How to Pray the Rosary: A First-Time Guide

The Rosary is one of the most powerful Catholic prayers. At first, it can feel complicated because of the beads and the sequence of prayers, but once you learn the rhythm, it becomes natural and deeply peaceful. This guide is designed so that you can pick it up, hold your Rosary, and follow along step by step. We’ll keep it simple and skip the Mysteries, so you can focus on learning the structure and the prayers.

🙏 Opening

On the crucifix
Make the Sign of the Cross:
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Then pray the Apostles’ Creed:
“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.”

On the first large bead
Pray 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.”

On the next three small beads
Pray the Hail Mary three times (for Faith, Hope, and Charity):
“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.”

On the chain or connector
Pray the 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.”

🙏 The Five Decades

Now you are ready to begin the main part of the Rosary. Each decade is a set of prayers on 1 large bead, 10 small beads, and the connector. You will repeat this pattern five times.

On the large bead
Pray the Our Father.

On the ten small beads
Pray the Hail Mary ten times, once on each bead.

On the chain or connector
Pray the Glory Be.

Optional: Add the Fatima Prayer after the Glory Be.
“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.”

Repeat this whole sequence for each of the five decades.

🙏 Closing Prayers

After the fifth decade, finish with the following prayers:

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.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Final Rosary Prayer
“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.”

Finish with the Sign of the Cross
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

🙏 Quick Recap for Beginners

Large beads = Our Father
Small beads = Hail Mary
Chain/connector = Glory Be (+ Fatima Prayer if you like)
End with Hail, Holy Queen and the Final Prayer

That’s it! You’ve completed your Rosary. With practice, the flow will become second nature, and the prayers will become a beautiful rhythm of peace.