Catholics the world over are marking the month of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating by praying the mysteries of the rosary so revered by many popes, including Pope St. John Paul II.

“Let us #PrayTogether with the children of every continent who today are reciting the Rosary for peace in the world,” Pope Francis posted on Twitter. “Let us entrust to Our Lady’s intercession the suffering people of Ukraine and other people who are suffering due to war, violence and misery. #1millionchildrenpraying” 

The rosary is a series of prayers recited with the help of a string of rosary beads that allows one to track how many of each they’re said, Britannica says. The rosary consists of five sets of 10, called decades, separated by single larger beads. The five decades call for one to say 50 Hail Mary prayers while the separate beads remind one to say the Our Father. Christians can meditate upon a particular set of mysteries from the life of Jesus Christ while praying. 

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the rosary is based on scriptural events. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed. The Our Father, which comes from the Gospel, begins every mystery. The Hail Mary is a prayer that replicates the Archangel Gabriel’s words to Mary at the Annunciation. 

The mysteries of the rosary surround Christ’s journey on earth. There are four sets of mysteries: Glorious, Joyful, Sorrowful, and Luminous. The Luminous mysteries are the newest of the four, with Pope St. John Paul II adding them in 2002. 

The Glorious Mysteries, said on Sundays and Wednesdays, are the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary. The Joyful Mysteries, said on Mondays and Saturdays, are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation in the Temple and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The Sorrowful Mysteries, said on Tuesdays and Fridays, are the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning of Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion and Death of the Lord. The Luminous Mysteries, said on Thursdays, are the Baptism in the Jordan, the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration and the Institution of the Eucharist. https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

October is the month of the Rosary because the feast of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on Oct. 7. Also celebrated as Our Lady of Victory, Catholic News Agency (CNA) explains that Pope Pius V dedicated Oct. 7 to the Rosary after the victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Pope Pius V implored all Christians to pray for victory during the battle, and the Christian forces miraculously won. 

Pope Pius V also officially added the second part of the Hail Mary and the Glory Be prayers. CNA says Pope Leo XIII increased the popularity of the Rosary from his personal devotion as well as the 11 encyclicals he wrote on the Rosary. CNA says Pope St. John Paul II said, "in which we meditate with Mary upon the mysteries which she as a Mother meditated on in her heart (Lk. 2:19.).”