How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a short, powerful devotion prayed on ordinary rosary beads. This guide gives you the full Divine Mercy Chaplet prayers in order, its origin with St. Faustina, and the 3 o'clock prayer for the Hour of Great Mercy.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is one of the most loved prayers of the modern Church — a heartfelt plea for God's mercy upon ourselves and the whole world. Jesus gave the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a humble Polish religious sister, in private revelations during the 1930s. It is prayed on ordinary rosary beads, takes only a few minutes, and is especially powerful when prayed at the bedside of the dying.
Below you will find how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet step by step, the full text of every prayer, and the 3 o'clock prayer for the Hour of Great Mercy. If you would rather pray than read, open our free interactive prayer tool and pray along, bead by bead.
St. Faustina and the origin of the chaplet
Saint Faustina (1905–1938) recorded her conversations with Jesus in a spiritual journal now known as her Diary. Through her, the Lord asked the Church to trust in His mercy and to spread the Divine Mercy devotion — including the chaplet, the Divine Mercy image inscribed "Jesus, I trust in You," and the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter. Pope St. John Paul II canonized her in the year 2000 and established Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church.
The chaplet itself is woven from familiar Catholic prayers — the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed — joined to two short offerings that place the merits of Christ's Passion before the Eternal Father. That is what makes it both simple to learn and profound to pray.
How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, step by step
The chaplet is prayed on an ordinary set of rosary beads. Begin on the crucifix and opening beads, then pray five decades using the same two short prayers throughout. Follow the order below.
- 1
Sign of the Cross
Begin as you would any prayer, making the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- 2
Optional opening prayers
Many begin with the invocations Jesus gave St. Faustina: '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.' Then three times: 'O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.'
- 3
Our Father, Hail Mary & Apostles' Creed
On the opening beads of the rosary, pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed — the same profession of faith that opens the Rosary.
- 4
Eternal Father — on the large bead
On each Our Father (large) 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.'
- 5
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion — on the ten beads
On each of the ten Hail Mary (small) beads of the decade, pray: 'For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.'
- 6
Repeat for all five decades
Pray the Eternal Father prayer on the large bead, then the ten 'For the sake of His sorrowful Passion' prayers on the small beads — repeating this for all five decades of the chaplet.
- 7
Holy God — three times
After the fifth decade, conclude by praying three times: 'Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.'
- 8
Closing prayer & Sign of the Cross
You may add the closing prayer — 'Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us...' — and finish with the Sign of the Cross.
The full Divine Mercy Chaplet prayers
After the opening Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles' Creed, each of the five decades uses these prayers. Pray the first on each large bead and the second on each of the ten small beads — then conclude with the third, three times.
On the large (Our Father) beads
“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 the ten small (Hail Mary) beads
“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
To conclude — prayed three times
“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
Want the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles' Creed, and Glory Be in full? Our prayers page keeps every traditional prayer expanded to its complete text so you never lose your place.
Pray along, bead by bead
Reading the steps is one thing — actually praying is another. Our free interactive prayer tool keeps the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles' Creed, and Glory Be one tap away, with the full text expanded so you can move through the chaplet without losing your place. Pray it alone, with your family, or beside someone who needs God's mercy.
Open the prayers
The 3 o'clock prayer and the Hour of Great Mercy
Three o'clock in the afternoon is the hour Jesus died on the Cross. The Lord told St. Faustina that this is the Hour of Great Mercy, asking that we pause to recall His Passion — even if only for a moment. Many Catholics pray the full Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 o'clock, while others say a brief 3 o'clock prayer wherever the hour finds them.
A simple 3 o'clock prayer
“O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. Jesus, King of Mercy, I trust in You.”
Setting a daily reminder at 3 o'clock is a beautiful way to keep mercy at the center of your day. You can build the chaplet into your routine alongside finding a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration near you on the map.
Frequently asked questions
What beads do you use to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
The chaplet is prayed on an ordinary set of rosary beads — there is no special chaplet bead set required. The same Rosary you already own works perfectly.
How long does the Divine Mercy Chaplet take?
About 7 to 10 minutes at a prayerful pace, which makes it a shorter devotion than a full five-decade Rosary and easy to fit into a busy day.
What is the 3 o'clock prayer?
Three o'clock is the Hour of Great Mercy — the hour Jesus died on the Cross. Jesus asked St. Faustina to honor this hour by recalling His Passion, often by praying the chaplet or a short prayer such as 'O Blood and Water... I trust in You.'
Who was St. Faustina?
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska was a Polish religious sister who received the Divine Mercy devotion in private revelations of Jesus in the 1930s, recorded in her Diary. The Church canonized her in 2000.
When should I pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?
You can pray it any time, though many choose 3 o'clock and the Divine Mercy Novena that begins on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. It is also especially encouraged for those who are dying.
Build a daily prayer habit
Catholic Connect gives you everything in one place — pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, find Mass and adoration near you, meet Catholics nearby, and join events and groups in your community.