How to pray the rosary – 10 important steps

The crown of the rosary is formed by grains held together by a wire or a cord. Each bead of the rosary symbolises an invocation and a Christian prayer. It is therefore a valuable tool to accompany and articulate the prayers of the faithful, and to also promote meditation, in a moment of communion and closeness to God.

Here is how to correctly pray the rosary:

1. Take the crucifix between your fingers and recite the Creed, the highest and most authentic statement of faith for Catholics, a way of emphasising your belief of the existence of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
2. First Rosary bead: Our Father. After the Creed, the hand slips to the first bead and you recite the Our Father, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples so that they might turn to the Father as a sign of devotion.
3. Three grains for the Hail Mary. Sliding the fingers to the three beads that follow the first, you must recite the Hail Mary prayer three times, symbolising Faith, Hope and Charity.
4. Doxology: the Glory. The next bead corresponds to a prayer that praises, exalts and glorifies God. It is usually the Glory to the Father.
5. First decade. A larger bead or a little medal indicates the start of the first decade on the rosary. You have to pray the Our Father.
6. Ten Hail Marys. Ten beads that follow counter clockwise the bigger bead or the medal. For each, pray the Hail Mary.
7. End of the first decade. At the end of the first decade, recite another Doxology (Glory).
8. Next decade. Pray the Our Father and go to next decade, with another ten Hail Marys, continuing until all the beads are finished (rosary consists of ten decades)
9. The central medallion. Upon reaching the centrepiece, pray the Salve Regina in honour of Mary.
10. The Mysteries. The rosary can also be used as a meditation and reflection tool. In this case, while you recite, you will have to attach to the prayer a reflection of a mystery tied to the life of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. In this way, the faithful will strengthen their ties with these two holy figures.