How to Pray the Rosary

Begin by blessing oneself with the crucifix and kissing it. Then continue as follows.

The Creed: I believe in God
(on crucifix)
Our Father
(on first bead on side chain)
Hail Mary (x 3)
(on three small beads on side chain)
Glory be

The Fatima Prayer is also said at the end of each decade/mystery
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need of thy mercy."


THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY
Announce the first mystery (eg. First Joyful Mystery: the Annunciation) and take time for silent reflection on it. Begin the first decade.
Our Father
(on last bead on side chain)
Hail Mary (x 10)
(on each of the ten small beads)
Glory be

The Fatima Prayer

Announce second mystery (eg. Second Joyful Mystery: the Visitation).
Start again with Our Father on next single bead.
Continue in the same way until Mysteries are completed.

With the Mysteries completed, on the medal pray:

"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 valley, 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.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."

Then pray:

"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 by 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."

"O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recoure to thee."

"O Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us."

"O Mary, Queen of Heaven and earth, pray for us."

Some have the tradition of continuing from the medal back towards the crucifix and praying an "Our Father" for the intentions of the Holy Father. On the three beads that follow, one prays a Hail Mary on each bead for an increase in the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. On the final bead, I have a practice of saying a final "Our Father" for the intentions of each of my family members.

Conclude with blessing oneself with the crucifix and kissing it.

Most people pray one set of mysteries each day. There is a tradition of praying the different mysteries on specific days of the week:
Monday and Saturday: the Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday and Friday: the Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday and Sunday: the Glorious Mysteries
Thursday: the Luminous Mysteries
It is also possible to pray all the mysteries in one day.

With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love.
To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.
The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary´s own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer ... By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord´s life as seen through the eyes of she who was closest to the Lord.
(Rosarium Virginis Mariae – Pope John Paul II)

(Modified from: http://www.katolsk.fo/_sgg/m2m8s3_1.htm.)