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When the [[Dominican]] Alan of Rupe, ''Alain de Roche'', a disciple of [[Saint Dominic]], founded the first Rosary Confraternity, he also instituted the more modern form of the rosary, and with that launched the Dominican Order as the foremost preachers and missionaries of the Rosary. The form he favored was to refer a special thought for each bead of the Rosary, in preference to a single meditative thought for the whole, which he called the "old" Rosary. The prayer form of 150 special thoughts for the 150 "Hail Mary"s spread rapidly throughout Western Christendom<ref>In Eastern Christendom, among the Orthodox faithful, another form of prayer with a string of beads became widespread, from the [http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Philokalia.pdf ''Philokalia'']. This particular repeated devotional-prayer of petition, also using an implement of beads similar but not identical in form to the western Rosary implement, says, "'''Oh, my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.''" Hindus and Moslems have copied this form of prayer-tool also using beads of varying numbers up to 99 or more. Some [[Fundamentalism|Christian fundamentalists]] insist that the Catholic Rosary is a demonic practice borrowed directly from pagan Hindus and Moslems, and that the title [[Queen of Heaven]] refers directly and '''''only''''' to [[Babylon]]ian [[Mesopotamian mythology|Ishtar]] and Phoenician [[Astarte]] and Egyptian [[Isis]] instead of Mary, because the title is found in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+44%3A15-28&version=KJV Jeremiah 44:15-28] together with the burning of incense, and that this is proof that Catholics and Orthodox have substituted Mary/Istar/Astarte/Isis in place of the Son of God, Jesus, having thereby committed [[Apostasy]] from true Christianity. See [[Great Apostasy]] and [[''The Two Babylons'']]</ref>. This form of meditation, with 150 different thoughts, one for each bead, was gradually abandoned as the Christian world transitioned to the [[Renaissance]].

When the [[Dominican]] Alan of Rupe, ''Alain de Roche'', a disciple of [[Saint Dominic]], founded the first Rosary Confraternity, he also instituted the more modern form of the rosary, and with that launched the Dominican Order as the foremost preachers and missionaries of the Rosary. The form he favored was to refer a special thought for each bead of the Rosary, in preference to a single meditative thought for the whole, which he called the "old" Rosary. The prayer form of 150 special thoughts for the 150 "Hail Mary"s spread rapidly throughout Western Christendom<ref>In Eastern Christendom, among the Orthodox faithful, another form of prayer with a string of beads became widespread, from the [http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Philokalia.pdf ''Philokalia'']. This particular repeated devotional-prayer of petition, also using an implement of beads similar but not identical in form to the western Rosary implement, says, "'''Oh, my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.''" Hindus and Moslems have copied this form of prayer-tool also using beads of varying numbers up to 99 or more. Some [[Fundamentalism|Christian fundamentalists]] insist that the Catholic Rosary is a demonic practice borrowed directly from pagan Hindus and Moslems, and that the title [[Queen of Heaven]] refers directly and '''''only''''' to [[Babylon]]ian [[Mesopotamian mythology|Ishtar]] and Phoenician [[Astarte]] and Egyptian [[Isis]] instead of Mary, because the title is found in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+44%3A15-28&version=KJV Jeremiah 44:15-28] together with the burning of incense, and that this is proof that Catholics and Orthodox have substituted Mary/Istar/Astarte/Isis in place of the Son of God, Jesus, having thereby committed [[Apostasy]] from true Christianity. See [[Great Apostasy]] and [[''The Two Babylons'']]</ref>. This form of meditation, with 150 different thoughts, one for each bead, was gradually abandoned as the Christian world transitioned to the [[Renaissance]].

In 1500 for the first time, inexpensive woodblock prints could be made of pictures of the events meditated upon in praying the Rosary, but it was difficult and expensive to draw and then print reproductions of 150 different pictures for each of the 150 Hail Marys. The ten pictures for each of the ten thoughts in each decade were printed around the words of the Our Father. Since the vast majority of the common people were still illiterate these picture rosaries were immensely popular, as a form of directed meditation on the events of our salvation, much easier than attempting to memorize them. This was the time of the printing of the [[Gutenberg Bible]] and the beginning of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. It was also the century of the reported apparition in Mexico of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]. But gradually, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of 150 meditative thoughts gradually died out, and only the 15 brief Our Father thoughts, one for each entire decade of 10 Hail Marys, were printed in the picture rosaries. These fifteen became known as the mysteries of the rosary, because they directly present the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

In 1500 for the first time, inexpensive woodblock prints could be made of pictures of the events meditated upon in praying the Rosary, but it was difficult and expensive to draw and then print reproductions of 150 different pictures for each of the 150 Hail Marys. The ten pictures for each of the ten thoughts in each decade were printed around the words of the Our Father. Since the vast majority of the common people were still illiterate these picture rosaries were immensely popular, as a form of directed meditation on the events of our salvation, much easier than attempting to memorize them. This was the time of the printing of the [[Gutenberg Bible]] and the beginning of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. It was also the century of the reported apparition in Mexico of [[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]. But gradually, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of 150 meditative thoughts gradually died out, and only the 15 brief Our Father thoughts, one for each entire decade of 10 Hail Marys, were printed in the picture rosaries. These fifteen became known as the mysteries of the rosary, because they directly represent the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The [[Sign of the Cross]] and the [[Apostles' Creed]] were added by the quthority of the[[Magisterium]] of the Church to the beginning, along with three Hail Marys, one each for an increase of [[Faith]], an increase of [[Hope]], and an increase of [[Charity]], and a "Glory Be" at the end of each decade, a [[Hail, Holy Queen]] asking her to pray for us, and a closing prayer for help to be made worthy of the promises of Christ, and a prayer to God to live the mysteries of the graces exemplified in the lives of Jesus and Mary contained in the Rosary.

Near the end of the 20th century, [[Pope John Paul II]], who was specially devoted to the mother of Jesus, proposed five more decades, which he called the ''Mysteries of Light'', directly related to the mysteries of the ministry of Jesus and the preaching of [[the Gospel]] to the multitudes and to his apostles on earth, before his passion and death, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.

Near the end of the 20th century, [[Pope John Paul II]], who was specially devoted to the mother of Jesus, proposed five more decades, which he called the ''Mysteries of Light'', directly related to the mysteries of the ministry of Jesus and the preaching of [[the Gospel]] to the multitudes and to his apostles on earth, before his passion and death, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven. This brought the number of the decades of the Rosary to twenty mysteries, 1 Sign of the Cross, 1 Apostles' Creed, 21 Our Fathers, 203 Hail Marys, 21 Glory Be's, 1 Hail Holy Queen, and a closing prayer petitioning God for the grace to live the mysteries contained in the truths of the Gospel remembered in the Rosary.  

Many Popes, and particularly the Dominicans, have urged the regular recitation of the rosary, which means "a crown of roses" as a spiritual bouquet given to the [[Mary|Blessed Mother]]. In the Bible both the purpose and the elements of this devotion can be found.{{cquote|"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15) <br>"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) <br>"Behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)  <br>"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) <br>"The holy women who hoped in God." (1 Peter 3:5) <br>"And why is this granted unto me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43) <br>"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7) <br>"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) <br>"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) <br>"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father." (Matthew 13:43) <br>"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1) <br>"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " (John 2:5) <br>"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4) <br>"The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. ... My brothers, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (1 John 5:16 and 20) <br>"If he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:44-45)}}

Many Popes, and particularly the Dominicans, have urged the regular recitation of the rosary, which means "a crown of roses" as a spiritual bouquet given to the [[Mary|Blessed Mother]]. In the Bible both the purpose and the elements of this devotion can be found.{{cquote|"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." (Hebrews 13:15) <br>"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) <br>"Behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)  <br>"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42) <br>"The holy women who hoped in God." (1 Peter 3:5) <br>"And why is this granted unto me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43) <br>"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7) <br>"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) <br>"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) <br>"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father." (Matthew 13:43) <br>"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1) <br>"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' " (John 2:5) <br>"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4) <br>"The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. ... My brothers, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (1 John 5:16 and 20) <br>"If he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:44-45)}}