The Rosary
The rosary is a set of beads used by the Roman Catholic Christians which aids in praying. It is made up of five sets of ten beads, with each set of ten being called a ‘decade.’ Each decade is separated from the next by a single bead which is more separated than the others, so you are able to tell where one decade starts and the other ends. By counting the beads as they pray, people are able to consider and reflect upon some of the events which took place in the lives of Mary and Jesus. The person holds each bead while saying a prayer.

At the very first bead of the decade, the ‘Pater Noster’ is said:

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 today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death,
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, 
Now and forever,
Amen.

For the beads in the middle, the ‘Ave Maria’ is recited:

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art though among 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.

For the last bead, the ‘Gloria Patri’ is said:

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

On the rosary is a cross with a picture of Jesus on it. This is called the crucifix. At the top of the crucifix are five beads. These represent a Pater Noster, three Ave Marias and a Gloria. When one comes to the crucifix during prayer, they say the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker 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, dead and buried;
He descended into hell:
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
From thence he shall come to judge the quick 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.