The Holy Rosary

• When is the celebration of the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary?

  October 7
• What is the structure of the Rosary?

  • Five decades (tens of Hail Mary’s)
  • An Our Father between each ten
  • Meditation on one of the mysteries of our Redemption
• What does the Rosary represent in terms of devotion?

  It is a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and a Christ-centered prayer.
• What do we meditate on while praying the Rosary?

  The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
• What does the term "praying the Gospels" refer to?

  It refers to the Rosary.
• Who were the Desert Fathers?

  A group of monks who used pebbles or knotted ropes to count prayers.
• What was used by the Desert Fathers to count prayers?

  Pebbles or knotted ropes.
• By which century were prayer beads used for praying the Our Father 150 times?

  By the 8th century.
• Who can the Rosary be traced back to?

  St. Dominic de Guzman.
• What did the Blessed Virgin Mary tell St. Dominic about spreading the Rosary?

  That it would defeat heresies and his religious order would flourish.
• What significant role did the Rosary play in historical battles?

  It played an important role in the Battle of Lepanto and the Battle of Le Naval de Manila.
• What did the Blessed Virgin Mary urge the three shepherd children to do?

  To pray the rosary every day.
• What are the traditional Mysteries of the Rosary?

  • 15 Mysteries grouped into:
  • Joyful Mysteries
  • Sorrowful Mysteries
  • Glorious Mysteries
• Who introduced the Luminous Mysteries and in what year?

  Pope St. John Paul in 2002.
• What are the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary?

  1. The Annunciation
  2. The Visitation
  3. The Nativity/Birth of Jesus
  4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
  5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
• What are the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary?

  1. The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
  2. The Self-Manifestation of Jesus in the Wedding at Cana
  3. The Proclamation of God and the Call to Conversion
  4. The Transfiguration of Jesus
  5. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist
• What are the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary?

  1. The Agony in the Garden
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar
  3. The Crowning with Thorns
  4. The Carrying of the Cross
  5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
• What are the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary?

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