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.
CATHOLIC 1917 AD
The Fatima Prayer
Also known as O My Jesus · Decade Prayer · Fatima Decade Prayer
About this prayer
The Fatima Prayer is a short prayer said at the end of each decade of the Rosary in many Catholic traditions. It originates from the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children (Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto) at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917 AD. According to the accounts given by the children, the prayer was taught to them during the apparition of July 13, 1917, and they were asked to say it after each decade of the Rosary. The prayer asks for mercy for sinners and for souls in purgatory. The Fatima apparitions were approved as worthy of belief by the Bishop of Leiria in 1930 AD, and Fatima has since become one of the principal Marian shrines of the Catholic world. The prayer is not included in all forms of the Rosary but is standard in most Catholic practice in the English-speaking world.
When it's said
The Fatima Prayer is said after the Glory Be at the end of each decade of the Rosary. It is not part of the original structure of the Rosary but has been incorporated into standard practice in most English-speaking Catholic communities since the mid-20th century.
Notes on the text
The prayer's inclusion in the Rosary is traditional rather than required; some Catholics and some official sources present the Rosary without it. The phrase 'those in most need of thy mercy' refers broadly to sinners, the dying, and souls in purgatory. The Fatima apparitions are among the most significant private revelations in modern Catholic history; acceptance of their content is recommended but not required of Catholics.
Source
Reported during the Fatima apparitions, July 13, 1917 AD. First published in accounts of the apparitions compiled by Lucia dos Santos. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.