The Five First Saturdays is a devotion of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, asked for by Our Lady at Pontevedra on 10 December 1925. On the first Saturday of five consecutive months you go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray five decades of the Rosary, and keep Our Lady company for fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries.
◆ The next five first Saturdays
The devotion runs on the first Saturday of five months in a row. The next complete chain opens on Saturday 3 October 2026 and closes on Saturday 6 February 2027. Every first Saturday through the end of 2027 is listed further down.
What is the First Saturdays devotion?Pontevedra, 1925
At Fatima in 1917 Our Lady said she would come back to ask for the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. She did, eight years later. On 10 December 1925, at the Dorothean convent in Pontevedra in Spain, she appeared to Sister Lucia, by then a young nun, and made the request in full.
The devotion is one of reparation. That word does the work here. It is not a bargain and not a technique. It is an offering made on behalf of the offences given to her Immaculate Heart, in the same way a friend makes amends for a slight they did not commit. The intention matters as much as the acts, which is why every list of the four requirements ends with the same phrase: with the intention of making reparation.
Attached to it is a promise. Our Lady said she would assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who keep the five first Saturdays as she asked.
What are the four requirements?
On the first Saturday of each of five consecutive months:
- Go to confession. This does not have to be on the Saturday itself. It may be made up to eight days before or after, as long as you are in a state of grace when you receive Communion.
- Receive Holy Communion. On the first Saturday.
- Pray five decades of the Rosary. One full set of mysteries, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Saturday's set is the Joyful Mysteries, though any set fulfils the request.
- Keep Our Lady company for fifteen minutes, meditating on the mysteries.
◆ The fifteen minutes are not the Rosary
This is the requirement people most often collapse into the one before it. The five decades and the fifteen minutes are separate. The Rosary is prayed as usual, with its vocal prayers. The fifteen minutes are quiet, without them: you take one mystery, or several, and simply stay with it. If you want a place to start, the mysteries of the day are the natural choice.
All four are offered with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. You do not have to say the intention out loud, but you do have to mean it.
When are the next first Saturdays?
Any five consecutive months will do. The chain does not have to begin in a particular month, only run without a gap once it starts.
◆ First Saturdays, October 2026 to December 2027
| 3 October 2026 | Opens the next complete chain, which ends on 6 February 2027 |
| 7 November 2026 | |
| 5 December 2026 | |
| 2 January 2027 | |
| 6 February 2027 | Closes the chain begun on 3 October 2026 |
| 6 March 2027 | |
| 3 April 2027 | |
| 1 May 2027 | |
| 5 June 2027 | |
| 3 July 2027 | |
| 7 August 2027 | |
| 4 September 2027 | |
| 2 October 2027 | |
| 6 November 2027 | |
| 4 December 2027 |
Fifteen mysteries, or twenty?
The request as Sister Lucia recorded it says fifteen minutes meditating on the fifteen mysteries. In 1925 there were fifteen. Pope Saint John Paul II added the five Luminous Mysteries in 2002, and there are now twenty. The devotion asks for meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, so any of the twenty serve. The change in number does not change what is being asked for.
What if you miss one?
You begin again. The chain has to be five in a row, so a missed month means starting the count over, and that is the whole consequence. Nothing already prayed is wasted and nothing is held against you. Note where you got to, take the next first Saturday as your new month one, and carry on. People who finish the five have usually started them more than once.
The five decades, guided.
Every prayer shown and read aloud, in nine languages, with Saturday's mysteries already set for you. Free, no account needed.
Pray the RosaryAudio in nine languages · Works offline · No account to pray
Sources: The Message of Fatima (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2000) · John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002)
Frequently asked questions about the Five First Saturdays
What are the Five First Saturdays?
The Five First Saturdays are a devotion of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, asked for by Our Lady when she appeared to Sister Lucia at Pontevedra, Spain, on 10 December 1925. On the first Saturday of five consecutive months you go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray five decades of the Rosary, and keep Our Lady company for fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries, all with the intention of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart.
Does the confession have to be on the Saturday itself?
No. The confession may be made up to eight days before or after the first Saturday. What matters is that you are in a state of grace when you receive Communion on the day. One confession can also cover more than one first Saturday if you have not fallen into mortal sin in between.
Is the fifteen minutes the same as the Rosary?
No, and this is the point most often missed. The five decades and the fifteen minutes are two separate requirements. The Rosary is prayed as usual. The fifteen minutes are quiet time spent with Our Lady, meditating on one or more of the mysteries, without the vocal prayers. You can take one mystery and stay with it, or move through several.
Fifteen mysteries or twenty?
In 1925 the Rosary had fifteen mysteries, which is why the request is worded that way. Pope Saint John Paul II added the five Luminous Mysteries in 2002. The devotion asks for meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, so any of the twenty serve. Many people simply take the set assigned to that Saturday, which is the Joyful Mysteries.
What happens if I miss one of the five months?
The chain starts again from the beginning. There is no penalty and nothing is lost except the count. Note the month you reached, begin again on the next first Saturday, and carry on.
What is the promise attached to the devotion?
Our Lady promised to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who on the first Saturday of five consecutive months confess, receive Holy Communion, pray five decades of the Rosary, and keep her company for fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries, with the intention of making reparation to her.
See also: Which Rosary today · The Saturday Rosary · The Fatima Prayer · 30-Day Rosary Challenge