A chaplet is a set of prayers counted on a string of beads, usually shorter than the Rosary and dedicated to a particular mystery, saint or devotion. The word comes from the French chapelet, “little crown” or “wreath”: like the Rosary, a chaplet is a crown of prayers offered to God or to the saints. The best-known today are the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of St. Michael and the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows.
Below is a guide to the main Catholic chaplets, with links to step-by-step pages, and answers to common questions.
Chaplet or Rosary: what is the difference?
The Rosary is the Church’s great Marian prayer of fifty Hail Marys in five decades, with meditation on the mysteries of Christ. A chaplet is any similar string of prayers with its own pattern and purpose. In fact, the Rosary was once called “Our Lady’s chaplet,” and in many languages a five-decade rosary is still called a chapelet or coroncina. Some chaplets use ordinary rosary beads; others have their own beads or medal.
| Chaplet | Beads | Main prayers | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Mercy | Ordinary rosary | “Eternal Father, I offer you…” and “For the sake of his sorrowful Passion…” | Mercy for us and for the whole world |
| St. Michael | Nine groups of three beads | Nine salutations to the choirs of angels | Protection and the help of the angels |
| Seven Sorrows | Seven groups of seven beads | Hail Marys on each sorrow of Mary | Compassion with Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Five Holy Wounds | Five groups of beads | Prayers in honor of the wounds of Christ | Love for the Passion |
| Precious Blood | Seven groups | Our Fathers in honor of the seven sheddings of Christ’s blood | Gratitude for redemption |
| Infant Jesus of Prague | Three plus twelve beads | Our Fathers and Hail Marys honoring the Holy Family and the twelve years of Christ’s childhood | Trust in the Child Jesus |
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The most widely prayed chaplet in the world, given to St. Faustina Kowalska in 1935. It takes about seven minutes on ordinary rosary beads and is prayed especially at 3 p.m., the Hour of Mercy, and in the novena before Divine Mercy Sunday. Pray it step by step with our Divine Mercy Chaplet guide.
The Chaplet of St. Michael
Also called the “Angelic Crown,” it honors St. Michael and the nine choirs of angels with nine salutations, each followed by an Our Father and three Hail Marys, and four Our Fathers at the end. It goes back to a revelation to the Portuguese Carmelite Antonia d’Astonac and was indulgenced by Pope Pius IX in 1851. See our Chaplet of St. Michael, with the traditional text from the 1878 Raccolta.
The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows
Promoted by the Servite order, this chaplet meditates on the seven sorrows of Mary, from Simeon’s prophecy to the burial of Jesus, with seven Hail Marys for each. See our Seven Sorrows Rosary.
The Chaplet of the Holy Wounds
A devotion to the five wounds of Christ crucified, popular with the Visitation nuns and many religious. See how to pray the Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds.
The Chaplet of the Precious Blood
Seven mysteries honor the seven times Jesus shed his Blood, from his circumcision to the piercing of his side, with thirty-three Our Fathers for the thirty-three years of his life. See how to pray the Chaplet of the Precious Blood.
The Chaplet of the Holy Spirit
Five mysteries of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus, the Church and the soul, each followed by seven Glory Bes for the seven gifts of the Spirit. See how to pray the Chaplet of the Holy Spirit.
How to pray a chaplet
- Choose a chaplet that fits your need: mercy, protection, sorrow, trust.
- Use the right beads if the chaplet has its own, or ordinary rosary beads, or simply count on your fingers.
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the opening prayers of that chaplet.
- Pray slowly, with attention to the meaning, not the speed.
- End with the closing prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
Many chaplets are prayed as a novena (nine days) or on a particular day of the week: the Divine Mercy chaplet on Fridays at 3 p.m., the St. Michael chaplet on Mondays or Tuesdays, the Seven Sorrows on Fridays.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pray a chaplet with a rosary?
Yes, for chaplets like Divine Mercy that use five decades. Others, like the Chaplet of St. Michael, have a different number of beads, but you can count on your fingers.
Is a chaplet a sacramental?
Blessed chaplet beads are sacramentals, like rosaries. The prayer itself is a devotion approved by the Church.
How long does a chaplet take?
Most chaplets take five to fifteen minutes. The Divine Mercy chaplet takes about seven minutes.
Do I have to finish a chaplet in one sitting?
It is best to pray it without interruption, but God hears every prayer. If you are interrupted, simply continue.
More devotions
- Chaplet of the Sacred Heart
- Chaplet of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- The prayers of the Rosary
- What is a litany?
- Novenas: how to pray a novena
- The Divine Mercy Chaplet
- The Chaplet of St. Michael
Sources
- Raccolta (1878), Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel, with the indulgence of Pius IX (1851).
- Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001), nos. 197–202 (the Rosary and other Marian devotions).
- St. Faustina Kowalska, Diary, on the origin of the Divine Mercy chaplet (described, not quoted at length).