How To Pray The Rosary

The Basics:

  • The Rosary is prayed using a string of beads called Rosary Beads. Starting at the crucifix, each bead is held in your fingers and a standard prayer is said, such as Apostles Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father and the Hail Holy Queen.

  • To pray, you follow the beads counter-clockwise around the string, praying on each bead, to eventually return to the crucifix. (try our Interactive Rosary to see this in action) 

  • The beads are divided into five decades (or sections); each decade represents an event from the life of Christ. These five events are grouped into a “mystery”, that is a “truth” from the life of Christ.

  • There are four of these “mysteries” of five events each…each focused on important part of the life of Christ. When praying the Rosary, each day of the week is assigned a mystery to pray for that day. 


Ready for More?

Interactive Rosary  Try the Interactive Rosary » 
 Rosary Prayers  Learn the Prayers of the Rosary »
 Mysteries of The Rosary  Learn the Mysteries of the Rosary »
Mission Rosary Learn about the Mission Rosary »