October Prayer Resources
October: Dedicated to the Holy Rosary
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The Rosary is a prayer to contemplate the entire life of Jesus Christ, the passion, death, resurrection, and His glory.
The Rosary also honors and contemplates Mary too, and rightly so, for the same reason that the Liturgical Year does, "Because there is no one who has followed in the footsteps of the Incarnate Word more closely and with more merit than she." (Mediator Dei).
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Get a Rosary
A physical rosary helps you keep track of your prayers and focus your thoughts.
But if you don’t have one yet, don’t let that stop you. You can always count the prayers on your fingers or pray along with a guided rosary recording until you get one. The most important thing is to start.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross
While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross.
Pray the Opening Prayers
Next, say the opening prayers while holding the crucifix and the first five beads above it:
Pray the Apostles’ Creed on the crucifix.
Pray the Our Father on the first bead.
Pray three Hail Marys on the next three beads, one on each, for an increase in faith, hope, and love.
Pray the Glory Be on the bead right below the centerpiece.
Announce the Mystery
Before you announce the mystery, you need to decide which set of mysteries you’re going to meditate on. You can choose to pray any set of mysteries you like, or you can follow the weekly structure that the Church gives us:
Monday & Saturday – Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday & Friday – Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday & Sunday – Glorious Mysteries
Thursday – Luminous Mysteries
After choosing which set of mysteries to pray, hold the bead just below the centerpiece and announce the first mystery to begin your decade. Say the name of the mystery out loud or in your head, like this: “The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation.” This helps guide your thoughts and prepare you for meditation.
Begin the First Decade and Meditate on the Mystery
Pray 10 Hail Marys, one on each of the 10 beads, while meditating on the mystery.
Pray the Glory Be while holding the space in between the tenth Hail Mary bead and the next Our Father bead.
Pray the (optional) Fatima Prayer in the same spot.
Pro Tip: To meditate, visualize the scene of the mystery while praying the Hail Marys. Imagine being there—standing with Mary at the Annunciation or witnessing Jesus carry His cross.
If you struggle with this at first, don't worry! It takes practice, so keep returning to the rosary, even if you're just saying the prayers without much meditation.
Pray the Remaining Mysteries
Continue praying the mysteries in this way all the way around the rosary:
Announce the mystery while holding the Our Father bead.
Pray the Our Father.
Pray ten Hail Marys on the next ten beads while meditating on the mystery.
Pray the Glory Be by holding the space in between the last Hail Mary bead and the larger Our Father bead.
Pray the (optional) Fatima Prayer in the same spot.
Closing Prayers
Once you work your way around the rosary, you’ll end up back at the centerpiece. To finish, hold the centerpiece as you:
Pray the Hail, Holy Queen.
Make the Sign of the Cross.
And that’s it—you’ve prayed one entire rosary!
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St. Therese of the Child Jesus - Oct. 1
Guardian Angels - Oct. 2
St. Francis of Assisi - Oct. 4
St. Faustina - Oct. 5
Our Lady of the Rosary - Oct. 7
St. John Henry Newman - Oct. 9
St. Teresa of Avila - Oct. 15
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque - Oct. 16
St. Ignatious of Antioch - Oct. 17
St. Luke - Oct. 18
St. John Paul II - Oct. 22
Sts. Simon & Jude - Oct. 28
Rosary in a Year Podcast
In Ascension’s Rosary in a Year podcast, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, guides listeners in a step-by-step journey that will change the way you pray – no matter where you are in your spiritual life. By starting small and adding on over time, listeners will find themselves falling more in love with this powerful Marian devotion, becoming a source of grace for the whole world.
More Ideas to Live Liturgically This Month
Pick roses for a centerpiece to celebrate the feast of St. Therese.
Pray the Guardian Angel Prayer every morning and night: Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
Host a rosary night with friends and pray together. Share a meal or some drinks after.
Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls in Purgatory beginning on October 24th.
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention This Month
For collaboration between different religious traditions
Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity.
