Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary PDF
Free Printable Guide with Scripture, Prayers, and Meditations
This free Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary PDF provides the prayers, Scripture passages, and guidance needed to pray all five Sorrowful Mysteries from beginning to end. It can be printed for personal or group prayer or saved to a phone or tablet for use anywhere.
The Sorrowful Mysteries meditate on the Passion and death of Jesus Christ: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. They are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The PDF is designed for both beginners and those who have prayed the Rosary for years. Each mystery is presented in order so the heart and mind can remain focused on Christ throughout the five decades.
What Are the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary?
The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary lead the person praying through the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. They call the mind away from distraction and toward the suffering Christ willingly accepted for the salvation of mankind.
The five Sorrowful Mysteries are:
- The Agony in the Garden
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- The Crowning with Thorns
- The Carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
The Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays. During each decade, the Catholic meditates on one event of Christ’s Passion while praying the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, the Glory Be, and the Fatima Prayer.
Mary is never far from these mysteries. Under her title Our Lady of Sorrows, the Church remembers the suffering she endured as the Mother of Jesus, remaining united to her Son through His Passion and standing near Him at the Cross.
Why Use a Sorrowful Mysteries Rosary PDF?
A printable Sorrowful Mysteries Rosary PDF helps keep the prayers, mysteries, Scripture, and order of the Rosary together in one place. Instead of wondering what prayer comes next, the person praying can give greater attention to the Passion of Jesus Christ and the mystery being contemplated.
The guide can be printed for use at home or in a prayer group, or saved to a phone or tablet for use anywhere. It is especially helpful for beginners, but it can also help those who have prayed the Rosary for years remain focused during each decade.
Follow the Rosary Step by Step
Someone learning the Rosary does not have to memorize every prayer before beginning. The PDF follows the Rosary from the opening prayers through all five Sorrowful Mysteries and the closing prayers.
Having the complete order in front of the person praying makes it easier to remain focused and reduces the chance of losing one’s place during prayer.
Meditate on the Passion of Christ
The Sorrowful Mysteries are not simply a series of prayers to recite. Each decade is a meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ, beginning with His Agony in the Garden and ending with His Crucifixion and death.
The Scripture passages and reflections in this guide help place each mystery before the mind while the prayers are being said. This allows the words of the Rosary and the events of Christ’s Passion to remain joined together throughout the five decades.
Print It or Use It Offline
The Sorrowful Mysteries PDF can be printed and kept with a Rosary, prayer book, or Bible. It can also be saved to a phone, tablet, or computer.
Once downloaded, the guide can be used without an internet connection. This makes it useful in a chapel, while traveling, during a retreat, or anywhere a person wishes to pray without depending upon a website or app.
Use It for Family and Group Prayer
A printable Rosary guide can also help families, parish groups, catechism classes, and other groups pray together. Everyone can follow the same mysteries, prayers, and Scripture passages without needing to know the complete order from memory.
The purpose of the guide is simple: it removes uncertainty about what comes next so greater attention can be given to prayer. The PDF provides the structure, while Jesus Christ and the mysteries of His Passion remain the center of the Sorrowful Mysteries.
How to Pray the Rosary Using Our PDF
This free PDF guides you through every step of the Rosary, making it easy to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries with clarity and devotion. Whether you’re praying alone or in a group, the structure is simple to follow.
Step-by-step overview:
- Begin with the opening prayers used in this guide:
Sign of the Cross
Queen of the Holy Rosary
Apostles’ Creed
Our Father
3 Hail Marys
Glory Be
Fatima Prayer - First Decade
Announce the First Sorrowful Mystery, the Agony in the Garden. Read the Scripture passage and reflection provided, then meditate upon the mystery while praying the decade.
Pray one decade:
1 Our Father
10 Hail Marys
1 Glory Be
1 Fatima Prayer - Repeat No. 2 above for each of the other four Sorrowful Mysteries.
Scourging at the Pillar
Crowning with Thorns
Carrying of the Cross
Crucifixion of Christ - Close with final prayers:
Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
Rosary Closing Prayer
Fatima Pardon Prayer
Sign of the Cross
The included Scripture passages help you enter more deeply into each moment of Christ’s Passion, making the Rosary more prayerful and meditative.
The Sorrowful Mysteries are traditionally prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Tuesday Rosary and Friday Rosary pages provide additional meditations for those days.
Download the Free Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary PDF
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries
The five Sorrowful Mysteries follow Jesus from His prayer and agony in Gethsemane to His death upon the Cross. During each decade, one event of the Passion is contemplated while the prayers of the Rosary are said. The Scripture passages below provide a biblical starting point for meditation on each mystery.
Agony in the Garden
Luke 22:39–46 — Douay-Rheims 1899
And going out, he went, according to his custom, to the mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed him.
And when he was come to the place, he said to them: Pray, lest ye enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn away from them a stone’s cast; and kneeling down, he prayed, Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done.
Read the Full Meditation on the Agony in the Garden
Scourging at the Pillar
Matthew 27:11-26 — Douay-Rheims 1899
And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest it. And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him: Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? And he answered him to never a word; so that the governor wondered exceedingly.
Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would.
Read the Full Meditation on the Scourging at the Pillar
Crowning with Thorns
Matthew 27:27-31 — Douay-Rheims 1899
Then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band; And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, king of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the reed, and struck his head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him.
Read the Full Meditation on the Crowning with Thorns
Carrying of the Cross
Luke 23:26-33 — Douay-Rheims 1899
And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country; and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus.
And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him.
But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Read the Full Meditation on the Carrying of the Cross
Crucifixion of Christ
John 19:25-27 — Douay-Rheims 1899
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.
When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
Read the Full Meditation on the Crucifixion of Christ
Rosary Prayers Included in the Sorrowful Mysteries PDF
The Sorrowful Mysteries PDF contains the prayers needed to pray the Rosary from beginning to end, together with the additional devotional prayers used in this guide. The prayers are provided in full so a beginner can follow the Rosary without needing another prayer book or webpage.
Queen of the Holy Rosary
Queen of the Holy Rosary,
you have deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three shepherd children
the treasures of grace hidden in the Rosary.
Inspire my heart with a sincere love of this devotion,
in order that by meditating on the Mysteries of our Redemption
which are recalled in it,
I may be enriched with its fruits and obtain peace for the world,
the conversion of sinners and of Russia,
and the favor which I ask of you in this Rosary.
(Mention your request here)
I ask it for the greater glory of God,
for your own honor, and for the good of souls,
especially for my own.
Amen.
Sign of the Cross
In the Name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Apostles Creed
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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God,
the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
Amen.
Our Father
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.
Hail Mary
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.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those who have most need of your mercy.
Amen.
Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina)
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 do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then,
most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,
Jesus;
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us,
O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Rosary Closing Prayer
O God,
whose only begotten Son has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
Grant, we beseech Thee
while meditating upon these mysteries
of the Most Holy Rosary
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may both imitate what they contain
and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Fatima Pardon Prayer
My God,
I believe,
I adore,
I hope,
and I love You.
I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe,
do not adore,
do not hope,
and do not love You.
Download the Free Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary PDF
Frequently Asked Questions
They reflect on Christ’s Passion and death and include: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.
They are commonly prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The free Sorrowful Mysteries PDF includes the prayers of the Rosary, all five Sorrowful Mysteries in order, Scripture passages from the Douay-Rheims Bible, and guidance for praying each decade.
Begin with the opening prayers (Sign of the Cross, Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, three Hail Marys, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer). Announce each mystery, pray one decade (Our Father, ten Hail Marys, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer). Repeat for all five decades, then close with Hail Holy Queen, the closing prayer, and the Sign of the Cross.
The Scripture passages in this Sorrowful Mysteries guide are taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible, a traditional English Catholic translation of Sacred Scripture.
Free Printable Rosary PDFs
The complete set of free printable Rosary guides includes the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries, together with a separate PDF containing the prayers of the Holy Rosary.
Charles Rogers is a resident of South Carolina and a retired computer programmer by trade. Raised in various Christian denominations, he came to faith in Jesus Christ early in life. In 2012, he began experiencing authentic spiritual encounters with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who led him through a seven-year journey that included a struggle with alcohol addiction, a widow-maker heart attack in which he died, and his conversion to the Catholic Faith. He is the exclusive author and owner of Two Percent Survival, a website dedicated to and created in honor of the Holy Mother. Feel free to email Charles at twopercentsurvival@gmail.com.
May Our Lady of the Rosary lead you deeper into the grace you have been given. Pray always, and trust the mercy of God while the door remains open.
— Two Percent Survival