Common Catholic Prayers

Catholicism For Dummies

Like most religions, Catholicism has specific prayers that believers say at certain times or on certain occasions. The Our Father is part of the Catholic Mass, for example, and the Act of Contrition is said as part of the Sacrament of Penance. The Glory Be and Hail Mary are repeated as part of the Rosary, along with the Our Father:

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.
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.
Glory Be: 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.
Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You. I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, My God, who are all good and worthy of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

For more information, take a look at the Twelve Articles of Catholic Faith.

About This Article

About the book author:

Rev. Fr. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD, is President of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and a member of the faculty at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He is the co-author of previous editions of Catholicism For Dummies.

Rev. Fr. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, is co-host of a weekly television program on EWTN called Web of Faith. He is the co-author of previous editions of Catholicism For Dummies.