the Chaplet, the Image of Divine Mercy, the Novena, the Feast of Divine Mercy, and the Hour of Mercy. It is one of the most remarkable mystical documents of the 20th century.
Saint Faustina died of tuberculosis on 5 October 1938, aged just 33. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993 and canonised in Rome on 30 April 2000 — the first canonisation of the new millennium. Her feast day is 5 October.
"My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners." — Jesus to Saint Faustina, Diary 699
The Divine Mercy Novena
Jesus asked Saint Faustina to make a nine-day novena beginning on Good Friday, praying the Chaplet each day for a different group of souls. This novena is one of the most powerful prayer forms in the Catholic tradition. The nine groups of souls are:
- Day 1: All mankind, especially sinners
- Day 2: Priests and religious
- Day 3: Devout and faithful souls
- Day 4: Those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Christ
- Day 5: Heretics and schismatics
- Day 6: Meek and humble souls and the souls of little children
- Day 7: Souls who especially venerate the mercy of Christ
- Day 8: Souls who are detained in purgatory
- Day 9: Souls who have become lukewarm
The novena is most traditionally prayed from Good Friday through the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday, but it may be prayed at any time of year for any special intention.
Divine Mercy Sunday
In her diary, Saint Faustina recorded that Jesus asked for a Feast of Mercy to be established on the Sunday after Easter. For decades, the devotion was celebrated privately; it was only after the Church's re-examination that it was officially approved and extended to the universal Church by Pope John Paul II on 30 April 2000 — the day of Saint Faustina's canonisation.
Divine Mercy Sunday falls on the second Sunday of Easter each year. On this day, Jesus promised an extraordinary grace:
"The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flows are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet." — Jesus to Saint Faustina, Diary 699
To receive this grace, Catholics are asked to go to Confession (within about 8 days of Divine Mercy Sunday), receive Holy Communion on that day, and place their complete trust in Jesus.
Praying the Chaplet for the Dying
One of the most consoling promises Jesus made concerns the dying. He told Saint Faustina: "When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Saviour." (Diary 1541)
Because of this promise, the Divine Mercy Chaplet has become one of the most widely prayed prayers at deathbeds in the Catholic world. Many Catholics recite it at hospitals, in palliative care settings, and at home when a loved one is dying. Even if the dying person cannot speak, they can unite their intentions to the prayer being prayed for them.
If you are sitting with someone who is dying, simply begin praying the Chaplet aloud. Jesus promised to be present.
Begin Praying the Chaplet Now
Our interactive prayer guide walks you step by step through the Divine Mercy Chaplet — no account or download needed.
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