How to Pray the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1. Begin the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles' Creed.
2. Continue with the Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, and Glory Be on the beads indicated on the diagram above.
3. State the first mystery, for example, “The first joyful mystery is the Annunciation.” Pray the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, the Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer (“O My Jesus”) while meditating upon this mystery.
4. Repeat this for each subsequent mystery.
5. At the end of each day’s rosary, say the Hail, Holy Queen and concluding prayers.

We highly recommend that all 15 decades of the Rosary be prayed daily, in obedience to the request of Our Lady of Fatima.  This is best accomplished by praying a part of the Rosary at different times of the day, for example, the joyful mysteries in the morning, sorrowful mysteries at midday, and glorious mysteries in the evening.  The Hail, Holy Queen only needs to be prayed at the end of the entire day’s rosary.

An essential part of the Rosary is meditation on the mysteries, episodes in the life of Our Lord and Our Lady.  This means thinking about them, visualizing them, considering the graces and merits displayed in them, and using them for inspiration to better know and love God.  It is also common to focus on a particular virtue with each mystery; those recommended by St. Louis de Montfort are given in the following table.

The Sign of the Cross

With your right hand, trace a cross by touching your forehead, then chest, left shoulder and right shoulder while saying: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 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 Ghost, 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 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 Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the 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

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 Ghost.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, pardon us, and save us from the fire of Hell; draw all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need.

(William Thomas Walsh, Our Lady of Fatima, Doubleday, 1990, p. 220)

Hail, Holy Queen & Concluding Prayers

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 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.