HOW TO PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY

* If you do not know the prayers of the Rosary, you will find them in the Rosary Diagram.

1. Holding the crucifix of the Rosary with your right hand, make the Sign of the Cross and then kiss the crucifix.
2. It is good to begin your Rosary by offering it for some intention.
   Example: “I offer this Rosary for all my spiritual needs and those of my family, for the conversion of sinners, in reparation for my sins and those of all sinners, for world peace and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart.”
3. On the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed.
4. On the first single bead after the crucifix, pray an Our Father.
5. On each of the next three beads, which are grouped together, pray a Hail Mary.
6. After the three Hail Marys, pray the Glory be. Now this is where the “decades” begin.
7. On the next single bead, announce the decade and then pray an Our Father. (Example: “The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. Our Father, Who art...”)
8. On each of the ten beads that follow, pray a Hail Mary while reflecting upon the mystery assigned to this decade (see list of mysteries below). Some people find that looking at a picture depicting each mystery helps them meditate on the mystery.
9. After the ten Hail Marys, pray the “Glory be” and “O my Jesus...”
10. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have prayed all 5 decades.
11. Many Catholics also pray the “Hail Holy Queen,” the Prayer to St. Michael, and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin at the end of the Rosary.
    

More About the Holy Rosary

The diagram above at the right shows a five-decade Rosary such as those most commonly used by Catholics. The purpose of the beads is to keep track of the prayers, especially the sets of 10 Hail Marys. As seen in the chart, the single beads are the Our Fathers, while the group of three beads and the five groups of ten beads are the Hail Marys. As we pass each bead through our fingers, we pray the appropriate prayer, and then move to the next one. By doing this, we simply work our way around the Rosary, beginning at the Crucifix and ending at the centerpiece.

It is best to use a Rosary that has been blessed by a priest, but this is not absolutely necessary, although there are extra indulgences attached to praying on a blessed Rosary. In times of persecution, for example, Catholics have been known to use stones or pebbles, or even their fingers or toes to count the Hail Marys.

The Rosary should be prayed in a reverent position of the body. For example, we are encouraged to kneel before an image of our Blessed Mother or the Crucifix, or in a church or chapel before the Blessed Sacrament while praying the Rosary, but this is not mandatory. Kneeling is a sign of reverence and it also helps the mind stay alert and free from distraction during prayer. Some people, however, are not physically able to kneel, at least for the entire Rosary, and it is certainly acceptable to sit in a reverent, alert position. The Rosary may also be prayed while walking, whether in procession or on a simple walk alone or with others. The sick may pray it while lying in bed, and many Catholics pray extra decades until they fall asleep in bed at night.

A very important point is that the heart of the Rosary is not the repetition of these prayers, but our meditation upon the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary during each decade. As we pray each set of Hail Marys, we should meditate upon the event in the lives of Jesus and Mary assigned to that decade, and on the grace or virtue manifested in that mystery, praying humbly for the grace to imitate Their example in our lives.

The mysteries are divided into three groups:

The Joyful Mysteries: (Mondays, Thursdays)*
1st Mystery: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
2nd Mystery: The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
3rd Mystery: The Birth of Our Lord (Luke 2:1-21)
4th Mystery: The Presentation (Luke 2:22-38)
5th Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays in Lent)*
1st Mystery: The Agony in the Garden (Matt. 26:36-56)
2nd Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar (Matt. 27:26)
3rd Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns (Matt. 27:27-31)
4th Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross (Matt. 27:32)
5th Mystery: The Crucifixion (Matt. 27:33-56)

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays)*
1st Mystery: The Resurrection (John 20:1-29)
2nd Mystery: The Ascension (Luke 24:36-53)
3rd Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-41)
4th Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady
5th Mystery: The Coronation of Our Lady

* These days are suggested for praying these sets of mysteries, but they can be prayed any day. Those who are able are encouraged to pray all 15 decades every day.

THE PRAYERS OF THE ROSARY

The Sign of the Cross
IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. (When you say “of the Father, ” touch your forehead; when you say “of the Son,” touch your breastbone; when you say “of the Holy Ghost,” touch your left shoulder and then your right shoulder.

The Apostles' Creed
I BELIEVE IN GOD, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

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. Amen.

The Hail Mary
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.

The Glory Be
GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O My Jesus
(Requested by Our Lady at Fatima in 1917; pray after each decade)
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy.

Concluding Rosary Prayer
O GOD, Whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, by meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

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!

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the malice and wickedness of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.