How to Pray the Rosary: A Comprehensive Guide

Rosary beads help Catholics count their prayers. More importantly, Catholics pray the holy Rosary as a means of entreaty to ask God for a special favor, such as helping a loved one recover from an illness, or to thank God for blessings received — a new baby, a new job, a new moon.

Praying the Rosary is a bit complicated, so we've included a Rosary guide. The following explains how to say the Rosary and the steps:

1. On the crucifix, make the sign of the cross and then 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.

2. On the next large bead, say 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.

3. On the following three small beads, pray three Hail Marys.

   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.

4. On the chain, pray the Glory Be.

   Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

   

5. On the large bead, meditate on the first mystery and pray the Our Father.

   You pray mysteries for each of the five sections (decades) of the rosary according to the day of the week:

   1. Mondays and Saturdays:

      The Joyful Mysteries remind the faithful of Christ’s birth: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38); The Visitation (Luke 1:39–56); The Nativity (Luke 2:1–21); The Presentation (Luke 2:22–38); The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–52)

   2. Tuesdays and Fridays:

      The Sorrowful Mysteries recall Jesus’ passion and death: The Agony of Jesus in the Garden (Matthew 26:36–56); The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26); The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27–31); The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:32); The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33–56).

   3. Wednesdays and Sundays:

      The Glorious Mysteries focus on the resurrection of Jesus and the glories of heaven: The Resurrection (John 20:1–29); The Ascension (Luke 24:36–53); The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–41); The Assumption of Mary, the Mother of God, into heaven; The Coronation of Mary in heaven.

   4. Thursdays:

      Pope John Paul II added The Mysteries of Light, also known as the Luminous Mysteries, in 2002: The Baptism in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13–16); The Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1–11); The Preaching of the coming of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14–15); The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8); The Institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26).

6. Skip the centerpiece medallion, and on the ten beads after that, pray a Hail Mary on each bead; on the chain, pray a Glory Be.

   Although a decade is 10, these 12 prayers form a decade of the rosary.

   Many Catholics 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.

7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 four more times to finish the next four decades.

8. At the end of your Rosary, say the 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.

   O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation; 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.

If you'd like a visual guide for how to pray the Rosary, Catholic organizations and individuals have provided video instruction. For example, in this YouTube video, Fr. Matthew Cashmore, of St. Anselm's Catholic church in London, provides a step-by-step Rosary prayer guide.

Holy beads in history

Before Christianity, Hindus strung beads and used them to help count their prayers. Buddhists, Taoists, and Muslims have also used prayer beads to assist them in their private devotions. Hebrews used to tie 150 knots on a string to represent the 150 Psalms of the Bible.

According to pious Catholic tradition, in the 13th century, Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to St. Dominic de Guzman, gave him a Rosary, and asked that instead of praying the Psalms on the beads or knots, the faithful pray the Hail Mary, the Our Father, and the Glory Be.

Fifteen decades made up the original Dominican Rosary, but it was later abbreviated. A decade refers to ten Hail Marys preceded by the Our Father and ending with a Glory Be. Today, most Catholics use the five-decade Rosary and its set of Rosary prayers.

Meditating on the mysteries

While saying the prayers of the Rosary, Catholics meditate on what are called the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. But saying the mysteries is really no mystery at all, because each so-called mystery refers to a different passage in the life of Christ or Mary, His mother.

Each decade (an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be) recalls a different mystery. Here they are:

Joyful

The Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays, and they remind the faithful of Christ’s birth. Each decade corresponds with a different mystery. Starting with the Annunciation for the first decade, try meditating on these scenes sequentially with each decade that you say (they may also be said during the whole Christmas season):

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38)
2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39–56)
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1–21)
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:22–38)
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–52)

Luminous

Pope St. John Paul II added on the Mysteries of Light, also known as the Luminous Mysteries, in 2002. Pray the Rosary and recall these Mysteries of Light on Thursdays (they may also be said during the season of Advent):

1. The Baptism in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13–17)
2. The Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1–11)
3. The Preaching of the Coming of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14–15)
4. The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8)
5. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26:17–29)

Sorrowful

The Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays, and they remind the faithful of His Passion and death (they may also be said during the entire season of Lent, the 40 days before Easter):

1. The Agony of Jesus in the Garden (Matthew 26:36–56)
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26)
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27–31)
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:32)
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33–56)

Glorious

The Glorious Mysteries are prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays, and they remind the faithful of His Resurrection and the glories of heaven (they may also be said during all of Easter season):

1. The Resurrection (John 20:1–29)
2. The Ascension (Luke 24:36–53)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4)
4. The Assumption of Mary, the Mother of God, into heaven
5. The Coronation of Mary in heaven

These last two mysteries are inferred by Revelation (Apocalypse) 12:1; Jesus Christ was the source and center of these miraculous events in that He did them to His mother; she did not do them alone. What Christ did for His mom, He will later do for all true believers at the end of time.

Both the divinity and humanity of Jesus are presented in these mysteries. Only God could be born of a virgin, rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven, and yet only a man could be born, get lost, be found, suffer, and die.

Meditating on the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries helps Catholics confirm that Jesus is both divine and human. Contemplating the time when Jesus was crowned with thorns, scourged with whips, and nailed to the cross — meditating on Jesus’s Passion — convinces the prayerful that those sufferings are real, and only a real man could feel such pain and agony.

Yet, reflecting on His Transfiguration, Resurrection, and Ascension reminds believers that only God can transfigure, rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven. By praying the Rosary, the faithful reaffirm that Jesus is true God and true man, one divine person with two natures — divine and human.

Just as Pope St. Paul VI did, Pope St. John Paul II reminded the faithful that the Rosary is Christocentric — it focuses on Christ and is more than a Marian (of Mary) devotion.

Saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet

The Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet may be prayed at home, in church (as long as it’s not during Mass), alone, or in a group. Our Lord presented the Divine Mercy Chaplet to St. Faustina Kowalska in a vision during the 1930s, but it didn’t gain much fame until the late 20th century.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is said using Rosary beads, but it doesn’t take as long as a Rosary, because the prayers are shorter. Make the Sign of the Cross and then say the following:

1. (Optional) Begin the Divine Mercy Chaplet by saying this prayer on the first large bead after the crucifix: You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
2. Then say the following three times in a row: O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
3. Say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed on the three small beads. (See Steps 1 through 3 in the first section about praying the Rosary.)
4. Then, on the large bead before each decade, say Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
5. Then, on the ten small beads of each decade, say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
6. Conclude the chaplet by saying the following three times: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

The Rosary is one of several devotions

The Rosary is one of the most popular devotions, which refer to a wide variety of prayers, both long and short, such as the Rosary and novenas, as well as various religious practices that Catholics engage in, such as making a pilgrimage or a retreat.

Devotions are generally less official than the Mass, and many different devotions are available so that individuals can find the ones that suit them and their personal spirituality.

Whether practicing devotions privately at home, in a small group, or in the form of a pilgrimage or retreat, Catholics believe that devotions act like spiritual vitamins to supplement the primary and main form of divine communication — the Mass.

Devotions are optional — Catholics can take ’em or leave ’em — but attending Sunday Mass or the Saturday Vigil Mass is mandatory since the Commandments require the weekly worship of God. Missing Sunday Mass without a legitimate excuse is a grave sin.

Knowing when and where to pray devotions

Unlike Sacraments, which are formal, sacred celebrations of the whole Church that need to take place on sacred ground, devotions can be done anywhere — in church, at home, or outside.

Sacraments were instituted by Christ, whereas devotions are classified as sacramentals, meaning they were created by the Church. The seven sacraments confer sanctifying grace to the soul, meaning they make it holy. Sacramentals, on the other hand, confer actual grace to the soul, which encourages and enables the person to do good deeds.

Devotions are prayed alone or with others. They’re done outside of the Sacred Liturgy — in other words, not during Mass, except for the Litany of Saints on special occasions. They can, however, be said in any public setting, such as a cemetery or a prayer gathering.

Separating devotions from Mass

Just like some people think that the Second Vatican Council threw out Latin (which it didn’t), some people think that it got rid of or discouraged devotions. Not true. Vatican II didn’t pooh-pooh devotions. What it did say was that the separation between the Sacred Liturgy — the Mass — and all forms of public and private devotion must be clear and distinct. No gray area.

Sure enough, Pope St. Paul VI asserted in his encyclical Marialis Cultus (1974) that Catholics shouldn’t say the Rosary during Mass. But praying the Rosary before Mass as a preparation or after Mass as a thanksgiving is allowed and highly encouraged.

Likewise, the Stations of the Cross, a traditional Lenten devotion, should never be celebrated during adoration of the Holy Eucharist or in the middle of Mass, but it can be said before or after Mass. And adoration of the Holy Eucharist should be separate from Mass to differentiate the two.

Devotions to the Virgin Mary and the saints are also subordinate and auxiliary to the Mass. Of course, plenty of Masses honor the Virgin Mary and the saints. Even though the names of Mary and the saints are mentioned in the Mass, as in the Eucharistic Prayer, they’re still secondary. References to God are primary; Mary and the saints are honored, but God alone is worshipped and adored.