How to Say the Catholic Rosary

The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most beloved prayer devotions of the Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican(Episcopalian) and Orthodox Churches as well. This is an ancient devotion, going back almost a 1,000 years, and is excellent for developing a strong Christian spirituality.

Steps

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    Before praying the Rosary, say the following prayer to the Blessed Mother: "Queen of the Holy Rosary, thou has designed to come to Fatima to reveal to the 3 shepherd children the treasures of grace, hidden in the Rosary. Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion, in order that by meditating upon the mysteries of our redemption, which are recalled in it, I may be enriched with its fruits, and obtain peace for the world, the conversion of sinners, and of Russia, and the favour which I ask of you in this Rosary. "(mention request)" I ask it for the greater glory of God, and for your own honour, and for the good of souls, especially for my own. Amen.
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    Begin by making the Sign of the Cross: "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
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    Touching the Crucifix, recite the Apostles' Creed.
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    Touching the first bead, pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 3 beads, pray the "Hail Mary," 3 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 3 beads and the next bead pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus, Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, and help especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen." Then pray "Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us. Amen."
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    Meditate upon the first Rosary Mystery(there are 20 in total; but, 5 are prayed per Rosary meditation), and then contemplate upon what virtue you would like to aspire to. Then pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 10 beads, one by one, pray the "Hail Mary," 10 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 10 beads, and the next one, pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus,..."; "Queen of the Holy Rosary..."
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    Mediate upon the second Rosary Mystery, and then contemplate upon which virtue you would like to aspire to. Then pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 10 beads, one by one, pray the "Hail Mary," 10 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 10 beads and the next one, pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus,..."; "Queen of the Holy Rosary...".
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    Meditate upon the third Rosary Mystery, and then contemplate upon which virtue you would like to aspire to. Then pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 10 beads, one by one, pray the "Hail Mary," 10 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 10 beads and the next one, pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus,..."; "Queen of the Holy Rosary...".
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    Meditate upon the forth Rosary Mystery, and then contemplate upon which virtue you would like to aspire to. Then pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 10 beads, one by one, pray the "Hail Mary," 10 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 10 beads and the next one, pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus,..."; "Queen of the Holy Rosary...".
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    Meditate upon the fifth Rosary Mystery, and then contemplate upon which virtue you would like to aspire to. Then pray the "Our Father."
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    Touching the next 10 beads, one by one, pray the "Hail Mary," 10 times.
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    Touching the chain or string between the 10 beads and the medal, pray the "Gloria," followed by "Oh my Jesus,..."; "Queen of the Holy Rosary...".
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    Touching the Rosary medal, pray the "Hail Holy Queen."
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    Upon completing the Holy Rosary, pray the following: O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of Eternal Life, grant that by meditating upon the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. May the divine assistance remain always with us. Amen. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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    (Optional) You may also wish to say the prayer to St. Michael the archangel, after praying the Holy Rosary.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is it wrong to enter a session of the rosary with a group after it has been started?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No, you may join the group at any time.
  • Question
    How can I send this article to someone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Select the page's URL, right click, and select "Copy." Then, open an email, Facebook message, text, etc. and paste the link before sending it to someone else. They can then click on the link and read the article.
  • Question
    How powerful is the holy Rosary? Does it really help?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It is the most powerful prayer that can be said by laypeople. Say it every day for wonderful benefits.
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Things You'll Need

  • Rosary beads.

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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 45,585 times.
52 votes - 89%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: July 9, 2019
Views: 45,585
Categories: Catholicism | Prayer
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