How to Pray the Rosary
The Rosary is a prayer on beads that walks through the life of Jesus with Mary. Here are the answers people ask most, each answered first in a sentence or two.
How do you pray the Rosary?
Hold the crucifix and pray the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles’ Creed. Then pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys and a Glory Be. Next pray five decades. Finish with the Hail, Holy Queen, the closing prayer and the Sign of the Cross.
What is a decade of the Rosary?
A decade is one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer, said while thinking about one mystery. A Rosary has five decades.
Which prayers are said on the Rosary?
The Sign of the Cross, Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, Hail, Holy Queen and a closing prayer. Each has a page with the Latin and pronunciation, listed under Latin prayers.
Which mysteries do I pray today?
Joyful on Monday and Saturday, Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday, and Luminous on Thursday. See today’s mysteries.
How long does it take to pray the Rosary?
About 15 to 20 minutes for five decades at a calm pace. One decade takes about three minutes.
What should I think about while praying?
Picture the mystery for that decade, an event in the life of Jesus and Mary, and stay with it while the words carry you. Pope St. John Paul II calls this contemplating the face of Christ with Mary, in Rosarium Virginis Mariae.
Can I pray the Rosary without beads?
Yes. Beads help you keep count, but you can count on your fingers or let the app keep your place.
Can I pray the Rosary in Latin?
Yes. Every Rosary prayer has a Latin form. The Fatima Prayer was first given in Portuguese in 1917, so its Latin is a later translation. Turn on Add Latin in the app, or start with the pronunciation card.
Learn more from the Church
- How to Pray the Rosary, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope St. John Paul II, vatican.va
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 971: the rosary as an “epitome of the whole Gospel”
The full guide, step by step
1. What the Rosary is
The Rosary is a prayer that walks through the life of Jesus alongside Mary. While we say familiar prayers, we reflect on one event from the Gospels. These events are called mysteries.
2. How the Rosary is prayed
Begin with the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed, holding the crucifix. Then pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys (for an increase of faith, hope, and charity), and one Glory Be. Then pray five decades. For each decade, name the mystery, then pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be, and the Fatima Prayer ("O my Jesus…"). Close with the Hail, Holy Queen, the prayer that begins "Let us pray. O God, whose only-begotten Son…", and the Sign of the Cross.
3. What the beads are for
The beads keep count so you don't have to. Each small bead is a Hail Mary, and each larger bead is an Our Father. A group of ten Hail Marys is called a decade. This app keeps count for you, so a physical rosary is helpful but not required.
4. Which mysteries, which day
There are four sets of mysteries. Joyful on Monday and Saturday. Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday. Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday. Luminous on Thursday. The app chooses the day's set for you, and you can change it.
5. Let the words carry you
You don't need to concentrate on every word. Let the prayers keep a steady rhythm while your mind rests on the mystery. Picture the scene as if you were there.
6. When your mind wanders
It will. That is normal, even for people who have prayed for years. When you notice, simply return to the mystery or the words. Each return is itself an act of love.
7. Start where you are
One decade prayed slowly is a real prayer. Tap ⓘ on any mystery for a short explanation and a suggestion to help you focus.
The prayers, in order
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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 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
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.
Hail Mary (three times, for faith, hope and charity)
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 (after each decade)
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. 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.
℣. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Closing prayer
Let us pray.
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, meditating upon 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.
Want them in Latin? See the Rosary in Latin, with pronunciation.
Source: latinrosary.org · Updated
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