Rachel Evans
The rosary is a set of prayers that Catholics use to reflect on the lives of Jesus and Mary. Rosary beads are used to count these prayers, which can be said at any time of the day or night. The prayers are usually said while holding the beads, but this is not necessary. The rosary begins with the Sign of the Cross, followed by the Apostles' Creed, one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. Each decade (set of ten beads) begins with the announcement of a mystery, followed by an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. The rosary ends with the Fatima Prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To count prayers |
| Prayer intention | To make a request to God, to thank God for blessings, or to request a special favour |
| When to pray | Any time of day or night |
| Prayer duration | 15-25 minutes |
| Prayer position | Holding the crucifix |
| Prayer start | Sign of the Cross |
| First bead prayer | Apostles' Creed |
| Second bead prayer | Our Father |
| Next three beads | Hail Mary |
| First decade | Announce the Mystery, then say an Our Father |
| Decade beads | Ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery |
| End of the decade | Glory Be |
| Fatima Prayer | 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 your mercy |
| After the five decades | Hail, Holy Queen |
| Days to pray the Five Joyful Mysteries | Mondays, Saturdays, and, during the season of Advent, on Sundays |
| Days to pray the Five Glorious Mysteries | Wednesdays and, outside the seasons of Advent and Lent, on Sundays |
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What You'll Learn
Begin with the Sign of the Cross
To begin using the Catholic rosary beads in prayer, you first make the Sign of the Cross with the cross of the rosary; some kiss the cross as well. This is a way to show your devotion and reverence to the Trinity. You then move your fingers to the first bead, which is called the 'Invitatory' bead. This first bead is an opportunity to set your intention for the prayer and to ask for God's guidance and blessing.
On this bead, you say the Apostles' Creed as an affirmation of your faith. The Creed is a declaration of the key beliefs of the Catholic faith and is said at the beginning of the rosary to centre your thoughts and focus your mind on the mysteries of the faith. This is a traditional way to begin any Catholic prayer, and it is a good way to start the rosary as it reminds you of the core tenets of your faith.
After the Creed, you move to the three beads that follow, known as the 'Hail Mary' beads. On each of these, you pray for a specific virtue: the first for faith, the second for hope, and the third for charity. These prayers are an opportunity to ask God for the strength to live a virtuous life and to manifest these virtues in your daily life.
Then, on the next bead, which is a 'Our Father' bead, you pray for a deeper understanding of the mystery you are about to meditate on. This is followed by the first decade of the rosary, which consists of ten 'Hail Mary' beads. On each of these ten beads, you meditate on a specific event in the life of Jesus, known as a mystery. There are four sets of these mysteries: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious, each containing five mysteries.
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Holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles' Creed
Rosary beads are used to help Catholics count their prayers. Catholics often pray the rosary to make a request to God, to give thanks for their blessings, or to ask for a special favour. The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer that begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith.
To begin, hold the crucifix and pray 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 arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth 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 Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
> Amen.
After this, you can continue with the Rosary by moving on to the first bead, where you will pray an Our Father. On the next three beads, say one Hail Mary each. Then, for each of the five decades, announce the Mystery, perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture, and then say an Our Father. While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then, say a Glory Be.
Some people add the Fatima Prayer after the Glory Be and before the next Our Father:
> O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our soul, 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.
Finally, conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.
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Pray an Our Father
Rosary beads are used by Catholics to help them count their prayers. The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer that can be said privately or with a group. It is used to make a request to God, to give thanks for blessings, or to request a special favour. Pope Francis has encouraged the faithful to pray the Rosary during the month of May.
The Rosary begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Creed is followed by an Our Father. To pray an Our Father, you must begin by gripping the crucifix in one hand and making the sign of the cross with the other. Then, you recite the following:
> 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.
After the Our Father, you say three Hail Marys. Then, you say the Glory Be. Next come the five decades, each consisting of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be, and the brief Fatima Prayer.
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Pray Hail Mary
Rosary beads are used by Catholics to count their prayers. The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer that can be prayed at any time of the day or night. While some people prefer to pray with beads, they are not necessary.
To pray the Rosary, you must first make the Sign of the Cross. Holding the crucifix, say 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 arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth 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 Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
On the first bead, say an 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.
On each of the next three beads, say a Hail Mary:
> Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Praying the full Rosary step by step usually takes about 15–25 minutes, but you can always pray just one decade (an Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, a Glory Be) if that's all the time you have.
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Conclude with the Sign of the Cross
The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer that can be said privately or with a group. It is used by Catholics to count their prayers and can be prayed at any time of the day or night. The Rosary is also used to make a request to God, to give thanks for blessings, or to request special favours.
The Rosary begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarises the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Rosary ends with the Sign of the Cross, a powerful prayer that comes from the ancient tradition of monks concluding their communal prayer with the Salve Regina (a Latin chant of the Hail, Holy Queen). The Rosary should be concluded with the following 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, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
After the prayer, make the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. With fluid movements, touch your centre forehead with your right hand as you say, "In the name of the Father." Touch your centre breastbone as you say, "and of the Son." Then, touch your left shoulder as you say, "and of the Holy," and your right shoulder as you say, "Spirit." Conclude with "Amen."
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Frequently asked questions
Rosary beads are used to help Catholics count their prayers.
You can pray the rosary at any time of the day or night.
Praying the full rosary step by step usually takes 15–25 minutes, but you can pray just one decade (an Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be) if you're short on time.
The first step is to make the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostles' Creed while holding the crucifix.
On the first large bead, pray the Our Father. On the next three beads, say a Hail Mary. Then announce the Mystery and pray the Our Father again, followed by ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery, and finish with a Glory Be.
