Chaplet of Divine Mercy

According to the Diary of St Maria Faustina Kowalska—”DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL“—Jesus Himself revealed and dictated the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to her.

This is a private revelation, but it has been approved by the Catholic Church and is widely promoted as a powerful devotion for forgiveness, healing, and grace for our own needs, for the needs of others—for the world, for souls in purgatory, and for conversion of souls who are living in darkness, away from the light of Jesus Christ—centered on Jesus’ Passion and God’s mercy.

Jesus first taught St. Faustina the exact words of the Chaplet during a vision (Diary #474–476).

“You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words:

‘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 HAIL MARY beads, you will say the following words:

‘For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.’ In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: ‘Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.’”

Jesus later gave St. Faustina several direct promises and instructions about the Chaplet (primarily in Diary entries #687, #811, #1541, and #1731).

These are the key statements He made to her: “Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.” (Diary #687)

“My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you. It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet… Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.” (Diary #1541 and #1731)

“Write that 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 Savior.” (Diary #1541)

“At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence [pardon] is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son.” (Diary #811)

In essence, Jesus presented the Chaplet as a profound act of trust in His mercy, especially powerful for sinners, for obtaining graces (when aligned with God’s will), and particularly at the hour of death—either for the person praying it or when prayed for the dying. He emphasized that it draws directly from the merits of His Passion and serves to console Him and appease divine justice.

The devotion was later promoted by St. John Paul II, who established Divine Mercy Sunday.

This Chaplet of Divine Mercy presented here is the original words and structure found the St Faustina’s Diary (#474-476).