About the Rosary
The rosary itself is a string of beads, each of which marks the recitation of a particular prayer. There are fifteen groups of ten Hail Marys that form the central part of the rosary. Each decade of the rosary focuses on a mystery or event in the life of Jesus and Mary. The mysteries are grouped into four groups of five each to commemorate the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious events in the life of Jesus and Mary. Here are the 20 mysteries of the rosary:
The Joyful Mysteries (Mondays & Saturdays)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays & Fridays)
The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays & Sundays)
The Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)
The person begins to pray the rosary by making the sign of the cross. Then the Apostles' Creed is said while holding the crucifix attached to the rosary. One Our Father, three Hail Marys, and a Glory Be follow. Then the person announces and reflects on the first mystery, says an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be. This completes one decade of the rosary. All other decades are said in the same way, with a different mystery announced and reflected on during each.
The main prayers of the rosary can be found on the Prayers page of this web site.