How to Pray the Holy Rosary

The Form of the Rosary is:

The Rosary is begun on the short strand:
    • On the Crucifix make the sign of the cross and say the Apostles' Creed.
    • On the first large bead, say the Lord's Prayer;
    • On each of the next three smaller beads, say a Hail Mary;
    • On the space before the next large bead, say the Glory Be.

Begin saying the following while meditating on the Mysteries:
    • The Lord's Prayer on the large bead;
    • The Hail Mary on each of the ten adjacent small beads;
    • The Glory Be on the space before the next large bead;
    • Repeat for each decade.

Conclude on the Rosary Center by saying the Hail Holy Queen and the sign of the cross.

About the Mysteries:

The Mysteries of the Rosary are meditations on episodes in the life and death of Jesus from the Annunciation to the Ascension and beyond. These are grouped by fives known as the Joyful (or Joyous) Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Light or Luminous Mysteries.

Joyful Mysteries
    1. The Annunciation. (Humility)
    2. The Visitation. (Love of Neighbor)
    3. The Nativity. (Love of the Poor)
    4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. (Obedience)
    5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. (Piety, Joy of finding Jesus)

Sorrowful Mysteries
    1. The Agony in the Garden. (Accepting the will of God)
    2. The Scourging at the Pillar. (Purity)
    3. The Crowning with Thorns. (Moral Courage)
    4. The Carrying of the Cross. (Patience)
    5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord. (Forgiveness)

Glorious Mysteries
    1. The Resurrection. (Faith)
    2. The Ascension. (Hope, Desire to Ascend to Heaven)
    3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. (Love of God)
    4. The Assumption of Mary. (Grace and True Devotion to Mary)
    5. The Coronation of the Virgin. (Trust in Mary's Intercession)

Luminous Mysteries
    1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. (Openness to the Holy Spirit)
    2. The Wedding at Cana. (To Jesus through Mary)
    3. Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. (Trust in God)
    4. The Transfiguration. (Desire for Holiness)
    5. The Institution of the Eucharist. (Adoration)