Use This Basic Rosary Guide
To Quickly And Easily Learn
How To Pray The Rosary
And Usher Peace Into Your Life

"In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest"
-Psalms 4:9

This basic Rosary guide will help the beginner in saying the Rosary by teaching step by step how to do the rosary prayer. The Catholic Rosary prayers make up the body while the Rosary Mysteries compose the soul of the Roman Catholic Rosary.

Roman Catholic Rosary Instructions

This how to pray the Rosary guide is understood better if you are clear on what is the meaning of the rosary beads and how do you use them. Catholic Rosary beads are made up of a cross or crucifix, a medal, large beads and small beads.

To pray the Catholic Rosary using rosary beads, you start by holding the cross as you say the first prayer. Then you move your fingers to the large bead above the cross and say another prayer. Next you move on to the three small beads then the medal and continue around the loop until you have said a prayer on each bead contained on the string of rosary beads. More details in the Rosary diagram below

Basic Rosary Guide
How To Use Rosary Beads
How To Say The Rosary Diagram

1. At the crucifix, begin with the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostles Creed.
2. On the first large bead say the Our Father prayer

3. Followed by three Hail Mary prayers. It is customary to say "I offer these three Hail Marys for the increase in the virtues of faith, hope and charity."
   • Faith - pray to increase your faith in God
   • Hope - pray for a deeper desire and hope for heaven
   • Charity - pray to have a deeper love for your neighbors for the sake of your love for God
4. Then say one Glory Be prayer
. Now you are at the medal that joins the beads. Here announce any prayer intentions you have.

Then announce the first Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful or Glorious Mystery depending upon what mysteries you are meditating on this particular day.

At this point you may read a meditation or look at a picture of the mystery that will aid in your meditation.

5. Then begin the decade with one Our Father all the while keeping hold of the medal.
6. On the ten small beads that follow pray ten Hail Marys.
7. Followed by one Glory Be Prayer.
8. Then the Fatima Prayer.
9. When you come to the large bead, announce the second respective mystery, look at a meditation aid then pray one Our Father.
10. On the ten small beads pray another set of ten Hail Marys followed by one Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer called a decade, as before.
11. Continue this pattern of announcing the mystery and praying a decade. Do this for the third, fourth and fifth mystery consecutively followed by one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, one Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer.
12. After the fifth and final decade has been prayed, after the Fatima Prayer, pray the Hail Holy Queen prayer.
13. It is customary to finish the Rosary prayers with the "Let us Pray" prayer from the Breviary followed by the Saint Michael Prayer.
14. Now just as you began, end with the Sign of the Cross.

How To Pray The Rosary Printable Guide

You can print out this Catholic Rosary guide. This Catholic Rosary print out requires Adobe to read it, so if you don't have it on your computer you can download it for free by visiting the Adobe.com website.

How to pray the Rosary print out here... [new window opens]

You can also print up any of these handy FREE Rosary booklets, then learn how to fold them and keep them with you when you are just starting out praying the Rosary, plus they are handy to have when you become proficient at praying the Rosary for meditation purposes.

They are so simple to make you can even print some up to hand out to people or children in CCD, etc.

If you prefer a more traditional Rosary aid, then this Rosary Booklet may be what you are looking for.

This Catholic Rosary Guide Makes It Simple
To Pray The Rosary Everyday

This praying the Rosary guide is simple, especially after you have used it a few times, which makes it much easier to get into the habit of saying the Rosary everyday.

You can pray the Rosary with others or by yourself. You can even teach others to pray the Rosary using this basic Rosary guide.

Because it is so simple and relaxing, children as well as adults love praying the Rosary. For the little ones, definitely share with them this how to say the rosary printable.

If you are just introducing your children to the rosary, this beautiful Rosary book will be perfect to learn how to pray the rosary for children. It's a tried and true aid for praying the Rosary.

You will look forward to praying the Rosary as a daily respite from the commotion and worries of life.

If you are wanting to keep track of Rosaries you are praying for anything in particular, please see our Personal Rosary Tracker page for a really neat way of keeping track of those Rosaries.

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

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, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 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 our death. Amen.

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.

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 vale of tears; turn, then most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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.

Let us pray, O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation. Grant we beseech Thee that while 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.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and the 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, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Originally there were 15 mysteries of the Rosary. Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries or the Mysteries of Light in the year 2002 making a complete Rosary a total of 20 mysteries.

These 20 mysteries are divided into four categories containing 5 mysteries each.

An actual set of Rosary beads you may be familiar with [like the Rosary diagram above] is just one quarter of the Rosary Prayer.

It's just that that is how much of the Rosary is usually prayed at one time.

All 20 mysteries of the Rosary can be prayed in one sitting, however it is common to only pray one set of Rosary Mysteries.

Within each set of Rosary Mysteries there are five decades of the Rosary. Explore the links below to follow the life of Jesus and Mary Mother of Jesus.

Basic Rosary Guide - Joyful Mysteries

The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary are:

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
5. Finding Jesus in the Temple

Basic Rosary Guide - Luminous Mysteries

The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary are:

1. The Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclaiming the Kingdom
4. Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Eucharist

Basic Rosary Guide - Sorrowful Mysteries

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are:

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

Basic Rosary Guide - Glorious Mysteries

The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are:

1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation

Return to Cathoic Rosary Mysteries page

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