WDTPRS POLL: Do you pray the Rosary and add the “Fatima Prayer”?

Let’s return to an oldie-POLL for today’s beautiful feast.

First, a commercial: Years ago an acquaintance who participated on the old Compuserve Catholic Forum started her own online rosary business.  She made the most beautiful – and also strongest – rosaries I had ever seen.  She suspended her business for a while, but I am happy to report that she has reopened her store and is working again.  Queen of Peace Rosaries – Fr. Z endorsed!  Wonderful gifts.

The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is prayed according to different methods in different parts of the world. For example, in Italy it will usually include a litany at the end. In Germany you will sometimes hear a line about the mystery being prayed interjected into the Hail Mary.

And… to my point… in the English speaking world you will not rarely hear after the Gloria following each decade the addition of a little prayer associated with Fatima:

“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.”

However, not everyone adds this. I, for example, do not.

What I am curious about is… do you add the Fatima prayer when you say the Rosary? This may be in individual or public recitation.

It may be that you do it own way when alone or with one group, and another in other instances.

Just pick then which you prefer.

Please make a choice and add your comment to the combox, below.

When I pray the Rosary, after each decade ...

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About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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98 Comments

  1. Admiral-GER says:

    In germany it is normal to add the Fatima prayer after the Gloria patri.

  2. katerosemar says:

    Happy Feast of Our Lady!
    I do add the Fatima prayer. Usually end with the Salve Regina and Memorare.
    And I often add this at the beginning:
    O Virgin Mary, grant that the recitation of thy Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening, and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the Holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.

  3. Andy Lucy says:

    We always add the Fatima Prayer after each Gloria patri. And we always end with the Hail, Holy Queen, which my wife finds odd, as she grew up ending the rosary with the Memorare.

  4. jessicahoff says:

    I always add the Fatima prayer.

  5. Geoffrey says:

    I always add the Oratio Fatima. In Catholic elementary school in the 80’s, that how I was originally taught. I also like using the Litany of Loreto in place of the Salve, Regina, but only if I have a prayer-book nearby.

    Interesting how different locales have different customs regarding the Sanctum Rosarium. I recall the “outrage” that some traditionalists expressed when Blessed John Paul the Great failed to make any mention of the Oratio Fatima in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae… which celebrates its 10th anniversary later this month! Happy 10th anniversary to the Luminous Mysteries!

  6. kab63 says:

    I attended a women’s retreat yesterday at the church and the woman leading us in the rosary added the Fatima prayer. Normally I don’t add it. Also, the Kindle Fire app for the rosary uses the Fatima prayer. I feel like, in America, if you don’t add the Fatima prayer you’re not saying the rosary properly. I was not raised to add it, so I don’t.

  7. JayDeee says:

    I learned to say the Rosary from the Magnificat booklet. It lists the Fatima prayer at the end, so that’s what I do – say it once, before the Hail, Holy Queen.

  8. Dominicanes says:

    I don’t add the Fatima prayer nor do I start with the Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s or Glory Be…’taint Dominican!

  9. AJS says:

    As an Oriental Catholic I have no particular devotion to the Rosary. I do use a prayer rope, however, and the Jesus Prayer has the same general sentiment as the Fatima Prayer.

    Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

  10. Sword40 says:

    I converted in 1970 and was taught to say the Fatima prayer after each decade. Until I bought a CD with JP II reciting the Rosary in Latin, I didn’t know that the Fatima prayer was not universal.
    I just thought JP II forgot to say it. But yes, I always say this prayer.

  11. Johnno says:

    Always have said it as has my entire family. Said after every Glory Be.

    AJS –
    Fatima and the Fatima prayer not only are for ourselves but for the sake of others, which is why the Fatima Apparitions happened to the extent that God demonstrated their authenticity with one of the greatest public miracles seen since the days of Moses and Elijah! An overwhelming majority of souls are going to hell. By our prayers on their behalf we can help mitigate some of it. I highly recommend adding it and praying for the Pope and Bishops to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart!

  12. Trad Catholic Girl says:

    Andy Lucy…ditto, and I say both Hail, Holy Queen and the Memorare at the end.

    I was planning to start a rosary-making biz with similarly strong rosaries and precious/semi-precious stones, but lack the funds to get started. I would also make a certain percentage to donate to men and women in the armed services and the poor. Perhaps one day…

    BTW Fr. Z, I like the rosary in the picture above but can’t get a clear view of the medal – is that our Blessed Mother or a saint? Thank you for encouraging us to say the rosary!

  13. Marie Teresa says:

    Daily Rosary and daily Holy Hour and the Liturgy of the Hours – that’s my life :)

    One of my prayers each day is for our priest to reinstate daily Mass.

  14. OrthodoxChick says:

    LOVE the Fatima prayer. I say it at the end of each decade before the Gloria. I also say it during the moment of reflection after the consecration of both the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ.

    I was never taught to say anything or reflect on anything in particular at the consecration when I was growing up. Even now as an adult, I’ve never heard anyone really discuss whether or not there is a proper or prescribed prayer to meditate on during the consecration. Once, I heard someone say that they pray “My Lord and My God” at the consecration, but I wasn’t sure if that was “correct” or not. When I heard the Fatima prayer for the first time as a young adult, it sounded to me like something appropriate to pray at the re-presentation of Our Lord’s sacrifice, so I’ve done that ever since.

    Is that OK to do? I hope it is, but if not, I’m perfectly open to being corrected. I certainly don’t want to mess up the most important part of the Mass.

  15. Margaret says:

    Not usually the Fatima prayer. If there’s time, though (my rosary is often prayed shuttling offspring from place to place) after the Hail Holy Queen & rosary prayer (“O God, Whose only begotten Son…) a few extra sets of an Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be, 1) for the needs of the church and the nation 2) for the bishop of the diocese & his intentions 3) Holy Souls in Purgatory. If I’m saying it with my husband, insert the Litany of Loreto as well (he knows it by heart, I do not.)

  16. introibo says:

    Our Lady of Fatima told us to say the Fatima prayer after each mystery. She did not say, “If you wish, say this prayer.” Why don’t we heed what she said? How sobering are the words of Sr. Lucia of 1957 when she said that our Lady is very sad because hardly anyone, both good and bad, heed her message of Fatima.

  17. HeatherPA says:

    We say the Fatima prayer after each Gloria, followed by “St. Joseph, pray for us”
    At the end, we do The “Hail, Holy Queen”, the Rosary prayer, and the St. Michael’s prayer.

  18. Bryan Boyle says:

    Say the prayer. His mother asked that we do at Fatima. Who am I to question why?
    (I also add, to myself “Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee…”)

  19. acardnal says:

    Margaret, I too say the prayer ““O God, Whose only begotten Son by his life, death and resurrection …” after the Hail Holy Queen at the end of the rosary. Curiously, in the TLM/EF Mass we celebrated today for the “Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary”, that prayer is the Collect prayer for today!

  20. acardnal says:

    I also say the Fatima prayer after each decade.

  21. Reverend and Dear Father,

    Is there an OFFICIAL Fatima prayer version in Latin. I’ve seen a few floating around. [I don’t think so. I posted about that HERE. The original Portuguese (without marks, alas): “O meu Jesus, perdoai-nos e livrai nos do fogo do inferno; levai as alminhas todas para o Ceu, principalmente aquelas que mais precisarem.”]

    ad Jesum per Mariam,
    Taylor Marshall

  22. vincent apisa says:

    Thanks for bringing up this subject, Father Z. Me, I learned the rosary in the 1950s. Didn’t learn the Fatima prayer then; don’t use today. Can’t say that I’ve memorized it. I stick with the Our Fathers, Hail Maries, and those Glory Bees. And the Memorare, which I find a beautiful prayer.

    I don’t even do the Mysteries. I just pray. I’ve noticed that small rosary groups typically use one of those rosary booklets, which have introductory prayers or comments for each Mystery. The booklet is passed around the group to the next prayer leader with each decade of beads. I find the passing back and forth of a booklet in order to speak to our Blessed Mother distasteful and annoying. Which, I suppose, is why I normally pray the rosary alone. The booklets, the Fatima’s, the Mysteries drive me away from small groups. If I find myself in one, I feel too guilty to walk away, so I stay, I pray, I remain silent on the Fatima’s, and I politely pass the booklet to someone else, because it annoys me. Not a very enriching prayer experience.

    Here’s an idea for you. It would be nice if the USCCB would put out guidelines on the rosary, approving a Short Form and a Long Form, with the former being only the three main prayers plus the Apostles’ Creed and the Memorare, and the latter including the Mysteries, the Fatima Prayer, and other accretions.

    Dept of Other Accretions: Here’s another annoyance. At the end of a rosary recital in a small group, one well-meaning lightbulb will say, “Hey, gang. Let’s say three more Hail Marie’s and an Our Father for the intentions of our Holy Father in Rome”. Huh? Like what do you think I’ve been doing for the last fifty beads?

    Best regards …

  23. Wayward Lamb says:

    I say the Fatima prayer after each Gloria. After the last decade, I add an Our Father, three Hail Mary’s for the intentions of the Pope, our Bishop, and various priests (including Father Z), [Thanks.] and a Gloria. I end with Salve Regina, the Rosary prayer, and the Memorare.

  24. Pax--tecum says:

    Usually, I pray the rosary in latin in order to be able to concentrate on the mysteries. I don’t have memorized the Fatima prayer in latin, so I don’t add it. I always start with the creed, the three Hail Mary’s for the intentions of the Pope and the needs of the Church, then I pray 5 decades, and usually I finish with saying the Salve Regina and the prayer.

  25. pbewig says:

    Our Lady commanded us to say the Fatima prayer, so I do.

    I sometimes change the mysteries. For instance, I might meditate on the Resurrection of Lazarus, or the story of the Good Samaritan, or the life of the Saint of the day, or the current day’s Gospel. That makes the Rosary more personal for me, and prevents it from becoming a monotonous chore.

    I also usually replace the closing Salve Regina with the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, since he was my confirmation Saint.

  26. acardnal says:

    vincent apisa, the whole point of praying the rosary is to meditate on the mysteries it represents.

    May I suggest you read some of the Popes’ Encyclicals, Apostolic Exhortations and Apostolic Letters on the rosary here: http://tomsdomain.com/rosary/id19.htm

  27. acardnal says:

    I would add to my above, this phrase from Pope Saint Pius V’s encyclical Consueverunt Romani, dated 1569 AD:

    “Interposed with these prayers are certain meditations showing forth the entire life of Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . “

  28. JKnott says:

    I pray the Fatima prayer.
    One reader mentioned the prayer, “O God whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection….”. I recently noticed again today at Mass that it is taken from the Collect for the EF Mass of the Holy Rosary. It is commonly prayed here after the Salve.

    The Legion of Mary, in maintaining adherence to the L of M Handbook composed by founder Frank Duff, (the rule from the top) does not say the Fatima prayer at any meetings, however all the members say the Fatima prayer outside of meetings: privately or when going to nursing homes etc.. It goes without saying that members of the Legion are very devout to Our Lady and would love to be able to include it. However they are obedient to the Handbook. In this regard, they are true “unreconstructed ossified manuelists.” I am sure that Mary blesses their obedience, especially considering the good work they do for her.

  29. Father G says:

    I say the Fatima prayer after the Gloria, but I use the English version based on the original Portuguese: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.

    The more well known version contains phrases not found in the original Portuguese:
    O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need of thy mercy,.

  30. Ellen says:

    I pray the Fatima prayer as part of my daily prayers, but usually not when I say the Rosary. I also tend to use other mysteries based on Jesus’s miracles in addition to the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous. As the very wise monk who led our retreat told us – the Rosary is not set in stone, it has changed over the years and will change as time goes on.

  31. marthawrites says:

    Having learned the rosary in the early ’50’s without the Fatima prayer it has only been in the last few years that I’ve added it, adapting quickly because everyone else praying at our local Planned Parenthood was saying it. We definitely didn’t teach our children this prayer when they were young. Now saying it I find indispensable especially since visiting Fatima last Spring. In addition, in our parish during the introductory prayers the leader always offers the first Our Father “for the intentions of the Holy Father” and the next three Hail Mary’s “for an increase in the virtues of faith, hope and charity.” THAT I’d certainly never done before and I forget to do when saying the rosary at home. BTW, today’s the day to reread GKChesterton’s LEPANTO.

  32. FlorinT says:

    As a convert to the true faith (Latin Rite) – son of Eastern Rite Catholic parents, born behind the “iron curtain”, and baptized in the Orthodox Church – I learned to pray the Rosary by watching Mother Angelica’s 9:30 pm prayer on EWTN.
    I say the Fatima Prayer after each mystery, after the Glory be. I conclude with the Hail Holy Queen/O God, whose only begotten Son … /May the Divine assistance remain alway with us… and the prayer to Saint Michael.

  33. pgarnaas says:

    We include the Fatima prayer after each Gloria. In addition to the concluding prayers mentioned above (Salve, Rosary Prayer, Prayer to St. Michael) we add the Prayer to our Guardian Angel (Angel of God, my guardian dear…). I learned it as a child and I still love the childlike attitude of trust it conveys.

  34. mamajen says:

    Yes. Although I first learned the rosary without it, I can’t imagine it any other way now. If I remember correctly, it was watching one of those CCC animated films that prompted my family to make the change.

  35. FlorinT says:

    As a convert to the true faith (Latin Rite) – son of Eastern Rite Catholic parents, born behind the “iron curtain”, and baptized in the Orthodox Church – I learned to pray the Rosary by watching Mother Angelica’s 9:30 pm prayer on EWTN.
    I say the Fatima Prayer after each mystery, after the Glory be. I conclude with the Hail Holy Queen/O God, whose only begotten Son … /May the Divine assistance remain alway with us… and the prayer to Saint Michael.

  36. rodin says:

    Yes, I say it because the Blessed Mother requested it.

  37. friarpark says:

    When I re-learned the rosary in 2005 the cd I used added it, and the morning rosary said before daily Mass at my parish added it plus Come Holy Spirit… and so I do also. I learned about the Fatima request later and it re-enforced it for myself that I should do it in my private rosary as well.

  38. Trad Catholic Girl says:

    A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to see the Pilgrim Virgin Statue, created in 1947, to teach the world’s people about the appearance of Mary to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, and her message calling us to conversion, prayer, and penance. On May 13, 2000, Pope John Paul II declared two of the three children “Blessed” during a ceremony at Fatima attended by hundreds of thousands, and spoke of the urgency of the message in the new millennium. October 13th will mark the 95th anniversary of the miracle of the sun as foretold by the children and witnessed by about 100,000 people, including atheist newspaper reporters. As given to Blessed Alan de la Roche, the Blessed Virgin promised the following to Christians who faithfully pray the Rosary:

    1. Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
    2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
    3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
    4. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal Things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
    5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
    6. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never by conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.
    7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
    8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.
    9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
    10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven.
    11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary.
    12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
    13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
    14. All who recite the Rosary are my Sons, and brothers of my Only Son Jesus Christ.
    15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

  39. Gregg the Obscure says:

    I include interlinear mention of the mysteries as described here and the Fatima prayer included on that page. Actually the only difference in the way I pray the Rosary vs. the linked page is that I also conclude with the St. Michael prayer.

  40. KAS says:

    I learned to pray the Rosary watching EWTN in the mid 1990’s, so the Fatima prayer is habit.

  41. Hans says:

    I don’t say it when I pray the Rosary on my own; that’s at least partly because I do that in Latin don’t recall ever having seen it so. Now I see that there is a good reason for the last.

    On the other hand, when I pray the rosary with a group, the Fatima prayer is almost always included, and I pray it as well even if it’s my turn to lead a decade. Then again, such prayer is usually in English and sometimes other languages (I may learn the Rosary in Spanish before I become adept at the rest of that language).

    So I haven’t decided on an answer for the poll, yet.

  42. a catechist says:

    I didn’t learn it that way in the 1970s. But I added it in the last few years, specifically for some lapsed Catholics.

  43. Sieber says:

    I learned the Rosary with the Fatima prayer in the 40’s & have naturally used it ever since. I do not recall ever reciting a public Rosary at a wake, mission, crusade etc. without the Fatima prayer. Maybe it’s an L.A. thing. Learned it from the IHM”s about 20 years before they blew apart.

  44. John Nolan says:

    Tends to be used in traddy circles after each decade, and I have vague memories of occasionally hearing it in my childhood (England, 1950s) but it was the exception rather than the rule.

  45. Midwest St. Michael says:

    We pray the Fatima prayer with our Rosary every day (as a family).

    We also add this prayer after each decade after the Fatima prayer:

    “God our Father, please send us holy priests. All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all for the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, in union with St. Joseph. Amen.”

    I have no idea where it originates from. We just pray it.

    MSM

  46. Fern says:

    I add the Fatima prayer and include myself in “those in most need of Thy mercy” :)
    The Latin version I have is:
    “O me Jesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, libera nos ab igne inferni, conduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim illas quae maxime indigent misericordia tua.” Compliments of Editiones Familiae Sancti Hieronymi. 507 S. Prospect Avenue, Clearwater, Florida 34616. A great place to get Latin things.

  47. elaurier says:

    Just got home from the annual Archdiocese of Santa Fe Rosary Rally and the Fatima Prayer was included after every Glory Be. We’ve been going to this rally for three yrs and this year had the most people ever. Even Archbishop Sheehan commented on the large crowd!!

  48. irulats says:

    We pray it, as a family, after every decade and we add this prayer usually; “O Mary, my mother, my Arc of The Covenant, infused by the mystery of (………), we pray through thee, for: peace among the nations, in the Name of the Father; the unity of families in the Name of the Son; and the protection of children, in the Name of the Holy Spirit. Amen”

  49. lydia says:

    I pray the Fatima prayer after each decade. This prayer also is on my lips so many times during the day when I catch the news events around the world.

  50. Tom T says:

    I pray the Fatima prayer daily after every Gloria , as a member of The Confraternity of the
    Most Holy Rosary, which everyone should join. It has many benefits, indulgences plenary and partial, the intercession of the entire heavenly court, and fifteen promises mentioned above. It is free and open to all. We not only pray for each other but also deceased members and of course our own intentions. It is an Arch Confraternity entrusted to the Dominican Order by the Holy See more than 500 years ago. Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Pax

  51. Bryan Boyle says:

    midwest stmichael: that prayer was composed by jerry coniker of the apostolate for family consecration.

  52. The Sicilian Woman says:

    I always say the Fatima prayer after each decade, and end with the Hail Holy Queen. The Rosary groups of the local parishes do the same, and add more prayers.

    I, too, am a member of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. Being one keeps me honest in reciting my weekly Rosary and not slacking off.

  53. TeaPot562 says:

    At the end of each decade, we say the Fatima prayer. For Joyful mysteries, the first two Luminous mysteries and the last three Glorious mysteries we append “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we love you; save souls”. For the Sorrowful mysteries, the last three Luminous mysteries and the first two Glorious mysteries we append “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”
    TeaPot562

  54. jilly4ski says:

    I always add the Fatima prayer (always said it that way). At the end I pray both the Salve Regina and the Saint Micheal the Archangel prayer.

  55. Kate says:

    I’m with rodin; Our Blessed Mother requested that we recite it. That is enough for me.

  56. jdscotus says:

    So, Fr. Z., why do you not say the Fatima Prayer? I’m a minimalist yet say the prayer because I thought it had to be said. What, exactly, needs to be said when praying the rosary? I ask the question for one who prays in the pre Concilliar way, before PJII’s contamination of the rosary.

  57. eulogos says:

    When I was a newly baptized Episcopalian and already being drawn to the church, I peeked in the side door of St. Mary’s in Annapolis, expecting to see something I recognized as the Eucharist going on. Instead I saw a young man I knew from college leading a bunch of old ladies in saying a repetitive prayer, which I gradually figured out must be the rosary, which I had heard about in Catholic novels but had no other knowledge of. The Fatima prayer for some reason made the biggest impression on me that day. As a new believer I was finding out that it was not at all the case as I had thought that once I knew the truth I would do it. So its prayer for those “especially in need” really struck my heart.

    Before a year was out I was with those old ladies saying the Rosary. Since that prayer was always said, it was part of the Rosary for me. I didn’t find out for several years that it was “The Fatima Prayer” or what Fatima was. But when I pray it I always remember that day, my first encounter with the rosary, and what it felt like to be on the outside, looking in.

    Susan Peterson

  58. readerLarry says:

    I don’t say the Fatima prayer, but I do end the Rosary with the Hail Holy Queen and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, simply because I like litanies, and that is a favorite.

  59. helgothjb says:

    My family prayer a Dominican rite Rosary and we do say the Fatima Prayer as Ou Lady asked. It is allowed to be added, but is not officially part of the rite. I think Fr. z should write about the 4 different Rosary rites and how the Rosary developed over time. I think people have the impression that the Rosary St. Dominic received from Mary was exactly like the one we have today. It wasn’t. In fact, at one time there were over 150 different mysteries and people used Rosary Booklets that had the mysteries in them. It was Pius V, a Dominican, who decided upon the 15 mysteries. When Holy Father Dominic was given the Rosary the Hail Mary ended before the name of Jesus, so it was just the scripture quote from St. Luke. There are many ways to pray the Rosary. We use the Fatima prayer because Fatima spirituality is important in our lives and because Our Lady asked for it. As for adding prayers, other than that, if it helps to focus your intellect and aids your will in an act of love it is beneficial to prayer. If, however, it causes the time of prayer to extend beyond ones devotion, making prayer an exercise in will power alone, better to dispense with it.

  60. Carolvoss says:

    It’s odd. I went to Catholic school for twelve years, in the sixties and early seventies, and had never heard of the Fatima prayer. We never recited it during school-time recitation of the Rosary. I finally learned it a couple of years before I actually reverted while listening to the local Catholic radio station one day during rush hour. They were broadcasting a tape of the Sisters saying the Rosary. Maybe it was just the stress of being stuck on the interstate going nowhere, maybe greater forces were at work, I don’t know. But I found myself joining in. And the next day on the way home, I did the same thing. And the next day. And so on. But that was when I first heard of, and subsequently learned, the Fatima prayer, as well as the Luminous Mysteries (which were added during my hiatus from the Catholic Church.) It took me awhile to learn those, didn’t get the e-mail, after all.

    Anyways, over the radio, on those miserable late afternoon commutes, a seed was planted. I ended up returning to the Church a couple of years after that, and suspect that the Rosary was influential in that. I’m grateful. And I pray the Rosary every day.

    I was injured a couple of months ago and haven’t been able to return to my job. I’m facing a spinal fusion next month. The neurosurgeon advised me to maintain some muscle strength and fitness by taking walks every day, preferably a couple of times a day. So I’ve been doing the “nun” thing: I have my rosary along with me on my jaunts around the neighborhood, and pray five decades while I’m walking. I have hope that Mary will be right there in that operating room with me next month.

  61. DoS.SemT says:

    I’ve always added the Fatima prayer since I came to seminary and started daily praying it, because that’s how we prayed it in the car. So when I’m in the car I add it; during Holy Hour it generally gets omitted.

  62. JacobWall says:

    I don’t add the Fatima prayer. I learned the Rosary in Mexico (where I made those final steps towards joining the Church) and they don’t use it. The first times I was a group rosary, I would have my English missal out to learn the prayers in English while the group said them in Spanish. However, Mexicans also add a litany at the end. I have to admit that when I found out that in the Anglo world there is usually no litany, my lazy side kicked in and I let myself go without learning it. I still have the intention at the back of my mind to learn the litany they say after the Rosary. I would consider adding the Fatima prayer if there were any group of Catholics near where I live in Canada actually praying the Rosary regularly. Sadly, group Rosaries seem to be non-existent in the countryside where I live. I would like to think that means that private Rosary prayers are that much more common, but …

  63. Geoffrey says:

    “I ask the question for one who prays in the pre Concilliar way, before PJII’s contamination of the rosary.”

    That seems a bit much. It was 40 years after the opening of the Sacred Council that Blessed John Paul II merely proposed an optional set of mysteries, to make the Rosary a little more rounded as a “compendium of the Gospel”.

    The Oratio Fatima has its roots in a private revelation, and so is not a “required” part of the devotion. Because of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and Fatima in particular, I was surprised that Blessed John Paul did not mention this prayer in his apostolic letter, but he did make mention of various local customs existing in regards to the rosary.

    And given Blessed John Paul’s great love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin, is it so hard to imagine the possibility that he was inspired to compose the Luminous Mysteries?

    The Holy Rosary is not liturgy. Though it has “required” elements by virtue of centuries of custom and tradition that make it what it is, it is nevertheless a private devotion, with room for personal preferences, etc.

  64. n1tr0narc says:

    Here in the Philippines, it is almost universal that we include the Fatima prayer after every Gloria Patri… that is at least 6 times. In addition, the Litany of Loreto is prayed commonly by the older folks daily. Personally in my family, we also include the prayer to our guardian angel (especially when the kids are around).

    The Luminous mystery not really used by the more traditional folk here, but we do. Also, learned to pray it in Latin, as I now attend the TLM almost 40% of the time and my private daily prayers are mostly in latin.

  65. THREEHEARTS says:

    First of all Jesus Christ said I will DRAW all souls to heaven. Secondly Was it Mary who commanded or rather directed the Children to say this prayer or the Archangel Michael? Lucia in her book written at the direction of her local Bishop said “Draw”

  66. Cathy says:

    During my conversion I wondered if anyone was praying for me, it may sound strange but the answer came in saying my Rosary during the Fatima prayer, that a whole lot of people were praying for me and all poor souls. I am very grateful for this little prayer, it is very short, sweet and an infinitely deep reminder of both our need for salvation and our responsibility for others in Christ’s mission.

  67. Navarricano says:

    I always add it when I pray the rosary in English since I learned it as part of the rosary from the first: a book about the apparitions of the Virgin at Fatima and a small, red, plastic rosary were the proximate causes for my initial conversion to the Faith 32 years ago. However, it’s not customary to add it to the rosary in Spain, so when I am praying in Spanish, I don’t. The prayer that Spaniards typically add after the Gloria is “María, madre de gracia, madre de misericordia, defiéndonos de nuestros enemigos ahora, y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amen.” (Mary, mother of grace, mother of mercy, defend us from our enemies now and at the hour of our death. Amen.)

  68. MPSchneiderLC says:

    Fr Z, what about another poll regarding adding litanies after.

    I pray the litanies of Loretto and said “I add other things” – I don’t know if that counts.

  69. Tim in NC says:

    I add the Fatima Prayer after each decade. After praying the Hail Holy Queen, I continue with the O God … prayer on the first Our Father bead. I continue toward the crucifix by offering three Hail Marys for the end of abortion and the Culture of Death and finish on the first Our Father bead next to the crucifix with Memorare for the Pope and his intentions.

  70. Konrad says:

    Here in Bavaria the Fatima prayer ist used quite often but not always. Roughly about 2/3 to 1/3.

  71. I always add the Fatima prayer after each decade except for sometimes when I’m praying it with people who don’t. That happens very rarely though.

  72. GOR says:

    From childhood in Ireland the Fatima prayer was always said at the family rosary. Additionally, at the end, the Prayer to St. Joseph (“To thee O Blessed Joseph we have recourse in our tribulation…”) was always added both in private and public recitations.

    Of course, as John O’Brien’s “The Trimmins On The Rosary” notes, many other ‘trimmings’ might be added at the end by the “little Irish mother”……

  73. Kypapist says:

    Yes, I love and say the Fatima prayer. I believe the prayer is supposed to be said after every decade but some people say it after every Glory Be which is different because of the Glory Be after the initial 3 Hail Mary’s. Years ago I would pray the Rosary with some older Blue Army members (I am a member but then I was a younger member). I noticed that if a layman was leading the Rosary and he omitted the Fatima prayer after the first Glory Be, those old ladies would pray it right over the top of his start to say the Mystery. But if we were lucky enough to have a priest leading the Rosary and he omitted the prayer, they kept silent and followed his lead. Too funny.

    When saying the Rosary privately, I offer the initial prayers “for the health and the intentions of our Holy Father,” and on the three Hail Mary’s I add “for the intentions of the Holy Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.”

  74. Volanges says:

    I had to look this up since I learned & usually pray the Rosary in French. I realize now that this was the prayer my aunt always included when she led the Rosary but it wasn’t one that was included when the it was prayed at home and not one that I’ve incorporated into my prayer.

  75. Venerator Sti Lot says:

    Where can one conveniently find the 50 and the 150 ‘Clauses’ of Dominic of Prussia, in the original and in translation, online?

  76. milhon1 says:

    I add the Fatima prayer. It’s how I learnt it.

  77. Philangelus says:

    When praying in private, I do the Fatima prayer and the St. Michael prayer after each decade. I add the memorare after the Hail Holy Queen.

    When I pray the rosary with others, I omit those.

  78. ajf1984 says:

    Didn’t learn the Fatima prayer growing up (cradle-Catholic child of a…less-than-enthusiastic Catholic parent), but learned it in High School and have added it after each Decade ever since, right after the Gloria Patri. My wife grew up praying it after each Decade as well, so that’s how we’re raising up our 3 boys to pray it!

    A note on the “post-Rosary” prayers: a priest-friend of mine, one of the “good Jesuits,” once mentioned that he isn’t convinced it’s a good thing to add all sorts of prayers/litanies/etc. at the end of the Rosary. He probably wouldn’t agree with how we conclude, then: after the final Decade, a Salve Regina, the “O God Whose only-begotten Son” prayer, the prayer to St. Michael and finish off with a Memorare… :-)

  79. SKAY says:

    I did not learn to say the rosary with the Fatima prayer included-but I now include it. Like Fern, I also include myself as one of “those in most need of Thy mercy”.

  80. Torpedo1 says:

    I love the Fatima prayer and was taught to say it as a child growing up in the 80ies. In fact, I didn’t know others in the English speaking world didn’t say it until I got on the interwebs. I agree with many commenters here, it’s a sweet, short and necessary prayer and I enjoy saying it.

  81. Jenice says:

    I am a convert, and was taught the rosary at my parish where they always pray the Fatima pray, so I never even knew it was optional. I like it because I get to say “Oh my Jesus,” saying His name again, and because, like others above, get to include myself in “those most in need of Thy mercy.”

  82. Joel says:

    I did not grow up with the Fatima prayer, but I learned it and like it and have added it after each decade for years now.

    Something else that I find which helps to keep kids and even myself focused on a mystery is to add the mystery or the action of the mystery in the Hail Mary prayer itself. For example, “…of thy womb, Jesus, carrying His cross. Holy Mary…”. As a family we don’t do it for every Hail Mary, but maybe once or twice in a decade.

  83. Ana says:

    During private recitation of the Rosary, I do not include the Fatima prayer, but I will go along when praying the Rosary publicly.

  84. Stvsmith2009 says:

    I am a convert, and including the Fatima Prayer is the way I learned the Rosary. It would feel strange to me to leave it out.

  85. Venerator:

    I found numerous mentions of the ‘Clauses’ of Dominic of Prussia, but not the clauses themselves. I recall reading once that they would typically be inserted into the middle of the Hail Mary thus:

    “… and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, who [enter incident here]. Holy Mary, mother of God …”

    Anyway, this is probably not even close, but this is a link to a 16th century Sarum use of the Rosary, where a meditation accompanied each Ave, as opposed to each mystery. There are only five decades instead of fifteen.

    http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/HortulusRosarium.html

    Other than that, there is always the “Scriptural Rosary” published out of Chicago. The first three Aves are not included, but I’ve seen verses for them referring to the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. (I’ll have to find those someday.) If I were the Pope, this is the variation I would encourage, in the hopes that some might even memorize all the versicles and responses of the Mysteries by heart — as opposed to inventing new ones.

    But hey, that’s just me (and another story).

  86. Venerator:

    I spoke too soon. I did a search of the person’s name with “life of jesus rosary” and came up with this:

    http://8kidsandabusiness.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/our-ladys-psalter-the-rosary-of-the-mystery-of-christ/
    http://www.lulu.com/shop/fr-marco-testa/our-ladys-psalter/paperback/product-20118269.html;jsessionid=9E99F7C8639A822C2C1FE91679167724

    The first link shows an example, along the lines that I mentioned before:

    “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Who commanded the angel to say, ‘Hail, full of Grace’ for thou hast given glory to the heavens; God and peace to the earth. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

    Something like that, right?

  87. kathyq says:

    I went to Catholic school in the 50’s and was taught the rosary without the Fatima prayer which is the way I say it when I’m alone. However, it seems I have no choice but to say it when the rosary is publically said. My question is, and correct me if I’m wrong, if the Church says we are not obligated to believe in private revelations/apparitions, then why does it seem that the Church seems to endorse the Fatima apparition and all it contains as true? I think I must be the only Catholic who has questions or problems with Fatima which I do not have with othe apparitions such as Lourdes.

  88. Catholictothecore says:

    I’ve always said the Fatima prayer after the Glory Be at the end of each decade. Then at the end of the five decades I say the Salve Regina, the “O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection.., ” plus prayers for the Holy Father and the priests of our comunity with special mention of Fr. Z.

  89. introibo says:

    Vincent Apisa,
    The plenary indulgence can be gained, under the usual required conditions, when the rosary is prayed in a church or family setting. The ususal required conditions include prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, which typically consists of the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory Be or the Lord’s Prayer and three Hail Mary’s, in addition to the other prayers or pious act itself. If the worst any “well meaning lightbulb” does is suggest additional prayers, be glad :^) No one, especially the Pope, is suffering because he has too many prayers being said for him. Regards.

  90. andris_amolins says:

    In Latvia, it is a custom to say between the Gloria Patri … and the Fatima prayer this invocation the Latin equivalent of which could be “Maria, sine labe originali concepta, ora pro nobis qui ad te confugimus”.

  91. Paulus1988 says:

    Not to be a fox in the hen-house, and, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but, f.y.i., a more accurate translation of the original Portuguese is the following:
    O my Jesus,
    pardon us,
    snatch us from the fires of hell,
    draw all souls to heaven,
    and help especially those in most need.

  92. Weetabix says:

    I do not pray the Rosary enough, but when I do, I add the Fatima prayer.

  93. Venerator Sti Lot says:

    Dear manwithblackhat,

    Many thanks for all your help – and further fine suggestions!

    Fr. Testa’s edition with translation sounds good! “Something like that,” indeed!

    The (non-English modern translated) version I know corresponding to your example, is, in fact, simpler: the clause is (in my quick ad hoc English translation) “Whom you, pure Virgin, conceived by the Holy Ghost, amen.” My guess is, that Fr. Testa has edited and translated the 150 clauses that Dominic of Prussia wrote after he had written the fifty (of which I have a translation).

    If I may be excused for tossing out another question, I have also encountered a least one example of a ‘saint’s rosary’ published with an 18th-c. translation of a 12/13-th c. Latin Vita ( of St. Gerlachus – who apparently was once given a little crown by his contemporary, St. Hildegard of Bingen!): was this ever common practice?

  94. Random Friar says:

    Dominican way, with the added Fatima prayer.

  95. jaykay says:

    The priests who taught me in the 60s & 70s were dedicated to Mary (Marists – Society of Mary) and so the Rosary and all Marian devotions were very important, but we never used the Fatima prayer, and in fact I only heard it for the first time at the recitation of the Rosary at my mother´s funeral in the 90s. I use it all the time now, personally.

  96. Desertfalcon says:

    I have a question. I didn’t start to add the Fatima prayer until a few years ago but I was wondering what is the norm for the last decade of a chaplet, i.e., I pray the Fatima prayer right after the ‘Glory be,’ before starting the next decade for the five decades but at the end of the last ‘Hail Mary’ of the five, does one pray the Glory+Fatima and then the Salve Regina, or just the Salve?

  97. Patti Day says:

    Dominican/with

  98. StellaMaris says:

    We pray the prayers Our Lady has asked us to pray, since she gave us Her Psalter. This includes the Fatima prayer because she asked us to pray it. We do not pray the Luminous Mysteries. We do end with a Salve Regina and a St. Michael Prayer.

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