To pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, all you need is a rosary, or even just your fingers to keep count, and about ten quiet minutes. You start at the crucifix, then pray five decades: one short offering on each large bead and a plea for mercy on each of the ten small beads. Below you'll find what to pray on each bead, with the words of the chaplet's own prayers, so you can pray it today, even if it's your first time.
What you need before you begin
Just a few quiet minutes and a standard five decade rosary. No beads at home? Count on your fingers or follow the steps on this page. A traditional Catholic rosary makes it easier, because the chaplet uses the crucifix, the first beads and all five decades.
Before you start, choose who or what you are praying for. It could be someone who is suffering, a loved one who has died, peace, someone's conversion, or the needs of the Church and the world. One clear intention helps you stay focused. Then, as you pray, you place that need in God's hands and let Him carry it with you.
How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet step by step
Here is the whole chaplet, bead by bead, with the words of each chaplet prayer. If you lose your place, the bead map below shows where each prayer goes.
1. Begin at the crucifix
At the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Take a moment to quiet down and remember that God is with you. Then say your intention in one sentence, out loud or in your heart.
2. Pray the optional opening prayers
Many people start with two short prayers about the Passion of Jesus. They are a custom, not a must: the heart of the chaplet starts on the next beads. The first begins: “You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.” The second is said three times: “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You!”
3. Pray on the first beads after the crucifix
On the first beads after the crucifix, pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and the Apostles' Creed. Don't worry about which bead goes with which prayer: what matters is saying these three prayers before the first decade. They're familiar prayers you probably already know by heart. If you need a refresher on the beads and how the Rosary opens, see our step by step guide to praying the Rosary.
4. Pray on the first large bead
On the large bead before the first decade, pray the offering to God the Father:
“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.”
If you don't know it by heart yet, just read it from this page. Nobody expects you to memorize it on the first day.
5. Pray on the ten small beads
On each of the ten small beads, pray:
“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
Say it once on every small bead, ten times in all.
6. Repeat the pattern for five decades
Move to the next large bead and pray the Eternal Father prayer again. Then pray “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion” on each of the next ten small beads. Keep going until you finish all five decades. It's easy to remember:
- One Eternal Father prayer on the large bead.
- Ten mercy prayers on the small beads.
- Repeat the same thing five times.
7. Conclude after the fifth decade
After the last ten small beads, pray this three times:
“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
It's a very old prayer of praise, sometimes called the Trisagion. Then, if you like, add the optional closing prayer. It begins: “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us…” The full text is in the first link under Sources. Finish with the Sign of the Cross.
Divine Mercy Chaplet bead map
| Rosary position | Chaplet prayer | Number of times |
|---|---|---|
| Crucifix | Sign of the Cross and your intention | Once |
| Opening section | Optional opening prayers | First once, second three times |
| First beads after the crucifix | Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles' Creed | Once each |
| Each large bead | Eternal Father prayer (the offering) | Five total |
| Each group of ten small beads | “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion” | Fifty total |
| After the fifth decade | “Holy God” (Trisagion), then the optional closing prayer | Three times, then once |
How long does the Divine Mercy Chaplet take?
Most people pray it in about seven to ten minutes. It takes longer if you add a Bible reading, a moment of silence, your own intentions or the optional prayers. There's no rush. Going slowly helps you pay attention to the words and to each intention you bring to God.
If it's your first time, keep the prayers in front of you. After a few days, the pattern comes naturally. You can also pray it as a family or with a prayer group, with one person leading and everyone answering. For example, the leader says “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,” and everyone answers “have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
When can Catholics pray the chaplet?
Anytime. Many Catholics pray it at 3:00 p.m. to remember the death of Jesus, but you don't have to wait for that hour. It's also often prayed as part of the Divine Mercy Novena or to get ready for Divine Mercy Sunday.
Divine Mercy Sunday is the Second Sunday of Easter, the Sunday right after Easter. The heart of that day is the mercy God shows us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?
It's a short prayer that asks God for mercy on us and on the whole world, and helps us trust Him more. It comes to us through Saint Faustina Kowalska. Saint John Paul II declared her a saint in 2000.
It's a simple prayer you can say at home, at the hospital or with your family, and it fits right alongside going to Mass. It helps you remember what Jesus suffered for us and answer with trust.
Is the chaplet the same as the Rosary?
No. You can use the same beads for both, but the prayers are different. In the Rosary, you think about moments from the lives of Jesus and Mary while you pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. In the chaplet, all five decades focus on the Passion of Jesus and repeat one plea for mercy.
You don't have to choose one or the other. Pray whichever fits the time you have and what your heart needs that day. Either way, you're bringing your needs to God, and that's what matters.
Rosaries and Bibles for praying the chaplet
A rosary to count the five decades and a Bible for a reading before you pray.
Arrives in 2 to 4 days. Free shipping on orders over $35.
A simple way to start today
Set aside ten quiet minutes. Grab your rosary, keep this page open on your phone and choose one clear intention. Follow the bead map without worrying about memorizing anything. If you lose your place, go to the next large bead and keep going.
The chaplet isn't about counting perfectly. It's about turning to God's mercy with a humble heart and placing the needs of the world in the hands of Jesus. Start slowly, pay attention to the words and let the repeated prayers become a calm rhythm of trust.
Sources