Morris ClarkBetween 1916 and 1917, in the small Portuguese village of Fatima, heaven descended to earth. The Angel of Portugal appeared three times to three shepherd children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—teaching them profound prayers of reparation and adoration. Then, between May and October 1917, Our Lady herself appeared six times, entrusting to the children a message of penance, prayer, and peace. At the heart of her message was the daily Rosary and a series of prayers specifically given at Fatima.
These Fatima Prayers are not mere additions to the Rosary. They are weapons of spiritual warfare, acts of reparation for the sins of the world, and expressions of profound love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady specifically asked that the Decade Prayer (often called the Fatima Prayer) be added to the end of each decade of the Rosary. She also revealed the Pardon Prayer, taught the children the Angel’s Prayer, and gave them Eucharistic prayers of reparation.
This guide will present each of these prayers in full, explain their origins, and show you how to incorporate them into your daily devotion. Whether you are a pilgrim of Fatima, a daily Rosary pray-er, or simply seeking to deepen your spiritual life, these prayers will draw you closer to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
The History of the Fatima Prayers
In the spring and autumn of 1916, the Angel of Peace appeared to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. He taught them to pray prostrate on the ground, begging forgiveness for the sins of humanity and offering adoration to the Blessed Sacrament. He gave them what is now known as the Angel’s Prayer and the Eucharistic Prayer – prayers of profound reparation.
Then, on May 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared for the first time. She asked the children to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world and the end of the war. In later apparitions, she taught them the Pardon Prayer and specifically instructed that after each decade of the Rosary, the following prayer be recited:
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”
This prayer became known as the Decade Prayer or the Fatima Prayer. It is now an integral part of the Rosary for most Catholics worldwide.
In addition, Our Lady revealed the Five First Saturdays devotion and promised that those who practiced it with the intention of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart would receive the grace of final perseverance.
These prayers are not optional devotions. They are heaven-sent tools for the salvation of souls. Let us now learn them.
The Decade Prayer (The Fatima Prayer)
This is the most famous of the Fatima prayers. Our Lady specifically requested that it be prayed after each decade of the Rosary, immediately following the Glory Be.
The Decade Prayer:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.
When to pray it: After the Glory Be at the end of each decade of the Rosary (all five decades).
The promise: Our Lady told the children that those who pray this prayer with devotion will obtain great graces, and that it is especially powerful for the conversion of sinners.
A deeper reflection: This prayer is a cry of mercy. It acknowledges our own sinfulness (“forgive us our sins”), the reality of damnation (“save us from the fires of hell”), the universal scope of salvation (“lead all souls to heaven”), and the particular urgency for those farthest from God (“especially those in most need of Thy mercy”).
The Pardon Prayer
Our Lady taught this prayer to the children on August 19, 1917, during an apparition at Valinhos, near Fatima. It is a prayer of reparation offered to the Most Holy Trinity.
The Pardon Prayer:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.
When to pray it: This prayer can be prayed any time, but it is especially appropriate when passing a church (as an act of adoration toward the Blessed Sacrament), during Eucharistic adoration, or as an act of reparation on First Saturdays.
The context: Our Lady taught this prayer as an act of reparation for the sins committed against the Eucharist. She was deeply grieved by the irreverence, sacrilege, and indifference shown to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This prayer offers the very presence of Christ in the tabernacles of the world as reparation for those sins.
The Angel’s Prayer (First Apparition – Spring 1916)
The Angel of Peace appeared to the three children in the spring of 1916, teaching them to pray this prayer while prostrate on the ground. It is a prayer of adoration, reparation, and supplication.
The Angel’s Prayer (Version 1 – taught first):
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. Amen.
When to pray it: This short but profound prayer can be prayed at any time. The angel taught it as a prayer for the conversion of unbelievers and for those who live in ignorance of God.
The deeper meaning: The four acts of faith, adoration, hope, and love are offered to God on behalf of those who do not perform them. It is a prayer of substitution – offering what is due to God for those who fail to offer it themselves.
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The Angel’s Eucharistic Prayer (Second Apparition – Summer 1916)
In the summer of 1916, the angel appeared again, this time holding a chalice with a Host dripping blood above it. He left the chalice suspended in the air and prostrated himself on the ground, teaching the children to pray this longer prayer of reparation.
The Angel’s Eucharistic Prayer:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners. Amen.
Note: This is the same prayer that Our Lady later taught as the Pardon Prayer (Part II above). The angel taught it first, and Our Lady confirmed it.
The vision: After teaching this prayer, the angel gave the Sacred Host to Lucia and the Precious Blood from the chalice to Francisco and Jacinta, saying: “Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Repair their crimes and console your God.”
The Angel’s Prayer of Adoration (Third Apparition – Autumn 1916)
In the autumn of 1916, the angel appeared for the third time, holding a chalice and a Host. He taught the children a prayer of adoration to be prayed while prostrate on the ground.
The Angel’s Prayer of Adoration:
O Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament!
A shorter version also attributed to the angel:
O Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament!
When to pray it: This prayer is especially fitting during Eucharistic adoration, before the tabernacle, or when receiving Holy Communion.
The practice: The angel taught the children to pray this while prostrate on the ground – a posture of profound humility and adoration. While you may not be able to prostrate yourself in a public church, you can kneel with deep reverence and pray these words from the heart.
The Eucharistic Prayer of Reparation
This prayer is similar to the Pardon Prayer but with a slightly different wording. It is often prayed during Eucharistic adoration or after receiving Holy Communion.
The Eucharistic Prayer of Reparation:
O Jesus, it is for love of You, in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners, that I pray this Rosary [or offer this sacrifice].
When to pray it: This prayer can be offered before beginning the Rosary, or at the end, as an act of reparation. Our Lady specifically asked for this intention when promoting the Five First Saturdays devotion.
The Five First Saturdays context: Our Lady promised that those who, on the First Saturday of five consecutive months, go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, pray five decades of the Rosary, and keep her company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the mysteries – doing all this with the intention of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart – will receive the grace of final perseverance.
The Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
While not given directly at Fatima, this prayer was inspired by Our Lady’s request that the world be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart. Pope Pius XII consecrated the world in 1942, and Pope John Paul II consecrated the world again in 1982.
The Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and tender Mother of men, in accordance with thy ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself to thee. I entrust to thee all that I am and all that I have. Keep me, guard me as thy property and possession. Amen.
A longer version (commonly used on First Saturdays):
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of goodness, show your love toward us. Let the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend upon all people. We love you so much. Impress on our hearts true love, so that we may long for you. O Mary, meek and humble of heart, remember us when we are in sin. You know that all men are sinners. Grant us, through your most pure and motherly heart, spiritual and temporal health. May we always see the goodness of your motherly heart, and may we be converted by the flame of your heart. Amen.
The Decade Prayer in Latin
For those who pray the Rosary in Latin, here is the Decade Prayer in the Church’s ancient language.
Decade Prayer (Latin):
Domine Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, salva nos ab igne inferiori, perduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim illas, quae misericordiae tuae maxime indigent. Amen.
How to Incorporate the Fatima Prayers Into Your Daily Devotion
1. Add the Decade Prayer to your daily Rosary. After each Glory Be, pray: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.”
2. Pray the Pardon Prayer daily, especially when passing a church. Whenever you see a tabernacle, pause and pray: “Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly…”
3. Pray the Angel’s Prayer as a morning offering. Begin your day with: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. Amen.”
4. Observe the Five First Saturdays. On the First Saturday of five consecutive months:
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Go to Confession (within eight days before or after).
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Receive Holy Communion.
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Pray five decades of the Rosary.
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Meditate on the mysteries for fifteen minutes.
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Offer all of this with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
5. Pray the Angel’s Eucharistic Prayer during adoration. If you have the opportunity to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, pray the longer Eucharistic prayer that the angel taught.
6. Teach these prayers to your children. Our Lady appeared to children and gave these prayers to children. Your children can learn them too.
A Short Daily Fatima Prayer Routine
If you cannot pray the full Rosary every day, you can still incorporate the Fatima prayers into a shorter devotion:
Morning (2 minutes):
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Pray the Angel’s Prayer: “My God, I believe, I adore…”
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Offer your day to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Noon (1 minute):
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Pray the Decade Prayer once, offering it for the conversion of sinners.
Evening (5 minutes):
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Pray one decade of the Rosary (one mystery) with the Decade Prayer at the end.
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Conclude with the Pardon Prayer.
Result: You have prayed the essential Fatima prayers daily in less than 10 minutes.
The Promises of the Fatima Prayers
Our Lady of Fatima made several promises to those who faithfully practice these devotions:
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Conversion of sinners – The Decade Prayer is especially powerful for bringing souls to God.
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Peace in the world – The daily Rosary with the Fatima Prayer is a weapon for peace.
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Salvation at the hour of death – Those who practice the Five First Saturdays devotion will receive the grace of final perseverance.
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Protection from the fires of hell – The Decade Prayer explicitly asks for this protection.
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The triumph of the Immaculate Heart – Our Lady promised that in the end, her Immaculate Heart would triumph.
Conclusion
As we conclude this guide to the Fatima Prayers, let us remember the urgency with which Our Lady delivered them. She appeared at a time of war, of revolution, of moral collapse. The world was tearing itself apart. And heaven’s answer was not complicated – it was the Rosary and these simple, powerful prayers.
We live in similar times. War rages. The family is under attack. Faith is mocked. Indifference to God is epidemic. And once again, heaven’s answer is the same: pray the Rosary daily. Add the Decade Prayer. Make reparation to the Immaculate Heart. Consecrate yourself to Mary.
Our Lady did not come to Fatima to frighten us. She came to save us. She came with motherly urgency, warning of the consequences of sin but also offering the remedy. The remedy is in your hands. It is on your Rosary beads. It is in these prayers.
Do not delay. Begin today. Pray the Decade Prayer after each Hail Mary decade. Offer the Pardon Prayer for the conversion of sinners. Teach these prayers to your children. And trust that the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph – in the world, in the Church, and in your own soul.
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our refuge and the way that leads us to God.
Amen.
Morris Clark
