The Divine Mercy Novena is nine days of prayer that begin on Good Friday and end on the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus asked St. Faustina Kowalska to make it, bringing to his mercy a different group of souls each day, from all humanity and sinners to the souls in purgatory and those who have grown lukewarm. In 2027 the novena runs from Good Friday, March 26, to Saturday, April 3, before Divine Mercy Sunday on April 4. Below are the dates, each day’s intention with a short prayer, how to combine the novena with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and what the Church teaches about this feast.
The novena dates for 2027
| Day | Date | Intention |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good Friday, March 26 | All humanity, especially sinners |
| 2 | Holy Saturday, March 27 | Priests and religious |
| 3 | Easter Sunday, March 28 | All devout and faithful souls |
| 4 | Easter Monday, March 29 | Those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know Jesus |
| 5 | Easter Tuesday, March 30 | Those who are separated from the Church |
| 6 | Easter Wednesday, March 31 | The meek and humble, and little children |
| 7 | Easter Thursday, April 1 | Those who especially honor and spread God’s mercy |
| 8 | Easter Friday, April 2 | The souls in purgatory |
| 9 | Easter Saturday, April 3 | Those who have grown lukewarm |
Divine Mercy Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, is April 4, 2027. See Divine Mercy Sunday.
How to pray the Divine Mercy Novena
Each day:
- Make the Sign of the Cross and bring the day’s group of souls to Jesus.
- Pray the short prayer for the day below (or the novena prayers in St. Faustina’s Diary, nos. 1209–1229).
- Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (below), ideally at 3 o’clock, the Hour of Mercy.
- End with “Jesus, I trust in you.”
The prayers below were written for this page and follow the intentions Jesus gave St. Faustina. The full novena text, with Jesus’ words for each day, is in the Diary of St. Faustina, published by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.
Day 1: All humanity, especially sinners
Most merciful Jesus, whose very nature is to have compassion and to forgive,
today I bring you all humanity, and above all sinners.
Do not look on our sins but on our trust in your infinite goodness.
Draw every person into your merciful Heart. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 2: Priests and religious
Jesus, Good Shepherd, I bring you the souls of priests and religious.
Fill them with your mercy, make them holy and faithful,
and let them pour out your mercy on all who come to them. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 3: All devout and faithful souls
Merciful Jesus, I bring you all faithful souls who love you and serve you.
Strengthen them, console them in their trials,
and keep them always close to you. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 4: Those who do not believe and those who do not yet know Jesus
Jesus, light of the world, I bring you those who do not believe in God
and those who have never heard your name.
Let the light of your love shine on them and draw them to you. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 5: Those separated from the Church
Jesus, you prayed that all may be one.
I bring you all who have separated themselves from your Church.
Heal our divisions and gather us into one flock with one Shepherd. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 6: The meek, the humble and little children
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, I bring you the meek and humble and all little children.
Protect their innocence, bless them,
and make my heart humble and gentle like theirs. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 7: Those who honor and spread God’s mercy
Jesus, I bring you all who glorify your mercy and make it known by their words and works.
Reward them, strengthen them,
and let them live in the joy of your love. Jesus, I trust in you.
Day 8: The souls in purgatory
Merciful Jesus, I bring you the souls in purgatory, especially (names).
Through the wounds of your Sacred Heart,
cleanse them, release them and bring them into your glory. Jesus, I trust in you.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. See the prayer for the souls in purgatory.
Day 9: Those who have grown lukewarm
Jesus, I bring you souls who have grown cold and lukewarm, and my own heart when it is tepid.
Set us on fire again with your love,
and let us never again be indifferent to you. Jesus, I trust in you.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet
The chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. Begin with an Our Father, a Hail Mary and the Apostles’ Creed. Then, on each large bead:
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 of the ten small beads:
For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
After five decades, three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Pray it step by step with our interactive Divine Mercy Chaplet.
What the Church teaches
St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, and in the same year established the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday for the whole Church. A plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions, to those who take part in prayers and devotions in honor of Divine Mercy on that Sunday. The novena is a private devotion, warmly recommended but not required.
Jesus himself said:
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Divine Mercy Novena start in 2027?
On Good Friday, March 26, 2027. It ends on Saturday, April 3, the day before Divine Mercy Sunday.
Can I pray the Divine Mercy Novena at other times of the year?
Yes. Many people pray it at any time for a special intention, though its proper time is from Good Friday to the Saturday after Easter.
Do I have to pray the chaplet every day of the novena?
Jesus asked St. Faustina to pray the chaplet together with the novena, and most people do. If you cannot, pray at least the day’s intention and “Jesus, I trust in you.”
More Divine Mercy and Easter pages
- St. John Paul II prayer
- Litany of Trust
- Divine Mercy Sunday
- Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Good Friday
- Easter octave
- Novenas
Texts and sources
- Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Marian Press), nos. 1209–1229 (the novena intentions), 476 (the chaplet). The daily prayers on this page were written for it and summarize the intentions in our own words.
- St. John Paul II, homily for the canonization of St. Faustina, April 30, 2000.
- Apostolic Penitentiary, decree on indulgences attached to Divine Mercy Sunday (2002).
- Scripture: Luke 6:36; Psalm 135:1 (Psalm 136 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.