Catholic Prayers: The Basic Prayers in Full
From the Sign of the Cross to the Prayer to St Michael: the prayers every Catholic should know by heart, in their traditional wording, in Latin and English, with their origins.
The Catholic prayers that stay with us for a lifetime are usually learnt in childhood: the Sign of the Cross before meals, the Our Father at night, the Hail Mary bead by bead on the Rosary. These few texts carry the whole prayer life of the Church. They stand in the Missal and in the Breviary, and at Confirmation the bishop commends them to the sponsors. This guide brings together the basic prayers in their traditional wording, in Latin and English, with their origins and the place where the Church prays them.
- The basic Catholic prayers are the short prayers that carry the whole prayer life of the Church: the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be and the Apostles’ Creed.
- At Confirmation the bishop charges the sponsors to teach those they sponsor the Credo, the Pater noster and the Ave Maria, “quoniam ad hoc sunt obligati”, because they are bound to do so (rite of Confirmation from the Pontificale Romanum).
- The Roman Catechism divides the whole teaching of the faith into four principal parts. Two of them are prayers: the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
- According to Schott’s Missal (1894), the priest prays the Hail, Holy Queen and the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel together with the people after every Low Mass, by order of Pope Leo XIII.
Which prayers should every Catholic know?
Every Catholic should know the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be and the Apostles’ Creed. The Church expressly requires the Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Daily prayer adds the Hail, Holy Queen, the Angelus and the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel.
How seriously the Church takes this is shown by the rite of Confirmation. After conferring the sacrament, the bishop exhorts the sponsors to train those they sponsor in good conduct and to teach them the Credo in Deum, the Pater noster and the Ave Maria. The Roman Catechism, published by order of Pope Pius V after the Council of Trent, divides the whole of doctrine into four principal parts: the Apostles’ Creed, the sacraments, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. Whoever knows the basic prayers therefore already carries two of these four parts in his memory. The Rosary, too, is built from them, as our guide to the Rosary with all its prayers shows bead by bead.
| Prayer | Origin | When it is prayed |
|---|---|---|
| Sign of the Cross | attested since the 2nd century | at the beginning of every prayer, at the beginning of Holy Mass |
| Our Father | Mt 6:9–13; Lk 11:2–4 | at Mass, in the Breviary, in the Rosary |
| Hail Mary | Lk 1:28 and 1:42, petition of the Church | in the Rosary, in the Angelus |
| Glory Be | praise of the Holy Trinity | at the end of the psalms, after every decade of the Rosary |
| Apostles’ Creed | profession of the Apostles, twelve articles | at the beginning of the Rosary |
| Hail, Holy Queen | medieval antiphon | after the Rosary, in the Breviary |
| Angelus | prayer bell since the Middle Ages | morning, noon and evening |
| Prayer to St Michael | by order of Pope Leo XIII | after Low Mass |
How do you make the Sign of the Cross correctly?
To make the Sign of the Cross, you touch your forehead with your right hand and say “In the name of the Father”, then your breast at “and of the Son”, then your left and right shoulder at “and of the Holy Ghost”. At the “Amen” you join your hands again.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Latin from the Missale Romanum of 1962, beginning of Holy Mass. English in the traditional form.
With this large cross from forehead to breast and from shoulder to shoulder, the priest begins Holy Mass at the foot of the altar. Older still is the small cross that Christians traced on their forehead with the thumb or a finger. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1912, this custom was already familiar in the second century. Tertullian describes it as matter-of-factly as if it belonged to every task of the day.
“At every step and movement, at every coming in and going out, when we dress and put on our shoes, at the bath, at table, when we light the lamps, when we lie down and when we sit down, whatever task occupies us, we mark our forehead with the sign.”
Tertullian: De corona militis, chapter 3. Our translation from the Latin.
What are the words of the Our Father?
In the Our Father, Catholics pray the prayer that Our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught. It begins “Our Father, who art in heaven”, is found in St Matthew (6:9–13) and St Luke (11:2–4) and, in St Matthew’s version, contains seven petitions. That is why it is also called the Lord’s Prayer.
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum: adveniat regnum tuum: fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie: et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: et ne nos inducas in tentationem: sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
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.
Latin from the Breviarium Romanum. English in the traditional form.
In St Matthew, Our Saviour introduces the prayer with the words: “Thus therefore shall you pray” (Mt 6:9, Douay-Rheims). In the 1839 edition of his German translation of the Bible, Joseph Franz Allioli explains its structure with St Augustine: the first three petitions concern the glory of God, the last four our own salvation and that of our neighbour. That is why the Our Father is held to be the measure of every other prayer.
“If we pray rightly and fittingly, we can say nothing other than what is contained in this prayer of the Lord.”
St Augustine, Letter to Proba, quoted by St Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae II-II, q. 83, a. 9. Our translation from the Latin.
What are the words of the Hail Mary?
In the Hail Mary, we greet the Mother of God with the words of the Angel Gabriel (Lk 1:28) and of Elizabeth (Lk 1:42), then ask her intercession for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. This complete form is found in the Breviary that Pope Pius V published in 1568.
Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Latin from the Breviarium Romanum. English in the traditional form.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The first part is the word of Holy Scripture. The petition “Holy Mary, Mother of God” was added by the Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1910, the Hail Mary in liturgical use ended with “Jesus. Amen” until 1568. In the Rosary the Hail Mary is prayed ten times in every decade, that is, in each of the five sections, each devoted to a mystery from the life of Our Lord and of the Blessed Virgin. In the Angelus it follows each of the three verses.
What are the words of the Apostles’ Creed?
In the Apostles’ Creed, in Latin the Credo, the Church sums up her faith in twelve statements, the twelve articles of faith. According to the Roman Catechism, the Apostles themselves handed down this form of the faith. The Creed is prayed on the cross at the beginning of the Rosary.
Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Jesum Christum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum: qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus: descendit ad inferos; tertia die resurrexit a mortuis; ascendit ad caelos; sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, Sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.
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 Ghost, 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 sitteth 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 Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Latin from the Breviarium Romanum. English in the traditional form.
The Roman Catechism explains the word Symbolum, a sign of recognition, in this way: by this profession the faithful were to recognise one another and to distinguish themselves from false brethren. The Breviary of St Pius V had the Creed prayed silently at the beginning of Matins and Prime and at the end of Compline. The Catechism uses the division into twelve articles as its outline: the ninth article treats of the holy Catholic Church and the communion of saints, the twelfth of life everlasting.
When is the Hail, Holy Queen prayed?
In the Breviary, the Salve Regina is one of the four antiphons of Our Lady: the Church prays it from First Vespers of Trinity Sunday until None on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. Many of the faithful close the Rosary with it, as does our prayer guide.
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae; vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eja ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Latin from the Breviarium Romanum. English in the traditional form.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, its author is held to be Hermann of Reichenau (1013–1054), a monk and scholar on Lake Constance who was paralysed from birth and was therefore called Contractus, the Lame. The legend that St Bernard added the threefold “O clement, O loving, O sweet” arose, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, probably only in the 16th century. In 1218 the General Chapter of the Cistercians prescribed that the Salve Regina be sung daily. The Dominicans began singing it after Compline around 1221, and it was from them that this custom spread.
How do you pray the Angelus?
The Angelus is prayed three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening at the ringing of the bell: three short verses on the Incarnation, a Hail Mary after each verse, and as a rule a versicle and a prayer at the end. In Eastertide the Regina caeli takes its place.
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae, R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto. Ave Maria.
V. Ecce, ancilla Domini; R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Ave Maria.
V. Et Verbum caro factum est, R. Et habitavit in nobis. Ave Maria.V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost. Hail Mary …
V. (Mary said:) Behold the handmaid of the Lord; R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary …
V. And the Word was made flesh, R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary …V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Oremus. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde: ut, qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui Incarnationem cognovimus, per Passionem ejus et Crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur: per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Latin after Anselm Schott: Das Meßbuch der heiligen Kirche (The Missal of Holy Church), 4th edition, Freiburg 1894, appendix, p. [151] f. English in the traditional form.
Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
On Saturday evening and on Sunday the Angelus is prayed standing, otherwise kneeling. So say Schott and the Raccolta, the official collection of indulgenced prayers (English edition 1910, no. 182). Pope Benedict XIII granted an indulgence for it on 14 September 1724. The Raccolta gives 100 days for each recitation and, once a month, a plenary indulgence for those who pray it daily, under the usual conditions: confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
What is the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel?
In the Prayer to St Michael the Archangel, we ask the Prince of the heavenly host for help in the fight against the wickedness of the devil. Pope Leo XIII had it prayed after every Low Mass together with three Hail Marys and the Salve Regina, kneeling, by priest and people together.
Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur; tuque Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.
St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
Latin after Schott, Missal of 1894, appendix, p. [130]. English in the traditional form.
The Catholic Encyclopedia dates Leo XIII’s order for the prayers after Low Mass to 6 January 1884. In its 4th edition of 1894, Anselm Schott’s Missal prints the order as it then stood: three Hail Marys, the Salve Regina with versicle, a prayer for the conversion of sinners and the freedom of the Church, and finally the Prayer to St Michael. Only sung Masses were exempt.
Which short prayers fit into every day?
Short Catholic prayers for any moment are the Sign of the Cross, the Glory Be and cries from Holy Scripture, such as the publican’s plea in the Temple for God’s mercy. Such ejaculatory prayers take only a few seconds: on rising, before meals, on the way or in a difficult hour.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
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.
Latin from the Breviarium Romanum. English in the traditional form.
In the Breviary the Glory Be concludes the psalms, and in the Rosary every decade. The Synod of Vaison in 529 prescribed the addition “As it was in the beginning” for Gaul as well, because it was already being prayed in Rome and elsewhere.
Two cries from the Gospel of St Luke make good ejaculatory prayers: that of the publican in the Temple, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Lk 18:13), and that of the blind man near Jericho, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me” (Lk 18:38, both in the Douay-Rheims wording). The Raccolta of 1910 lists the second as an ejaculatory prayer (no. 64). If you would like something to hold in your hand while praying, our finger rosaries make a companion for your pocket.
Does a prayer count if your thoughts wander?
According to St Thomas Aquinas, a prayer does not lose its value if the thoughts wander involuntarily, as long as it was begun with the intention of praying to God. This first intention carries the whole prayer. But only those who pray attentively receive the inward refreshment.
St Thomas distinguishes three fruits of prayer: merit, the granting of the petition, and a spiritual refreshment of the soul. For the first two, the intention with which one begins to pray suffices. For the third, attention is needed. Attention, too, has three degrees: to the words, to their meaning, and to God himself and the thing one asks for. The last is the most necessary, and according to St Thomas it is open even to the simplest person who prays. Whoever wanders deliberately, on the other hand, sins according to St Thomas and loses the fruit of prayer (a. 13 ad 3).
“He prays in spirit and in truth who comes to prayer at the prompting of the Spirit, even if his mind afterwards wanders through some weakness.”
St Thomas Aquinas: Summa theologiae II-II, q. 83, a. 13 ad 1. Our translation from the Latin.
Most of the prayers in this guide pass through the fingers on the Rosary. On our rosaries, such as the St Benedict rosary and the ebony rosary, the spacing between the beads is knotted so that the thumb fits comfortably in between. If you prefer it closer or wider, just tell us in the order notes field.
On many models the Our Father beads are larger than the Hail Mary beads: on the St Benedict rosary in 550 paracord they measure 12 mm with a cross pattern, against 10 mm. For on the go there is the finger rosary with stainless steel beads, a single Our Father bead and a Pardon Crucifix. It fits in your trouser pocket. You will find all models under rosaries from our workshop.
Mentioned in this article
Paracord finger rosary, silver/black
Handmade from 550 paracord, with stainless steel beads, St Benedict medal and Pardon Crucifix, small enough for your trouser pocket.
To the finger rosary
Frequently asked questions about Catholic prayers
Which is the most important Catholic prayer?
The most important Catholic prayer is the Our Father, because the Lord himself taught it. St Thomas Aquinas calls it the most perfect prayer, oratio dominica perfectissima est (S. th. II-II, q. 83, a. 9), for it asks for everything that can rightly be asked for, and in the right order.
What is prayed in Eastertide instead of the Angelus?
In Eastertide the Regina caeli is prayed instead of the Angelus, standing and with its own versicle and prayer. According to the Raccolta, this applies from noon on Holy Saturday until noon on the Saturday before Trinity Sunday. Our Regina caeli rosary bears the name of this antiphon.
May the basic prayers be said in English?
The basic prayers may be said in one’s mother tongue. The Raccolta states that indulgenced prayers, too, may be recited in any language, provided the translation is faithful and approved by the Church (decision of 20 December 1884). At Holy Mass the priest prays them in Latin.
What is an ejaculatory prayer?
An ejaculatory prayer is a prayer of a few words that you send up to God in the middle of everyday life, such as “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me” (Lk 18:38). The Raccolta of 1910 lists dozens of such invocations, some of them taken from Holy Scripture.
- Missale Romanum, 1962 edition: Ordo Missae and rite of Confirmation from the Pontificale Romanum. archive.org
- Breviarium Romanum, Rome 1568, Psalterium with Pater noster, Ave Maria and Symbolum Apostolorum. archive.org; Latin prayer texts after the Divinum Officium text edition. github.com
- Anselm Schott: Das Meßbuch der heiligen Kirche, 4th edition, Freiburg 1894, appendix, pp. [129] f. and [151] f. archive.org
- Römischer Katechismus nach dem Beschlusse des Conciliums von Trient (Roman Catechism), German edition, Passau 1853. archive.org; English edition: Catechism of the Council of Trent, 1908. archive.org
- Joseph Franz Allioli: Die Heilige Schrift des alten und neuen Testamentes, vol. 5, 4th edition, Landshut 1839, Mt 6 and Lk 18. archive.org; Vulgata Clementina, Mt 6 and Lk 1. drbo.org
- St Thomas Aquinas: Summa theologiae II-II, q. 83, a. 9 and a. 13. corpusthomisticum.org
- Tertullian: De corona militis, ch. 3. thelatinlibrary.com
- The Raccolta, or Collection of Indulgenced Prayers, London 1910, nos. 64 and 182. archive.org
- The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York 1907–1912: Angelus, Apostles' Creed, Doxology, Hail Mary, Hermann Contractus, Salve Regina, Sign of the Cross. newadvent.org
Last checked: 19 October 2026.
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We knot rosaries by hand in our workshop in Germany and write in our guide about prayers, devotional items and the traditional Catholic faith.
