The Essential Prayers Every Catholic Should Know
Where do you begin to pray? With the prayers the Church already gives us. These seven are the first words most Catholics learn, and they are enough for a lifetime. Learn one a week. Pray them slowly. Let the words become your own.
“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”
St. John Damascene, quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2559
Download the printable guide (PDF): English
Download the printable guide (PDF): English and Latin
How to begin
Find a quiet place and put your phone away.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
Pray slowly. When a word strikes you, stay with it.
End with a moment of silence before God.
The prayers
Each prayer is given in its traditional English form, followed by the Latin. Accent marks in the Latin show which syllable to stress.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In Latin (Signum Crucis):
In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.
Touch your forehead, your chest, your left shoulder, then your right. “The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross” (Catechism 2157).
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.
In Latin (Pater Noster):
Pater noster, qui es in cælis,
sanctificétur nomen tuum.
Advéniat regnum tuum.
Fiat volúntas tua,
sicut in cælo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie,
et dimítte nobis débita nostra,
sicut et nos dimíttimus
debitóribus nostris.
Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem,
sed líbera nos a malo. Amen.
The prayer Jesus Himself taught us (Matthew 6:9–13). “The Lord’s Prayer ‘is truly the summary of the whole gospel’” (Catechism 2761, quoting Tertullian).
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
In Latin (Ave Maria):
Ave María, grátia plena,
Dóminus tecum.
Benedícta tu in muliéribus,
et benedíctus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta María, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatóribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostræ. Amen.
The words of the Angel Gabriel and St. Elizabeth (Luke 1:28, 42), followed by the Church’s petition (Catechism 2676–2677).
The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
In Latin (Gloria Patri):
Glória Patri,
et Fílio,
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc, et semper,
et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
An ancient prayer of praise to the Holy Trinity.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
In Latin (Symbolum Apostolorum):
Credo in Deum,
Patrem omnipoténtem,
Creatórem cæli et terræ.
Et in Iesum Christum, Fílium eius únicum, Dóminum nostrum,
qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto,
natus ex María Vírgine,
passus sub Póntio Piláto,
crucifíxus, mórtuus, et sepúltus,
descéndit ad ínferos,
tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis,
ascéndit ad cælos,
sedet ad déxteram
Dei Patris omnipoténtis,
inde ventúrus est iudicáre
vivos et mórtuos.
Credo in Spíritum Sanctum,
sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam,
Sanctórum communiónem,
remissiónem peccatórum,
carnis resurrectiónem,
vitam ætérnam. Amen.
“The Apostles’ Creed is so called because it is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles’ faith” (Catechism 194).
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of heaven
and the pains of hell;
but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,
who art all good
and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins, to do penance,
and to amend my life. Amen.
In Latin (Actus Contritionis):
Deus meus, ex toto corde pænitet me
ómnium meórum peccatórum,
eáque detéstor,
quia peccándo,
non solum pœnas a te iuste statútas
proméritus sum,
sed præsértim quia offéndi te,
summum bonum,
ac dignum qui super ómnia diligáris.
Ídeo fírmiter propóno,
adiuvánte grátia tua,
de cétero me non peccatúrum
peccandíque occasiónes próximas fugitúrum. Amen.
Pray it each night and in Confession. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again” (Catechism 1451). The English is the traditional form taught in the Baltimore Catechism; the Latin is the traditional Latin act of contrition, so the wording differs slightly.
Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
In Latin (Angele Dei):
Ángele Dei,
qui custos es mei,
me, tibi commíssum pietáte supérna,
hódie illúmina, custódi,
rege et gubérna. Amen.
“From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession” (Catechism 336).
Sources & further reading
Catechism of the Catholic Church
194 (the Apostles’ Creed), 336 (the angels), 1451 (contrition), 2157 (the Sign of the Cross)
2559 (what prayer is), 2676–2677 (the Hail Mary), 2761 (the Lord’s Prayer)
Sacred Scripture
Matthew 6:9–13 (the Our Father); Luke 1:28, 42 (the Hail Mary); Matthew 28:19 (the Sign of the Cross)
Prayer texts
English: traditional forms in common use (public domain). Latin: the traditional Latin texts of the Church.
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