How to Pray the Rosary
Praying the Rosary is a meditative prayer rooted in Scripture, focused on the life of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer that reflects on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the eyes of the Virgin Mary. It consists of repeated prayers—Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be—organized into five decades, each focusing on a different Mystery from Scripture.
There are four sets of Mysteries:
Joyful Mysteries (Monday, Saturday)
- The Annunciation — The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26–38)
- The Visitation — Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is also miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist. (Luke 1:39–56)
- The Nativity — Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger because there was no room at the inn. (Luke 2:1–20)
- The Presentation in the Temple — Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the Temple in obedience to the Law of Moses. (Luke 2:22–38)
- The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple — Mary and Joseph find the twelve-year-old Jesus teaching in the Temple after three days of searching. (Luke 2:41–50)
Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday, Friday)
- The Agony in the Garden — Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane and experiences deep anguish before His Passion begins. (Luke 22:39–46)
- The Scourging at the Pillar — Jesus is brutally whipped by Roman soldiers. (John 19:1)
- The Crowning with Thorns — Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns by the soldiers. (Matthew 27:27–31)
- The Carrying of the Cross — Jesus carries His cross toward Calvary, falling under its weight. (Luke 23:26–32)
- The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus — Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies for our salvation. (Luke 23:33–46)
Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday, Sunday)
- The Resurrection — Jesus rises from the dead on the third day, conquering sin and death. (Luke 24:1–12)
- The Ascension — Jesus ascends into Heaven, promising to send the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:6-11)
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit — The Holy Spirit descends on Mary and the Apostles at Pentecost. (Acts 2:1–13)
- The Assumption of Mary — The Blessed Virgin Mary is assumed body and soul into Heaven. (Revelation 12:1; Tradition-based)
- The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth — Mary is crowned by God as Queen of Heaven and Earth. (Revelation 12:1)
Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)
- The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan — Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, and the Father’s voice declares Him the beloved Son. (Matthew 3:13–17)
- The Wedding at Cana — Jesus performs His first miracle, turning water into wine at His mother’s request. (John 2:1–12)
- The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God — Jesus calls for conversion, announcing the coming of God’s Kingdom. (Mark 1:14–15)
- The Transfiguration — Jesus is transfigured on the mountain, revealing His divine glory to Peter, James, and John. (Luke 9:28–36)
- The Institution of the Holy Eucharist — At the Last Supper, Jesus gives us His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. (Luke 22:14–20)
A Brief History of the Rosary
The roots of the Rosary trace back to the 3rd to 5th centuries, when early Christians embraced the practice of repetitive prayer—particularly the Our Father—as a form of meditation. Since many laypeople were illiterate and unable to pray the full 150 Psalms like the monks, they began using pebbles or knotted cords to count simpler repeated prayers.
By the Middle Ages, this evolved into praying 150 Our Fathers, and later, 150 Hail Marys, as devotion to the Virgin Mary grew. The Hail Mary itself gradually formed during the 11th to 12th centuries, combining verses from Luke 1:28 and 1:42.
According to tradition, in the 13th century, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic, giving him the Rosary as a spiritual tool to help combat heresies and bring people back to Christ. While the full structure of the Rosary wasn’t finalized until later, Dominican friars helped promote and organize it into a powerful devotional prayer.
By the 15th century, the Rosary took on its classic form of 15 decades, each centered on a mystery from the lives of Jesus and Mary: the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. These mysteries served as meditations to accompany each decade of Hail Marys.
In 2002, Pope St. John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries, reflecting on key events in Christ’s public ministry, and encouraged Catholics to rediscover the Rosary as a pathway to deeper contemplation of the Gospel.
Today, the Rosary remains a central and beloved devotion in the Church, combining vocal prayer and meditation to draw the faithful closer to Christ through Mary.
1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
2. Opening Prayers
Apostle’s Creed (on the Crucifix)
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God
the Father almighty;
from there He will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting, Amen.
Our Father (on the first large bead)
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.
Three Hail Marys (on the three small beads)
(x3)
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 (after the three Hail Marys)
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.
3. For Each Decade
Announce the Mystery (e.g., “The Annunciation”)
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
- The Annunciation
- The Visitation
- The Nativity
- The Presentation in the Temple
- The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Our Father (on the large bead)
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.
10 Hail Marys (on the 10 small beads)
(x10)
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.
Fatima Prayer (optional)
O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
4. Concluding Prayers
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this, our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
Final Sign of the Cross
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."