We had the pleasure of meeting with Cora Carino and Rose Long from our local St. Anne's Rosary Makers Guild who showed us how to make and pray the rosary. Their guild gets together every week to make rosaries to send all around the world and they welcomed us to learn more. We started off our time together with the Rosary Makers Prayer:

The Holy Rosary

The St. Anne Rosary Makers' Guild shared how the holy rosary has been a treasured devotion in the Catholic Church for centuries. A deeply contemplative prayer, the Rosary contains a summary of the Christian faith in language and prayers inspired by the Holy Scriptures. When praying the rosary, Catholics recall the most important events in the lives of Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary. These events are called "Mysteries" and are divided into four groups of five decades: the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. Each decade consists of one "Our Father," ten "Hail Mary's," and one "Glory be to the Father."

How to Say the Rosary

(Source: Lighthouse Catholic Media)

A traditional practice is praying in a counterclockwise direction, but either direction is acceptable. In addition, one need not even use a rosary when praying the rosary. For instance, you can count the prayers on your fingers.

1. Begin on the crucifix and say the "Apostles' Creed."
2. On the first bead, say one "Our Father."
3. Say one "Hail Mary" on each of the next three beads.
4. Say one "Glory Be to the Father."
5. At the beginning of each decade, announce the Mystery to be contemplated. For example, the first Joyful Mystery is "The Annunciation". After a short pause for reflection, say one "Our Father" on the large bead.
6. Recite ten "Hail Mary's" on the ten smaller beads, followed by one "Glory be to the Father." An invocation may be added after each decade.
7. Announce the second Mystery and continue in the same manner until each of the five Mysteries of the selected group is said.
8. Conclude by saying "Hail Holy Queen." At the end of the Rosary, the "Loreto Litany" or some other Marian prayer is recited.

Fatima Prayer

This prayer is an example of an invocation that may be said after each decade and was requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."

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 vale of tears; turn, then most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards 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.

Let us pray, O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and Resurrection, has purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation. Grant we beseech Thee that while 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.

Explaining the "Mysteries" of the Rosary

The ''Mysteries'' are sets of five events in the Roman Catholic bible, depicting events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. There were originally three sets of five, for a total of 15; however, Pope John Paul II added a fourth set of five in 2002, bringing the total to 20 Mysteries.

Each set of Mysteries is prayed over the course of a week (see the chart below), with one set commonly prayed or recited each day. Some exceptionally devout adherents will pray all four sets of the Rosary each day. Here are the Mysteries, as determined by the Roman Catholic Church:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
5. Finding Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple

The Luminous Mysteries (added in 2002)

1. The Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclaiming the Kingdom
4. Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Eucharist

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scrouging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. Carrying the Cross
5. The Crucifixion

The Glorious Mysteries

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

Notes on Praying the Rosary

Different Mysteries are commonly prayed on different days of the week, or different times of the year.