Praying the Rosary with
Westminster Cathedral Rosary Group
Led by Anna Johnstone, this rosary was prayed by the Westminster Cathedral Rosary Group.
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Opening Prayer 
The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
Prayers before the Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation
The First Joyful Mystery - As we contemplate now Mary's yes to God's plans for her life, we pray that we may also open our hearts and minds to God's unique plan and call to each one of us, and that guided by the Holy Spirit and with Mary our mother beside us, we may say 'yes' to God today and every day of our lives.
The angel said to her "Mary, do not be afraid. You have won God's favour. Listen, you are to conceive and bear a son and you must name him Jesus."
The Visitation
The Second Joyful Mystery - As we contemplate this wonderful mystery, let us pray for the protection of all vulnerable human life. May the eyes of the world be opened to the beauty and dignity of each human person, whatever their age or capacities. And we pray for an end to laboratory experimentation on the earliest moments of human life and to an end to abortion.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out with a loud voice, saying "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
The Birth of Jesus
The Third Joyful Mystery - As we contemplate now the Holy Family in Bethlehem and the birth of our Saviour, let us pray for all the families in our parish and especially for any families we know who are facing difficulties. May they draw close to the Holy Family and we ask you, Lord, to pour out your blessing on them.
And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Presentation
The Fourth Joyful Mystery - Let us pray now for Our Lady's intentions, for all priests and religious, and all single people. We pray that they may be abundantly blessed and protected, and we especially pray for all those known to us. And, as always now, we present all our special intentions, confident that if they accord with Our Father's will, they will be granted.
And when the days of her purification were fulfilled according to the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
The Finding of the child Jesus in the Temple
The Fifth Joyful Mystery - Let us pray now for all the children and young people in our parish and in our schools. May our children's innocent hearts and minds, so receptive to the things of God, find passion for God and deep faith in those whose privilege it is to teach and guide them. And may our young people open their hearts to Christ.
And it came to pass after 3 days that they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
Prayers at the end of the joyful mysteries
Hail Holy Queen
Holy Michael the Archangel ....
Schubert's Ave Maria - sung by Anna Johnstone
The Luminous Mysteries
Prayers before the Luminous Mysteries
Christ's Baptism in the Jordan
The First Luminous Mystery - As we contemplate this mystery, let us pray that we may be given the grace to reach out in prayer and in action to all those in our parish and in our lives who Our Lord is calling to baptism. We present now to you one person we know and ask that they may be given the gift of faith.
The Spirit descended like a dove on them and a voice came from heaven "You are my Son, the Beloved and with you I am well pleased."
Christ's self-revelation at the marriage of Cana
The Second Luminous Mystery - As we contemplate Jesus's first sign at a wedding feast, let us pray for all those with a vocation of marriage and let us pray for Our Lady's intentions for them. Let us also pray now for one married couple whom we know to be in difficulty. We ask you, Lord, to pray out your grace, healing and refreshment.
Jesus changed water into wine, the first of his signs and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
Christ's proclamation of the kingdom of God, with His call to conversion
The Third Luminous Mystery - As we contemplate Christ's call to conversion, let us pray for all those who do not have the gift of faith and all those whose hearts and minds are being darkened by sin. Let us raise up to Our Lord one person we know and ask God's special blessing on them.
The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news.
Christ's Transfiguration
The Fourth Luminous Mystery - As we contemplate Our Lord's transfiguration, we ask you Father for the transfiguration of our parish life through the power of prayer, the deepening of prayer and the deepening of fellowship and faith-sharing, so that we may be strengthened and inspired to serve you in our brothers and sisters. And, as always now, we pray for all our special intentions and also ask that our lives and the lives of all those we love may be transfigured.
And He was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white.
Christ's Institution of the Eucharist
The Fifth Luminous Mystery - We contemplate the sublime gift we possess as Catholics of union with Christ, as we eat His body and drink His blood in this glorious sacrament. May we long to sit at His feet day by day and may our Church be filled with prayer and adoration for our glorious friend, spouse and Saviour.
He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'
Prayers at the end of the luminous mysteries
Hail Holy Queen
Holy Michael the Archangel ....
O Thou who at the Eucharist didst pray
- sung by Anna Johnstone
Just as I am, without one plea
- sung by Anna Johnstone
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Prayers before the Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden
The First Sorrowful Mystery - So we begin now to contemplate Our Lord's Passion; we do so with a mixture of sorrow but also with great gratitude for all that Jesus was prepared to undergo for love of each one of us. So let us open our hearts now to Jesus's love demonstrated so powerfully through his Passion. Let us pray for all his intentions for us and all his intentions for our parish.
And his sweat became as drops of blood running down upon the ground and rising from prayer he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Second Sorrowful Mystery - So as we contemplate Jesus's scourging, let us present to Jesus with great tenderness all the hidden suffering of his priests. Jesus, we ask you to bless your priests with courage, perserverance and lively faith, to bless them and to grant them every good gift that they need, and let us remember especially the priests of our parish and our bishop.
Pilate then took Jesus and had him scourged.
The Crowning with Thorns
The Third Sorrowful Mystery - So we contemplate now the piercing of Jesus's head with thorns and as we do so, let us present to Jesus any mothers who are considering abortion. Jesus, we know your great love and concern for these mothers who may be besieged by many difficulties and discouragement. And we pray that they may be touched by your love for them, blessed by the encouragement of friends and given the grace and confidence to welcome the great gift of motherhood and be filled with protective love for their child. Though our prayers are small and humble, we offer them with great faith now and we ask you to save many babies through this rosary.
And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet cloak and placing a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed into his right hand.
The Carrying of the Cross
The Fourth Sorrwful Mystery - We present to Jesus all our special intentions, confident that if they accord with His will, they will be granted. And also, as we contemplate Our Lord carrying His Cross, let us remember all those who are shouldering heavy crosses, especially those known to us and those praying this rosary. Jesus, we ask you either to lift the cross from their shoulders or to give them the grace and strength to bear their cross and to unite their suffering with yours.
And bearing the cross on himself, he went forth to the place called the skull, in Hebrew Golgotha.
The Crucifixion
The Fifth Joyful Mystery - We gather now around the foot of Our Lord's Cross and we give thanks to you, Jesus, for this supreme outpouring of your love and mercy. And we lift up to you now all those who are suffering, whether in body, mind or spirit, especially those known to us. And we pray for all the sick and housebound who are joining in with these prayers. So, with great trust and confidence, we ask you to touch all these who are suffering with your healing, your peace, and your love. And we ask you to fill them with faith that one day they will united with you and our mother Mary in heaven, where there is no more suffering.
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said 'Father, into Thy hands I commend spirit.' And having said this, he died.
Prayers at the end of the sorrowful mysteries
Hail Holy Queen
Holy Michael the Archangel ....
Caccini's Ave Maria - sung by Anna Johnstone
The Glorious Mysteries
Prayers before the Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection
The First Glorious Mystery - So let us now invite the Holy Spirit to inspire our prayer and let us enter into the mystery of Our Lord's resurrection from the dead and give thanks for Jesus's complete triumph over sin and death. With confidence let us invite Our Lord's resurrection to pervade our lives and the life of this parish.
The angel spoke and he said to the women 'There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he has risen as he said he would.'
The Ascension
The Second Glorious Mystery - So let us contemplate now Our Lord's ascension into heaven and, as we do so, let us present to Jesus all those who have died, all the holy souls of this parish and we particularly remember all those dear to us. With confidence we ask you, Lord, to bring them speedily to you in heaven and to comfort and strengthen all those who mourn them.
So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sits at the right hand of God.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Third Glorious Mystery - So let us pray now for all the Holy Spirit's intentions. We pray that His love, joy and peace may be enjoyed by the whole human family and we ask Him to grant us and our parish community the grace and courage to be missionaries of love and truth.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak.
The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven
The Fourth Glorious Mystery - So as we contemplate now Our Mother's assumption into heaven, we invite you Mary to place your mantle of protection over each one of us and all those who are dear to us. We particularly remember all the children of our parish and with great trust we present to you, our Mother Mary, all our special intentions, confident that if they accord with Our Father's will, they will be granted. We pray especially for graces of healing and gifts of faith for ourselves, those we love, those we find difficult and for all our parish family.
And a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
The Coronation of Our Lady as Queen of Heaven
The Fifth Glorious Mystery - Let us pray now for all the children and young people in our parish and in our schools. May our children's innocent hearts and minds, so receptive to the things of God, find passion for God and deep faith in those whose privilege it is to teach and guide them. And may our young people open their hearts to Christ.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, the honour of thy people. The hand of the Lord has strengthened thee and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.
Prayers at the end of the glorious mysteries
Hail Holy Queen
Holy Michael the Archangel ....
Widor's Toccata
- organ played by Thomas Wilson
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary