The word “Rosary” means a chain of roses and the roses are prayers. The Rosary Prayer tells us about the life of Jesus and his Mother, Mary. In the Church, the month of October is, by custom, the month of the Rosary but people do use this prayer all the year round.

The story behind Catholic Rosary Beads

Along with the cross and the sacred holy water fonts, the small beads that makeup Rosary beads are one of the most familiar and recognized symbols of Catholicism. According to Catholic tradition, the rosary was instituted by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. In the 13th century, she is said to have appeared to St. Dominic (founder of the Dominicans), given him a rosary, and asked that Christians pray the Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be prayers instead of the Psalms. The original rosary of St. Dominic had 15 decades.

Rosary Beads Meaning

The main function of the rosary beads is to count prayers, the prayers that are counted on rosary beads are collectively known as the rosary. The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in memory certain principal events or mysteries in history. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into five main mysteries which correspond to the five decades of the rosary.

• Five Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays. These events all have to do with Christ’s birth.
• Five Luminous Mysteries are recalled on Thursdays and were instituted by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
• Five Sorrowful Mysteries relate to Jesus’ suffering and death and are recalled on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Five Glorious Mysteries remind the faithful of Jesus’ resurrection and the glories of heaven and are prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays.