Praying the Chaplet of St. Michael is one of the best ways to honor the most glorious Archangel and the nine Choirs of Angels, received protection in your spiritual battles and receive indulgences. What is meant by Choirs? Holy mother Church teaches us that God created many legions of Angels. Sacred Scripture distinguishes nine groupings among the Angels: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels (Isa. 6: 2; Gen. 3: 24; Col. 1: 16; Eph. 1: 21; Rom. 8: 38). There may be more groupings but these are the only ones that have been revealed to us in Holy Scripture. The Seraphim is believed to be the highest Choir, the most intimately united to God, while the Angelic Choir is the lowest and most responsible to protect us by in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven. St. Thomas Aquinas is known as the Angelic Doctor Among the Doctors of The Church. His writings on the subject outside of Holy Scripture and the Catechism are regarded as heavenly revelations and there are volumes from which to learn the truth about Angels. 

The history of this Chaplet goes back to a devout Servant of God, Antonia d'Astonac, who had a vision of St. Michael. He told Antonia to honor him by nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels. St. Michael promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching Holy Communion, an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine Choirs. In addition, for those who would recite the Chaplet daily, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy angels during life, and after death deliverance from purgatory for themselves and their relations.

 

The Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel

Begin: In the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Pray:

O, God, come to my assistance.

O, Lord, make haste to help me.

(After each of the following nine salutations pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's in honor of that Choir of Angels ...)

1. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim may the Lord make us worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

2. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim may the Lord grant us the grace to leave the ways of sin and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

3. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

4. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominations may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and overcome any unruly passions.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

5. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues may the Lord preserve us from evil and falling into temptation.  Amen. 

 (Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

6. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers may the Lord protect our souls against the snares and temptations of the devil.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

7. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

8. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works in order that we may attain the glory of Heaven.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

9. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted in the life to come to Heaven.  Amen.

(Pray (1) Our Father and (3) Hail Mary's)

Pray (1) Our Father in honor of each of the following Archangels and your Angel Guardian:

1. St. Michael
2. St. Gabriel
3. St. Raphael
4. Angel Guardian

Concluding prayers:

O glorious prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King and our admirable conductor, you who shine with excellence and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael Prince of Your Church, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. 

Amen. FIAT.

*** Notes on the Apparition of St. Michael and Indulgences ***

It is a pious tradition, that the Archangel Michael revealed that he would be well pleased by his bringing into use the following prayers in his honor and in honor of all the Angelic hosts; and that he would repay those who practiced this devotion with signal favors, particularly in such times as the Catholic Church should experience some special trial.  In this belief, a holy Carmelite nun, of the convent of Vetralla, in the diocese of Viterbo, who died with the reputation of sanctity in the year 1751, made it her delight to practice this method of prayer, commonly called the "Angelic Chaplet;" and it was at the instigation of the nuns of her convent that his Holiness Pins IX., by a decree of the S. Congregation of Rites, dated August 8, 1851, granted the following Indulgences -
i. An indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines every time the Chaplet is said.
ii. An indulgence of 100 days daily to anyone who carries this Chaplet about him or kisses the medal with the representation of the holy angels appended to the said Chaplet.
iii. A plenary indulgence once a month to everyone who says daily this Chaplet, on any one day when, after Confession and Communion, he shall pray for the exaltation of our holy Mother the Church and the safety of the Sovereign Pontiff.

iv. A plenary indulgence, with the conditions above named, on -
1. The Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael. May 8.
2. The Dedication of St. Michael. September 29.
3. St. Gabriel the Archangel. March 18.
4. St. Raphael the Archangel. October 24.
5. Holy Angel Guardians. October 2.

To gain these Indulgences, a Chaplet must be used consisting of nine Our Father’s, and three Hail Mary's after each Our Father's, with four Our Father's at the end; the following corresponding salutations being said at the same time in their proper order, with the antiphon and prayer at the end is given below. These Chaplets must be blessed by actual priests who have faculties and are in good standing with The Church.