"The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish ".

- Promise of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses". Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one.The Rosary is made up of two things: mental prayer and vocal prayer. In the Holy Rosary mental prayer is none other than meditation of the chief mysteries of the life, death and glory of Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. The fifteen mysteries are divided into Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Vocal prayer consists in saying fifteen or five decades of the Hail Mary, each decade headed by an Our Father, while at the same time meditating on and contemplating the fifteen principal virtues which Jesus and Mary practised in the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary.The complete Rosary consists of fifteen decades, but is more commonly said in five decades.So the Rosary is a blessed blending of mental and vocal prayer by which we honor and learn to imitate the mysteries and the virtues of the life, death, passion and glory of Jesus and Mary.The Holy Mother Church received the Rosary in its present form in 1214 in a miraculous way, when Our Lady appeared to Saint Dominic and gave it to him as a powerful means of converting the heretics and other sinners. Since then the devotion spread around the world with incredible and miraculous results.

HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY

To say the Rosary to advantage one must be in a state of grace or at very least be fully determined to give upmortal sin.While holding the crucifix make the Sign of the Cross and then recite the Apostles Creed. Recite the Our Father on the first large bead. On each of the three small beads recite a Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity. Recite the Glory Be to the Father on the next large bead.Recall the first Rosary Mystery and recite the Our Father on the next large bead. The Joyful Mysteries are meditated on Mondays and Thursdays, Sundays of Advent and after Epiphany until Lent. The Sorrowful Mysteries are meditated on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Sundays in Lent. The Glorious Mysteries are meditated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Sundays after Easter until Advent.On each of the adjacent ten small beads (also refered to as a decade) recite a Hail Mary while reflecting on the mystery. On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be to the Father. The Fatima (O My Jesus) decade prayer may also be said.Each succeeding decade is prayed in a similar manner by recalling the appropriate mystery, reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, the Glory Be to the Father, and the Fatima decade prayer (optional) while reflecting on the mystery. When the fifth mystery is completed, the Rosary is Customarily concluded with the Hail, Holy Queen.

BENEFITS, BLESSINGS & PROMISES OF THE ROSARY