The Chaplet of St. Joseph is a short devotion prayed on beads in honor of the foster father of Jesus, asking above all for his help at the hour of death. On each small bead you say “Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus, and Spouse of the ever-immaculate Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.” The prayers and instructions below are from St. Vincent’s Manual, a prayer book printed in Baltimore in 1847, which gives two ways of praying the chaplet. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes.
How to pray the Chaplet of St. Joseph
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Say the opening verses and the Glory Be.
- On each large bead, say the Glory Be and the Our Father.
- On each small bead, say “Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph.”
- At the end, say the versicle and the closing prayer.
The 1847 book does not say how many beads the chaplet has. Chaplets of St. Joseph are often made with fifteen groups of beads. If you do not have one, you can use an ordinary rosary: say the large-bead prayers on each Our Father bead and “Glorious Patriarch” on each Hail Mary bead.
The prayers of the chaplet
Opening
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
V. Thou, O Lord, wilt open my lips.
R. And my tongue shall announce thy praise.
V. Incline unto my aid, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Then say the Glory Be:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
On each large bead
The Glory Be, then the Our Father:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
On each small bead
Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus, and Spouse of the ever-immaculate Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
Closing
V. Pray for us, O holy St. Joseph.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Assist us, O Lord, we beseech thee, by the merits of the Spouse of thy most holy Mother; that what our own power cannot obtain, may be given us by his intercession: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
A second, shorter method
The same book gives another way of saying the chaplet: everything is said as above, except that on the large beads you say the Hail Mary instead of the Our Father, and on the small beads you say:
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist us now and at the hour of our death.
This short prayer to the Holy Family is easy to remember and can be said at any time of day.
Choosing St. Joseph as your patron
Before the chaplet, St. Vincent’s Manual prints this act of choosing St. Joseph as one’s patron and advocate, especially for a happy death. Say your name where the text has “N.”:
O holy Joseph, virgin spouse of the Virgin Mother of God, most glorious advocate of all such as are in danger, or in their last agony, and most faithful protector of all the servants of Mary, your dearest spouse! I, N., in the presence of Jesus and Mary, do, from this moment, choose you for my powerful patron and advocate, in order that I may obtain the grace of a most happy death: I firmly resolve and purpose never to forsake you; nor to say, or do any thing against your honor. Receive me, therefore, for your constant servant, and recommend me to the constant protection of Mary, your dearest spouse, and to the everlasting mercies of Jesus my Saviour. Assist me in all the actions of my life; I now offer them to the greater and everlasting glory of Jesus and Mary, as well as to your own.
When to pray the Chaplet of St. Joseph
- On Wednesdays, the day of the week traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph.
- In March, the month of St. Joseph, and especially on his feast, March 19, and on the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, May 1.
- During the Seven Sundays of St. Joseph or a novena to St. Joseph.
- For the dying, since St. Joseph, who died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, is the patron of a happy death. See the prayer for a happy death.
Frequently asked questions
What do you say on the beads of the St. Joseph chaplet?
On the large beads, the Glory Be and the Our Father; on the small beads, “Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus, and Spouse of the ever-immaculate Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.”
How long does the Chaplet of St. Joseph take?
About ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the number of beads.
Can I pray the Chaplet of St. Joseph on a rosary?
Yes. Use the Our Father beads for the large-bead prayers and the Hail Mary beads for “Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph.”
Why is St. Joseph the patron of a happy death?
Because, according to tradition, he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary.
More prayers to St. Joseph
- St. Joseph prayer
- Litany of St. Joseph
- St. Joseph novena
- Seven Sundays of St. Joseph
- St. Joseph’s Day
- Chaplets
Texts and sources
- Chaplet of St. Joseph, “another method of reciting the Chaplet of St. Joseph,” and the votive oblation to St. Joseph; versicle and prayer from the Litany of St. Joseph, St. Vincent’s Manual (Baltimore: John Murphy, 1847), public domain (archive.org). The same chaplet appears in St. Joseph’s Manual (1853).