‹ Traditional Rosaries and Chaplets

A prayer companion for a traditional devotion

Traditional Catholic devotion

The Brigittine Rosary

Also called the Chaplet of St. Bridget

The Brigittine Rosary is an older Marian chaplet arranged in six divisions. Each division contains one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and the Apostles’ Creed.

The 1903 source connects its sixty-three Hail Marys with the traditional number of years attributed to the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its seven Our Fathers honor her seven joys and seven sorrows.

Pray the mysteries

Mysteries for prayer

The six-decade mysteries

Pray one set on its customary day, or choose the set that best fits your prayer. In each decade, announce the mystery, pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and the Apostles’ Creed. These mystery sets are a later Carmelite use of the Brigittine beads, not part of the 1903 Raccolta order.

Joyful Mysteries

  1. Decade 1

    The Immaculate Conception of Mary

    Honor Mary, preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception.

  2. Decade 2

    The Annunciation

    Contemplate the Angel Gabriel announcing the Incarnation to Mary.

  3. Decade 3

    The Visitation

    Contemplate Mary visiting St. Elizabeth and carrying Christ into her home.

  4. Decade 4

    The Nativity of Our Lord

    Adore the Child Jesus born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem.

  5. Decade 5

    The Presentation in the Temple

    Contemplate Mary and St. Joseph presenting Jesus in the Temple.

  6. Decade 6

    The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

    Contemplate Mary and St. Joseph finding Jesus after three days of searching.

Sorrowful Mysteries

  1. Decade 1

    The Agony in the Garden

    Contemplate Christ praying and accepting the Father’s will.

  2. Decade 2

    The Scourging at the Pillar

    Contemplate Christ suffering for our sins.

  3. Decade 3

    The Crowning with Thorns

    Contemplate Christ mocked and crowned with thorns.

  4. Decade 4

    The Carrying of the Cross

    Contemplate Christ carrying the Cross to Calvary.

  5. Decade 5

    The Crucifixion

    Contemplate Christ dying on the Cross for our salvation.

  6. Decade 6

    Christ Taken Down from the Cross

    Contemplate the dead body of Jesus received into the arms of His sorrowful Mother.

Glorious Mysteries

  1. Decade 1

    The Resurrection

    Contemplate Christ risen gloriously from the dead.

  2. Decade 2

    The Ascension

    Contemplate Christ ascending into Heaven.

  3. Decade 3

    The Descent of the Holy Ghost

    Contemplate the Holy Ghost descending upon Mary and the Apostles.

  4. Decade 4

    The Assumption of Mary

    Contemplate Mary assumed body and soul into Heaven.

  5. Decade 5

    The Coronation of Mary

    Contemplate Mary crowned Queen of Heaven and earth.

  6. Decade 6

    The Patronage of Mary

    Honor Mary as patroness and motherly protector, traditionally named Queen and Beauty of Carmel in Carmelite usage.

Prayer order

Follow the beads

The prayer order follows The New Raccolta of 1903: six decades ending with the Apostles’ Creed, then one Our Father and three Hail Marys. The accompanying mystery sets are a later Carmelite custom and are clearly marked as such.

  1. Begin at the first large bead

    Announce the first mystery. On the large bead, pray one Our Father. Then move across the next ten small beads, praying one Hail Mary on each bead.

  2. Pray the Apostles’ Creed

    After the tenth Hail Mary, pray the Apostles’ Creed. Then move to the next large bead, announce the next mystery, and begin the next division.

  3. Continue through all six divisions

    Repeat the same path through the beads until you have prayed six divisions: one Our Father on each large bead, ten Hail Marys on the small beads, and the Apostles’ Creed after each division.

  4. Finish on the final beads

    After the sixth Apostles’ Creed, pray one additional Our Father and three Hail Marys. The 1903 source gives no required closing prayer, so you may finish in silence or with your customary conclusion.

Pray from this page

Prayer texts

These three prayers are all that the 1903 order requires. The full texts below use the traditional English forms already preserved in the Novena Regina prayer library.

The Lord's Prayer

Open prayer page

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 this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Source: With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections (1911), Francis Xavier Lasance, page 153.

The Hail Mary

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Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou 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.

Source: With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections (1911), Francis Xavier Lasance, page 153.

The Apostles' Creed

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I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator 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, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and 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. Amen.

Source: With God: A Book of Prayers and Reflections (1911), Francis Xavier Lasance, page 153.

Historical record

History and sources

The New Raccolta says the chaplet is so called because St. Bridget of Sweden originated and first propagated it. This is the traditional attribution recorded by the devotional source.

Its unusual placement of the Apostles’ Creed after each group of ten Hail Marys is part of the form. It should not be rearranged to resemble the more familiar five-decade Rosary.

Two related traditions on one set of beads

The 1903 Raccolta gives the prayer order but no assigned mysteries. The six-decade mystery sets shown above belong to a later Carmelite custom. They are provided so the chaplet can be prayed with its well-known mysteries without presenting them as part of the earlier printed order.

About older indulgence grants

Older editions record indulgences that belonged to their period. The Church revised indulgence discipline in 1967, so this guide does not present those older grants as current.

Continue exploring

Other traditional Rosaries and Chaplets

Franciscan Crown

Seven decades in honor of the Seven Joys of Our Lady, following an 1869 Franciscan manual from beginning to end.

Open the guide

Seven Sorrows Rosary

Seven groups of seven Hail Marys while meditating on the principal sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Open the guide

Passionist Chaplet of the Five Wounds

Five groups of five Glory Bes in honor of the Five Wounds of Christ, with one Hail Mary after each group.

Open the guide

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