A School of Prayer with Mary
The Holy Rosary
The Rosary is the Gospel on a string of beads — a gentle, repeated prayer that lets us walk through the life of Christ held in the hands of His Mother. You don’t need to do it perfectly. You only need to begin.
How to Pray the Rosary
Six simple movements. Let the beads carry you; the rhythm itself becomes prayer.
- 1
Begin
Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles' Creed on the crucifix.
- 2
The opening beads
Pray the Our Father on the first bead, a Hail Mary on each of the next three (for faith, hope, and love), and a Glory Be.
- 3
Announce the first mystery
Name the mystery for the day and pause to picture it. Then pray the Our Father.
- 4
Pray a decade
On the ten small beads, pray ten Hail Marys while meditating on the mystery. Close with a Glory Be (and, if you wish, the Fatima Prayer).
- 5
Continue through five mysteries
Announce each new mystery, then pray its Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and Glory Be — five decades in all.
- 6
Conclude
Pray the Hail Holy Queen, a closing prayer, and make the Sign of the Cross. You have walked through the life of Christ with His Mother.
The Prayers of the Rosary
Each is short and easily learned by heart.
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 amongst 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 Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
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.
The Twenty Mysteries
Four sets of five, woven through the week — the joy, the sorrow, the glory, and the light of our Lord’s life.
The Joyful Mysteries
Mondays & Saturdays
- 1.The Annunciation — the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of God.
- 2.The Visitation — Mary visits Elizabeth, who proclaims her blessed among women.
- 3.The Nativity — Jesus is born in Bethlehem.
- 4.The Presentation — Mary and Joseph present the child Jesus in the Temple.
- 5.The Finding in the Temple — after three days, the boy Jesus is found among the teachers.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Tuesdays & Fridays
- 1.The Agony in the Garden — Jesus prays in Gethsemane as His Passion begins.
- 2.The Scourging at the Pillar — Jesus is cruelly scourged.
- 3.The Crowning with Thorns — soldiers mock Him with a crown of thorns.
- 4.The Carrying of the Cross — Jesus bears His Cross to Calvary.
- 5.The Crucifixion — Jesus dies on the Cross for the salvation of the world.
The Glorious Mysteries
Wednesdays & Sundays
- 1.The Resurrection — Jesus rises from the dead.
- 2.The Ascension — Jesus ascends to the Father in heaven.
- 3.The Descent of the Holy Spirit — the Spirit comes upon the apostles at Pentecost.
- 4.The Assumption — Mary is taken up, body and soul, into heaven.
- 5.The Coronation — Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and earth.
The Luminous Mysteries
Thursdays
- 1.The Baptism of Jesus — the Father's voice proclaims Jesus His beloved Son.
- 2.The Wedding at Cana — Jesus works His first sign at Mary's request.
- 3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom — Jesus calls all to conversion.
- 4.The Transfiguration — Jesus is revealed in glory on the mountain.
- 5.The Institution of the Eucharist — Jesus gives His Body and Blood at the Last Supper.
Our Lady’s Fifteen Promises
The graces Our Lady promised, through St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche, to those who faithfully pray the Rosary.
- 1
Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
- 2
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
- 3
The Rosary shall be a powerful armour against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
- 4
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of the people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
- 5
The soul who recommends herself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
- 6
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.
- 7
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
- 8
Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
- 9
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
- 10
The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
- 11
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
- 12
All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
- 13
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
- 14
All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
- 15
Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
Ask in confidence
Questions about the Rosary?
Ask anything and receive the Church’s own words — quoted, cited, and linked to the source. Tap a question to begin, or write your own.
This tool shares the Church’s teaching — it is not a substitute for your priest, pastor, or spiritual director.
Recommended Resources
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Take up your beads
Begin with a single decade today. Mary takes the smallest prayer and carries it straight to her Son.
More Ways to Pray