The Holy Rosary
The Rosary is a beloved Catholic prayer that leads us into meditating on the life of Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother Mary. It is traditionally prayed using a string of beads, with each set of ten beads (a decade) representing a Mystery.
See the full list of Mysteries of the Rosary and their days.
🕊️ Structure of the Rosary
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Pray the Apostles’ Creed.
- Pray one Our Father.
- Pray three Hail Marys.
- Pray one Glory Be.
- (Optional) Pray 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. ​ - Announce the first Mystery and pray:
- One Our Father
- Ten Hail Marys
- One Glory Be
- (Optional) 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. ​
- Repeat for each of the five Mysteries.
- Conclude with the Hail, Holy Queen and final Rosary prayers.
Many also end the Rosary with the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel or other devotions.
About the Holy Rosary
Tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary entrusted the Rosary to St. Dominic in the early 13th century, and it was later standardized by Pope Pius V in 1569. Over the centuries, Mary herself has repeatedly called the faithful to this prayer through her apparitions—most notably at Lourdes (1858), Fatima (1917), Guadalupe (1531), and Pompeii (1884)—encouraging us to meditate on the life of Christ and seek her maternal intercession.
The Rosary’s blessings are manifold: it brings peace to troubled hearts, fosters spiritual growth, and obtains powerful graces—conversion of sinners, protection from evil, comfort in suffering, and final perseverance at death. By uniting vocal prayer with contemplative reflection on the Mysteries, the Rosary leads believers into deeper communion with Jesus through Mary’s loving guidance.
“The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” — St. Padre Pio