The Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary
after the Dominican Method

In addition to the Liturgy of the Hours, the rosary forms an important part of Dominican prayer life. The image above is St. Dominic's vision of heaven, where the Lord told St. Dominic that the Dominican Order was under the special protection of His Mother. Tradition states that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave the rosary to our Holy Father Dominic as a means to combat sin. Therefore, the importance of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as practiced when praying the rosary cannot be overemphasized.

The Dominican method for praying the rosary individually is as follows:

The Introductory Prayers
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Trace the cross over your lips while saying:
O Lord, open my lips. And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.
Bow while saying:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Except in Lent: Alleluia.

The Rosary
The five decades of the rosary are then recited in the normal manner, with the Gloria Patri and the Fatima prayer said after each decade.

The Concluding Prayers
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 to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley 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!
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us, 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 rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that, meditating on 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.
May the divine assistance remain with us always.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This page created and maintained by Mr. Kevin Mitchell, O.P. All pictures copyright of the same. Note: The image to the right is a statue of St. Dominic in an alcove near the main altar in St. Peter's Basilica.