The Holy Rosary

October: Month of the Holy Rosary


This page contains:

How to Pray the Rosary

15 Promises to those who pray the Rosary

Indulgences associated with the Holy Rosary


How to pray the Rosary

Make the Sign of the Cross.

Recite the Apostles’ Creed while holding the cross.

On the next bead, pray the Our Father.

On each of the next three beads, pray the Hail Mary.

On the next bead, pray the Glory Be.

Announce the first mystery. Then pray the Our Father.

On each of the next 10 beads, pray the Hail Mary.

At the end of ten Hail Marys, pray the Glory Be.

Pray the Fatima Prayer “O My Jesus…”

Announce the second mystery and go on in this manner until completing the five decades.

Pray the Hail Holy Queen, Concluding Prayer, and Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.

To conclude, make the Sign of the Cross.


Prayers of the Rosary

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen

The 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 amongst 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 death. Amen

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

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

Fatima Prayers

O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee! Amen

Hail Holy Queen

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!

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Concluding Prayer

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

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen


The Mysteries of the Rosary

The five Joyful Mysteries

1st - The Annunciation

2nd - The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth

3rd - The Nativity our Lord

4th - The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

5th - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

The five Sorrowful Mysteries

1st -The Agony in the Garden

2nd - The Scourging at the Pillar

3rd - The Crowning with Thorns

4th - The Carrying of the Cross

5th - The Crucifixion

The five Glorious Mysteries

1st - The Resurrection

2nd - The Ascension

3rd - The Descent of the Holy Ghost

4th - The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

5th - The Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

Please note: While there are other mysteries of the rosary that are more recent, for simplicity we have chosen to publish here only the fifteen mysteries traditionally given by Our Lady.

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15 Promises to those who pray the Rosary

From St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche

  1. Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
  2. I promise my special protection and the greatest Graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
  3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
  4. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant Mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men [and women] from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal Things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
  5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
  6. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself [herself] to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the Grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.
  7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
  8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.
  9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
  10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven.
  11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary.
  12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
  13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
  14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
  15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT THIS LIST OF 15 PROMISES


Indulgences Associated with the Holy Rosary

To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill three conditions:
Our Lady and the Rosary

  1. Sacramental confession,
  2. Eucharistic Communion, and
  3. Prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, all to be performed within days of each other if not at the same time. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent.

    A plenary indulgence is granted if the Rosary is recited in a church, a public oratory, a family group, a religious Community, or pious Association; a partial indulgence is granted in other circumstances.

    To receive the plenary indulgence attached to the Rosary, the following norms must be observed:

    • The recitation of five decades only of the Rosary suffices; but the five decades must be recited continuously.
    • The vocal recitation must be accompanied by pious meditation on the mysteries.
    • In public recitation, the mysteries must be announced in the manner customary in the place; for private recitation, however, it suffices if the vocal recitation is accompanied by meditation on the mysteries.
    • For those belonging to the Oriental rites, amongst whom this devotion is not practiced, the Patriarchs can determine some other prayers in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary (for those of the Byzantine rite, for example, the Hymn “Akathistos” or the Office “Paraclisis”); to the prayers thus determined are accorded the same indulgences as for the Rosary.

    Enchiridion of Indulgences
    Issued by the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, 1968
    Published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana

    What is an indulgence?

    “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”

    —Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution: Indulgentarium Doctrina

    Important: Every new Rosary must be blessed by a Catholic priest in order for it to be a SACRAMENTAL, which means that it carries the blessing of the “prayer of the Church”.