The Chaplet of Saint Anthony: How to Pray and PDF Guide
The Chaplet of St Anthony is a wonderful and powerful way to meditate on the virtues of Saint Anthony of Padua and ask for his intercession.
What is the Chaplet of St. Anthony?
This prayer is said in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, a man who has been revered for generations as a benefactor to those in need, a doctor of the church, and who is without equal as a finder of lost objects. This prayer is comprised of thirteen decades of prayers, but each decade is only three prayers long. It is simple to pray and a powerful prayer to meditate on the live and virtues of Saint Anthony, a doctor of the Catholic Church.
Saint Anthony of Padua
Why do we pray the Chaplet of St. Anthony?
We pray the Chaplet of Saint Anthony to help form our life to the example left my Saint Anthony. It is encouraged to meditate on the virtues of St Anthony while praying the chaplet: Faith, Hope, Charity, Love of Jesus, Prudence, Justice, Patience, Penance, Humility, Purity, Obedience, Poverty, Spirit of Prayer, and Union with God.
St. Anthony was a powerful evangelist, teacher, and friend of God. When we pray the Chaplet, we reflect on his virtues and ask for the grace to follow in the example of this great saint. St. Anthony’s Feast Day is traditionally celebrated on June 13th, but you can pray a Chaplet of St. Anthony any time!
How to Pray the Chaplet of Saint Anthony
The Chaplet of St. Anthony consists of thirteen sets of three beads, usually attached to this chaplet is a medal of St. Anthony and the Child Jesus.
The Mechanics of the Chaplet of Saint Anthony Prayer
Introduction
Begin by making the sing of the Cross: “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”
Sets of three beads
Each set of three beads has a St. Anthony theme to meditate on. Before starting your first set of three beads, announce or read the corresponding theme (see below), and meditate on the theme as you pray.
On each set of three beads pray one "Our Father" on the first bead, one "Hail Mary" on the second bead, and one "Glory Be" on the third bead.
Conclusion
After finishing the final set of three beads, pray the Miraculous Repository Prayer by Saint Bonaventure.
The Prayers of the Chaplet of Saint Anthony
The 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.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary. Full of grace, The Lord is with thee; Blessed are 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.
The 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.
The Thirteen Saint Anthony Themes
- St. Anthony, who raised the dead, pray for those Christians now in their agony, and for our dear departed.
- St. Anthony, zealous preacher of the Gospel, fortify us against the errors of the enemies of God, and pray for the Holy Father and the Church.
- St. Anthony, powerful with the Heart of Jesus, preserve us from the calamities which threaten us on account of our sins.
- St. Anthony, who drove away devils, make us triumph over their snares.
- St. Anthony, lily of heavenly purity, purify us from the stains of the soul and preserve our bodies from all dangers.
- St. Anthony, healer of the sick, cure our diseases and preserve us in health.
- St. Anthony, guide of travelers, bring to safe harbor those who are in danger of perishing and calm the troubled waves of passion which agitate our souls.
- St. Anthony, liberator of captives, deliver us from the captivity of evil.
- St. Anthony, who restores to young and old the use of their limbs, obtain for us the perfect use of the senses of our body and the faculties of our soul.
- St. Anthony, finder of lost things, help us to find all that we have lost in the spiritual and temporal order.
- St. Anthony, protected by Mary, avert the dangers which threaten our body and our soul.
- St. Anthony, helper of the poor, help us in our needs and give bread and work to those who ask.
- St. Anthony, we thankfully proclaim thy miraculous power, and we beseech thee to protect us all the days of our life. Amen
The Miraculous Repository
If miracles thou fain would see, Lo, error, death, calamity. The leprous stain, the demon flies, from beds of pain the sick arise.
(The hungry seas forgo their prey, The prisoner's cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and old recovered boast.)
And perils perish, plenty's hoard, Is heaped on hunger's famished board; Let those relate who know it well, Let Padua on her patron tell.
(The hungry seas forgo their prey, the prisoner's cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and old recovered boast.)
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 hungry seas forgo their prey, The prisoner's cruel chains give way; While palsied limbs and chattels lost Both young and old recovered boast.)
V - Pray for us, blessed Anthony; R - That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. O God, let the votive commendation of Blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor, be a source of joy to Thy Church, that she may always be fortified with spiritual assistance, and may deserve to possess eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Chaplet of Saint Anthony PDF Guide
The Chaplet of Saint Anthony PDF is a free printable guide. Use this to follow along as you pray the Chaplet and ask for the intercesion of this great saint! Download here.
Additional Common Questions about Saint Anthony and his Chaplet
Who was Saint Anthony of Padua?
St. Anthony of Padua is widely regarded as one of the most beloved figures in the history of the Catholic Church. Saint Anthony of Padua was a powerful Franciscan preacher and educator. He is known as the patron saint of items that have been misplaced or stolen. In most depictions, he is shown cradling either the infant Jesus, a lily, a book, or all three of these items in his arms.
Anthony was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal. When he was 15 he entered the religious order of St. Augustine. Later on, when the bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs were brought through the Portuguese city where he was stationed, he was once again overcome with an intense yearning to be one of those who are closest to Jesus himself: those who die for the Good News.
As a result, Anthony joined the Franciscan Order and began traveling throughout Morocco to preach to the people there. But he was unable to accomplish that objective because of his illness. He traveled to Italy and took up residence in a remote hermitage there, where he devoted the majority of his time to praying, studying the Bible, and performing other menial tasks.
Recognized as a great man of prayer and a great Scripture and theology scholar, Anthony became the first friar to teach theology to the other friars. Soon he was called from that post to preach to the Albigensians in France, using his profound knowledge of Scripture and theology to convert and reassure those who had been misled by their denial of Christ’s divinity and of the sacraments. After he led the friars in northern Italy for three years, he made his headquarters in the city of Padua. He passed away in 1231, and was canonized less than a year later.
St. Anthony of Padua lived a life that exemplifies what it means to be a Christian today: a steady courage to face the ups and downs of life, the call to love and forgive, to be concerned for the needs of others, to deal with crisis both large and small, and to have our feet firmly planted on the ground of total trusting love and dependence on God. This is the life that every Christian is meant to live.
Why do we pray to Saint Anthony for the return of lost items?
The reason for seeking St. Anthony's assistance in locating lost or stolen items can be traced back to an incident in his own life. According to the story, Anthony had a psalm book that was very important to him. Aside from the value of any book before printing, the psalter contained notes and comments he had made for use in teaching students in his Franciscan Order.
A novice who had grown tired of religious life decided to leave the community. He not only went missing, but he also stole Anthony's psalter! When he realized his psalter had gone missing, Anthony prayed that it would be found or returned to him. After his prayer, the thieving novice felt moved to return the psalter to Anthony and to rejoin the Order, which welcomed him back.
Legend has embellished this story slightly. It depicts a horrible devil stopping the novice in his flight, brandishing an ax and threatening to trample him underfoot if he does not immediately return the book. Obviously, the devil would never command anyone to do anything good. However, the core of the story appears to be true. The stolen book is rumored to be kept in the Franciscan friary in Bologna. In any case, shortly after Anthony's death, people began praying through him to find or recover lost or stolen items.
Can you pray the Chaplet of Saint Anthony on a Rosary?
The Rosary is a different structure than that of the Saint Anthony Chaplet. The Chaplet consists of thirteen sections of three beads, while the Rosary is five sets of ten beads. Still, you can use the Rosary Beads to keep track of your prayers during the St Anthony Chaplet. It may be difficult to achieve a perfect system, but you can adapt a Rosary by simply starting at the first bead of a decade, and stopping after passing three beads. This would allow for three sets of beads in each decade of the Rosary, before you’d need to jump to the next decade to keep counting.
We also recommend using a PDF to help guide you or purchasing your own St Anthony Chaplet. Another option is using a wallet rosary to count to nine each time, before starting over again.
Other Prayers to Saint Anthony
St Anthony Prayer for Lost Items
Great Saint Anthony, who hast received from God a special power to recover lost things, help me that I may find that which I am now seeking. Obtain for me, also, an active faith, perfect docility to the inspirations of grace, disgust for the vain pleasures of the world, and an ardent desire for the imperishable goods of an everlasting happiness. Amen.
Saint Anthony Prayer for a Need
O Holy St. Anthony gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms. The gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.
Short fun prayer to St Anthony for Lost Items
Tony Tony, come around. Something is lost and cannot be found!
Other Resources for the Chaplet of Saint Anthony
If you’d like to pray along with a video, Catholic Crusade has a great video resource.
If you’d like to get a physical set of beads to pray the Chaplet of Saint Anthony, there’s a very affordable version from the In His Name Catholic Store.
Learn more about St. Anthony from the Saint Anthony Shrine and Franciscan Friars in Cincinnati, Ohio, or read about his life in the book, Saint Anthony Of Padua: The Story of His Life & Popular Devotions
Pray a Novena to St Antony of Padua
Other Popular Catholic Prayers:
The Toughest Prayer, the Litany of Humility
The St Joseph Rosary, a prayer to the power of Saint Joseph
How to Pray a 54 Day Novena
The Rosary Card
As you learn to pray the Chaplet, check out our Rosary Cards. They are designed for convenience (same size as a Credit Card) and make it much easier to pray the Rosary often. They could also be used to pray the Chaplet of St. Anthony.
Connect
Please let me know how your journey with the Novena Rosary is going, I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message an email at: brennan@everydayprayerco.com
Need a Rosary to get started? Check out our Wallet Rosary Cards. It'll make sure you are never without the Rosary.
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