# Fatima Prayer (O My Jesus)

> A short prayer usually said at the end of each decade of the Rosary, asking for forgiveness and for the salvation of all souls.

- Source: Light of Saints, “Fatima Prayer (O My Jesus)”, https://lightofsaints.com/en/prayers/fatima-prayer-o-my-jesus
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Published: 2026-11-06

## Meaning

This prayer asks Jesus to forgive us our sins, to save us from the fires of hell, and to lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of His mercy. It is in harmony with God's will that all people be saved (1 Tim 2:4).

## Prayer

_Traditional prayer of the Church._

### O My Jesus

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
Save us from the fires of hell;
Lead all souls to heaven,
Especially those who are in most need of Your mercy.
Amen.

## Intentions & hopes

The faithful pray it for the forgiveness of sins, for the conversion of sinners, and for the salvation of all souls, especially those farthest from God. What we may hope for is a heart that trusts more and more in the mercy of Jesus and cares more and more about the salvation of others.

## When & how to pray

- When praying the Rosary, say this prayer after the Glory Be at the end of each decade, before the next mystery is announced.
- This prayer is a pious custom added to the Rosary, not an essential part of its structure.
- It can also be prayed on its own as a short prayer for sinners and for all souls, for example before going to sleep or after an examination of conscience.
- Pray it slowly, sitting or kneeling, and carry in your heart the names of the people you want to pray for.

## Origins

According to the testimony of Sister Lúcia, written down later, the Blessed Virgin Mary taught this prayer to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal, on 13 July 1917, during the third apparition, after the vision of hell. The Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have asked that this prayer be said after each decade of the Rosary. This account rests on Lúcia's own testimony, which she wrote down about 24 years after the event.

Lúcia wrote her memoirs at the request of the Bishop of Leiria, José Alves Correia da Silva. The Third Memoir (August 1941) contains the vision of hell and the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Shrine of Fátima quotes this prayer from the Fourth Memoir.

In Lúcia's memoirs, the Portuguese text reads: 'Ó meu Jesus, perdoai-nos, livrai-nos do fogo do inferno; levai as alminhas todas para o Céu, principalmente aquelas que mais precisarem.' English translations are not uniform: some read 'especially those in most need of Thy mercy', while others read 'especially those who are most in need'.

According to an account on the fatima.org website, until the 1940s most writings about Fátima contained a different wording, quoted by Father Castelbranco. That wording asked Jesus to relieve the souls in purgatory, 'especially the most forgotten'. Pilgrims at the Cova da Iria were reportedly praying this form. Canon Manuel Formigão is named as the one who introduced it, because he understood the Portuguese word 'alminhas' (little souls) as the souls in purgatory.

According to a quotation in an article on fatima.org, Lúcia wrote in the Third Memoir (1941) that the closing words of this prayer, 'those who are most in need', refer to the souls in greatest danger of eternal damnation, that is, those closest to it.

_Edition note: Text: The rights holder named on the source. Checked word for word against the source on 2026-11-05._

## Sources

- [O My Jesus - Diocese of Brooklyn](https://dioceseofbrooklyn.org/52-prayers/o-my-jesus/) — Text taken from dioceseofbrooklyn.org
- [Prayers of the Rosary in English and Latin](https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/prayers-of-the-rosary-in-english-and-latin-164) — Latin text from www.ewtn.com
- [FÁTIMA – Na época das Aparições (Shrine of Fátima information document, in Portuguese)](https://www.fatima.pt/files/upload/2010n/41318_pt_5474b96645fca.pdf) — Published by Santuário de Fátima
- [The Prayer for Souls](https://fatima.org/news-views/the-prayer-for-souls/) — Published by The Fatima Center (fatima.org)
- [Who Are the Souls "Most in Need"?](https://fatima.org/news-views/who-are-the-souls-most-in-need/) — Published by The Fatima Center (fatima.org)