Angelus

How to pray the Rosary

The Rosary is the prayer to Our Lady that meditates on the life of Jesus: in each decade you think about one mystery while you pray ten Hail Marys. Here it is in full, step by step, with the text of every prayer.

How to pray the Rosary, step by step

  1. On the crucifix: the Sign of the Cross and the Creed

    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; 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 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 first bead: an Our Father

    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 next three beads: three Hail Marys

    By tradition, they ask for the virtues of faith, hope and charity.

    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.

  4. Then: a Glory Be

    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.

  5. The five mysteries

    On each large bead, announce the mystery (“The first Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation”) and pray an Our Father. On the ten small beads, pray ten Hail Marys while you think about the mystery. Close each decade with a Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.

    Our Father (as above)

    Hail Mary (as above)

    Glory Be (as above)

    Fatima Prayer

    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.

  6. To finish: the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer

    Many also pray the Litany of Loreto before the closing prayer.

    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.

    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 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.

    Sign of the Cross (as above)

The mysteries for each day

Each day of the week has its own set of mysteries.

Joyful MysteriesMonday and Saturday
  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Nativity
  4. The Presentation in the Temple
  5. The Finding in the Temple
Luminous MysteriesThursday
  1. The Baptism of the Lord
  2. The Wedding at Cana
  3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
  4. The Transfiguration
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist
Sorrowful MysteriesTuesday and Friday
  1. The Agony in the Garden
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar
  3. The Crowning with Thorns
  4. The Carrying of the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion
Glorious MysteriesWednesday and Sunday
  1. The Resurrection
  2. The Ascension
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
  4. The Assumption of Mary
  5. The Coronation of Mary

Common questions

How many mysteries does the Rosary have?
Twenty, in four sets of five: Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious. St. John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries in 2002. Each day you pray one set, one decade for each mystery.
What is a full Rosary?
One Rosary is five decades, with the mysteries of the day and the opening and closing prayers. Praying all four sets of mysteries in one day makes twenty decades.
How long does it take?
About 15 to 20 minutes, prayed calmly. A single decade takes three or four minutes.
Do I need rosary beads?
They help, but you don’t need them: you can count the Hail Marys on your fingers.
When is the month of the Rosary?
October. October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Rosary in Angelus

In Angelus you pray one decade at a time, with the day’s mysteries and a bead counter, moving on to the next mystery each time. Every decade plants a rose in Rafi’s village.

Praying with children? See how to pray the Rosary with kids. To offer it for someone who has died, see the rosary for the dead.Afterwards, you can pray the Litany of Loreto.

The Rosary opens with the Creed. Rosal explains it for families: the Apostles’ Creed and what it means.

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