The Rosary

The Rosary (Latin: rosarium, in the sense of “crown of roses” or “garland of roses”), refers to a form of prayer psalter used in the Catholic Church and to the string of knots or beads used to count the component prayers.

Pope Pius V (in office 1566–1572) established a standard 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, based on long-standing custom. This groups the mysteries in three sets: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries. In 2002 Pope St. John Paul II said that it is fitting that a new set of five be added, termed the Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 20.

Joyful Mysteries

  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Nativity
  4. The Presentation
  5. The Finding in the Temple

Luminous Mysteries

  1. The Baptism of Jesus
  2. The Wedding Feast at Cana
  3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom, with the call to Conversion
  4. The Transfiguration
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful Mysteries

  1. The Agony in the Garden
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar
  3. The Crowning with Thorns
  4. The Carrying of the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion

Glorious Mysteries

  1. The Resurrection
  2. The Ascension
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
  4. The Assumption
  5. The Coronation of Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth

The structure of the Rosary prayer:

  1. The sign of the cross; The Apostles’ Creed
  2. Our Father
  3. The Hail Mary three times
  4. The Glory Be to the Father
  5. Announce the mystery
  6. Our Father
  7. The Hail Mary ten times (i.e. the decades)
  8. The Glory Be to the Father
  9. The Fatima Prayer
  10. Repeating 5 to 9 for the remaining mysteries
  11. The Hail Holy Queen
  12. At the end of the Hail Holy Queen, say “Pray for us, O holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

A single set of mysteries can be prayed each day, according to the following convention, Monday to Sunday: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous, Sorrowful, Joyful and Glorious.