Essential Catholic Prayers
The foundational prayers of Catholic life, memorized by children, chanted by monks, and prayed daily by millions around the world.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Sign of the Cross is the universal mark of the Christian, invoking the three Persons of the Trinity while tracing the redemptive cross of Christ upon one’s forehead, chest, and shoulders.
The Lord’s Prayer (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.
The Lord’s Prayer is the summary of the whole Gospel, given by Christ Himself. In seven petitions, it praises God the Father, desires the coming of His kingdom, asks for daily spiritual and bodily sustenance, and begs for forgiveness and deliverance from evil.
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.
Rooted in the Gospel of Saint Luke (Luke 1:28, 42), the Hail Mary honors the Mother of God and asks for her maternal prayers for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Glory Be to the Father
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.
The Glory Be (also known as the Minor Doxology or Gloria Patri) is one of the most foundational prayers in Christian tradition. Rooted in early Christian worship and formalized during the fourth-century Trinitarian councils, it gives eternal honor to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.
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; on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will 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.
The Apostles’ Creed is considered a faithful summary of the apostles’ faith. Recited at the beginning of the Holy Rosary and in baptismal liturgies, it confesses faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, 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 toward us,
and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Attributed to Blessed Hermann of Reichenau in the eleventh century, the Salve Regina is a loving prayer asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to look upon our earthly journey with eyes of mercy and lead us to Jesus.
Canonical English doxology prayer text used in liturgical and private devotion across the United States.
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