CrucifixThe crucifix, or a plain cross, at the short strand's end. The Rosary is begun holding it.
Center medalIt joins the two ends of the loop to the short strand. Some rosaries use a large bead or a knot instead.
Our Father beadsSingle beads, one before each decade. They are often larger or set apart.
DecadeA decade: a group of ten Hail Mary beads. A standard rosary has five.
Other 3
PendantThe short strand hanging from the loop. It has an Our Father bead, three Hail Mary beads and another Our Father bead.
Hail Mary beadsThe small beads of the decades, one prayer for each.
ChainThe chain (or cord) that links the beads into a loop.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Rosary, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary : the prayers are arranged in decades, sets of ten Hail Marys, each preceded by one Our Father; rosaries are usually a loop plus a short strand that holds a crucifix or cross; the loop holds the decades, whose beads may be called Hail Mary beads, and one fewer Our Father beads than decades, often larger, in another material or spaced further apart; the short strand has five beads (an Our Father bead, three Hail Mary beads, another Our Father bead) then the cross or crucifix, and joins the loop by a center medal, a large bead or a knot; a five-decade rosary has 59 beads; modern rosaries are mostly chain-linked, or strung on cords. (2) United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, How to Pray the Rosary, https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary : holding the crucifix, the Apostles’ Creed; an Our Father on the first bead and a Hail Mary on each of three more; for each of the five decades an Our Father, then ten Hail Marys on the ten beads, then a Glory Be. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
These are the parts of a rosary on a standard five-decade rosary laid flat: the loop of beads at the top, the medal, and the short strand ending in the crucifix. Start with the 4 main parts.
Read the full guide
The loop
The loop holds five decades, groups of ten small Hail Mary beads. A single Our Father bead, often larger or set apart, comes before each decade. The beads are linked by a chain or strung on a cord.
The short strand
A center medal joins the ends of the loop to a short strand, the pendant. It holds an Our Father bead, three Hail Mary beads and another Our Father bead, and ends in the crucifix.
Count them: 50 beads in the five decades, 4 Our Father beads between them and 5 on the short strand make 59.
Questions and answers
What is a decade on a rosary?
A group of ten Hail Mary beads. A standard rosary has five decades, each one preceded by a single Our Father bead.
How many beads are on a rosary?
A five-decade rosary has 59 beads: 53 Hail Mary beads and 6 Our Father beads, counting the five on the short strand.
What is the medal in the middle of a rosary called?
The center medal, or centerpiece. It joins the two ends of the loop to the short strand. Some rosaries use a large bead or a knot there instead.