Rosary Prayers: Every Prayer of the Rosary in Order

The Rosary is made of a handful of short prayers that every Catholic can learn: the Sign of the Cross, the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Fatima Prayer and the Hail, Holy Queen, with a closing prayer at the end. While you say them on the beads, you think about one of the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary.

Below you will find every prayer of the Rosary in the order you say it, with the full traditional text, followed by a bead-by-bead chart and answers to common questions.

The prayers of the Rosary in order

The Sign of the Cross, holding the crucifix.
The Apostles’ Creed, on the crucifix.
The Our Father, on the first large bead.
Three Hail Marys, on the next three beads, traditionally for an increase of faith, hope and charity.
The Glory Be.
For each of the five decades: announce the mystery, then pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and one Glory Be, followed by the Fatima Prayer.
After the fifth decade: the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer.
End with the Sign of the Cross.

To be guided bead by bead on your screen, use the interactive Rosary.

1. The Sign of the Cross

Hold the crucifix and bless yourself, touching your forehead, chest, left shoulder and right shoulder.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Read more about this gesture in our guide to the Sign of the Cross.

2. The Apostles’ Creed

Still holding the crucifix, profess the faith of the Church. The Creed reminds us that the Rosary rests on the great truths of the Gospel.

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified;
died, and was buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

See the Apostles’ Creed explained line by line.

3. The Our Father

Pray the Lord’s Prayer on the first large bead, and again on the large bead that begins each decade.

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.

4. The Hail Mary

Pray three Hail Marys on the three small beads after the first Our Father, and ten on each decade. The first part of the prayer is the greeting of the angel Gabriel and of Elizabeth (Luke 1:28, 42); the second part asks Mary to pray for us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst 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.

When you pray in a group, the leader usually says the first half and everyone answers with the second, beginning at “Holy Mary.” See the Hail Mary prayer for its history and meaning.

5. The Glory Be

The Glory Be, a short hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity, closes the opening prayers and every decade.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

6. The Fatima Prayer (Decade Prayer)

After the Glory Be at the end of each decade, many Catholics add the short prayer that Our Lady of Fatima taught the three shepherd children on July 13, 1917, asking that it be said after each mystery:

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.

It is a widely loved custom rather than a required part of the Rosary. Some families also add a short prayer for the souls in purgatory, such as the Eternal Rest.

7. Hail, Holy Queen

After the fifth decade, honor Mary with the ancient anthem Salve Regina. It dates from the eleventh century and is often attributed to the monk Hermann of Reichenau.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, 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 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.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Read the Hail, Holy Queen on its own page, with the Latin.

8. The closing prayer

The Rosary ends with the prayer that the Church used for centuries on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7). It sums up the purpose of the whole Rosary: to imitate what the mysteries contain and obtain what they promise.

Let us pray.

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 those mysteries, in the most holy Rosary of the most blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise: through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then make the Sign of the Cross.

Optional prayers after the Rosary

Many people add one or more of these prayers after the closing prayer:

The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, once said after every Low Mass.
The Memorare, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary.”
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Litany of Loreto), especially on Saturdays and in October and May.
An Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father, which is one of the usual conditions for gaining an indulgence.

The prayers on the beads: a chart

Part of the rosary	Prayer
Crucifix	Sign of the Cross, then the Apostles’ Creed
First large bead	Our Father
Next three small beads	Three Hail Marys (for faith, hope and charity)
Space before the centerpiece	Glory Be
Centerpiece (medal)	Announce the first mystery
Each large bead	Our Father
Each set of ten small beads	Ten Hail Marys, thinking about the mystery
After each decade	Glory Be and the Fatima Prayer, then announce the next mystery
After the fifth decade	Hail, Holy Queen, the closing prayer and the Sign of the Cross

In a five-decade Rosary you pray 6 Our Fathers, 53 Hail Marys and 6 Glory Bes.

Which mysteries to pray today

The Rosary has twenty mysteries in four sets. One set of five is prayed each day:

Day	Mysteries
Monday and Saturday	Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday and Friday	Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday and Sunday	Glorious Mysteries
Thursday	Luminous Mysteries

Today’s Rosary mysteries shows the right set automatically, and the mysteries of the Rosary page lists all twenty with their Scripture passages.

Tips for praying the Rosary well

Go slowly enough to mean the words. A five-decade Rosary takes about 15 to 20 minutes. If you have less time, one decade prayed well is better than five said in a rush.
Picture the scene. Before each decade, read the Scripture verse or imagine the mystery: the stable at Bethlehem, the garden of Gethsemane, the empty tomb.
Offer each decade for someone. Name a person or an intention before you begin: a sick friend, a family member, peace in the world.
Pray it with others. The Rosary is a natural family prayer. Children can lead a decade as soon as they know the Hail Mary.
You do not need beads. Count on your fingers, or use the interactive Rosary.

Frequently asked questions

What are the prayers of the Rosary?

The Sign of the Cross, the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Fatima Prayer (customary), the Hail, Holy Queen and the closing prayer “O God, whose only-begotten Son.” Some lists count seven or eight prayers depending on whether they include the Sign of the Cross and the Fatima Prayer.

What prayer is said at the end of the Rosary?

The Hail, Holy Queen, followed by the closing prayer “O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection” and the Sign of the Cross. Many people add the Prayer to St. Michael or the Memorare.

What prayer is said after each decade?

The Glory Be, followed by the Fatima Prayer, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins.”

Is the Fatima Prayer required?

No. It is a custom that spread after the apparitions of Fatima in 1917 and is now very common, but the Rosary is complete without it.

Why are the first three Hail Marys said?

They are an introduction to the Rosary. By custom they are offered for an increase in the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.

Is there an indulgence for praying the Rosary?

Yes. The Church grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions, with no attachment to sin), to those who pray five decades of the Rosary devoutly in a church or oratory, or together as a family, a religious community or a pious association. The five decades must be said without interruption, with meditation on the mysteries. Praying the Rosary in other circumstances gains a partial indulgence.

Can I pray the Rosary for someone who has died?

Yes. Offering the Rosary for the souls of the departed is an old and beautiful custom. See our Catholic prayers for the dead.

More Rosary and Marian prayers

Texts and sources

Sign of the Cross: F. X. Lasance, My Prayer-Book (1908), Morning Prayer, public domain.
Our Father, Hail Mary and Apostles’ Creed: A Catechism of Christian Doctrine No. 3 (Baltimore Catechism, ed. Kinkead, 1891), Prayers, public domain (Project Gutenberg); Glory Be from the same catechism, Q. 204.
Hail, Holy Queen with versicle: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary, public domain.
Closing prayer: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, prayer after the Rosary, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
Plenary indulgence: Enchiridion Indulgentiarum (1999), grant 17, “Marian prayers.”
Fatima: Sister Lucia’s account of the apparition of July 13, 1917.
John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002).