Chaplet of St. Gertrude the Great

Have you lost a loved one who passed away, or know someone who has? Prayers for souls in purgatory can help them! While we can derive great comfort from the hope that our loved ones are enjoying Eternal Life with God, it never hurts to pray for their souls in any case.

In purgatory, the souls of many of those who have died in God’s grace undergo purification so that they may enter heaven. They can benefit from our prayers to help release them from purgatory. As we pray to them, they hear our prayers. When you are in purgatory, you cannot pray for yourself or others, so when these souls are released to heaven after purification, they will pray for you. It is kind of like a pay it forward approach!

St. Gertrude the Great was a Benedictine nun and mystic who lived in the 13th century.  Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was later extended to include living sinners as well.

This chaplet can be said on a regular rosary — in one rosary or chaplet this prayer is said 50 times! 

1
On the Cross 
The Apostle’s Creed

2
First Bead:  
The Our Father

3
On each of the next 3 beads:  
Hail Mary 

4
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.

5
On the Our Father Bead
Our Father

6
On Each of the next 10 Hail Mary Beads Say …
Eternal Father,
I offer you the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with all the masses said throughout the world today,
for all the holy souls in purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home,
and within my family.
Amen.

7
At the end of the 10 beads say the following 3 prayers … 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
open the hearts and minds of sinners
to the truth and light of God, the Father.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
pray for the conversion of sinners and the world.

Glory Be … 

Repeat steps 5-7 to the end of your rosary.