The Franciscan Crown Rosary: A Beautiful Devotion to Mary’s Joy
The Franciscan Crown Rosary offers a beautiful way to deepen your devotion to Mary while meditating on the joyful moments of her life. Unlike the traditional rosary with five decades, this special prayer contains seven decades representing the Seven Joys of Mary. It’s a wonderful alternative for those looking to expand their prayer life or connect with Our Lady in a new way.
“I think the Franciscan Crown can invite us to a particularly affective kind of meditation,” Fr. Charles Sammons, OFM Cap., told Catholic Digest.
“Such a meditation can assist us in deepening our own Marian vocation, which is after all the vocation of all Christians, called to do spiritually what Mary did historically — to receive the Word of God, nourish it within, bear the presence of God out into the world, mourn to see it disregarded and suffering, and rejoice in its power to bring new life out of death.”
Learn more about the Franciscan Crown Rosary with Hallow’s guide below.
What is the Franciscan Crown Rosary?
The Franciscan Crown Rosary (sometimes called the Seraphic Rosary or the Seven Joys of Mary) dates back to the early 15th century. According to tradition, a young Franciscan novice who used to create a crown of flowers for a statue of Mary was unable to continue this practice after entering the monastery. Feeling discouraged, he considered leaving until Mary appeared to him in a vision, instructing him to weave a crown of prayers instead – specifically, to pray seven decades of Hail Marys in honor of her seven earthly joys.
This beautiful devotion consists of:
- 7 decades (sets of 10 Hail Marys), one for each of Mary’s joys
- 2 additional Hail Marys to complete the number 72, traditionally believed to be Mary’s lifespan
- A concluding prayer for the intentions of the Pope
The Seven Joys of Mary
Each decade of the Franciscan Crown Rosary focuses on one of these joyful moments in Mary’s life that we learn of mostly from the Gospel of Luke:
- First Joy: The Annunciation – When the Angel Gabriel announced Mary would be the Mother of God
- Second Joy: The Visitation – When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth and was proclaimed blessed among women
- Third Joy: The Nativity – The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
- Fourth Joy: The Adoration of the Magi – When the Wise Men came bearing gifts for the infant Jesus
- Fifth Joy: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple – When Mary and Joseph found Jesus teaching in the Temple after three days
- Sixth Joy: The Resurrection – When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples
- Seventh Joy: The Assumption and Coronation – When Mary was taken to Heaven and crowned Queen
These mysteries invite us to share in Mary’s joy and to see how God worked in her life through both ordinary and extraordinary moments – much like He works in ours.
Time needed: 20 minutes
How to Pray the Franciscan Crown Rosary
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross
Make the Sign of the Cross while holding the crucifix of your rosary.
- Pray the Opening Prayer
“O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. 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.”
- Announce the First Joy – “The First Joy of Mary: The Annunciation”
- Pray the Our Father on the first bear after the crucifix or medal
- Pray 10 Hail Marys
Use the small beads; meditate on the mystery of the Joy.
- Pray one Glory Be at the end of the decade
“Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
- Repeat for the remaining six Joys
- Pray two additional Hail Marys
After completing the seven decades, pray two more Hail Marys to complete the 72 years of Mary’s life.
- Conclude with a prayer for the intentions of Pope Leo
Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be
- Final Prayer
“O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”
- End with the sign of the cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Franciscan Crown Rosary Today
The Franciscan Crown Rosary remains an important prayer practice today.
It’s often prayed on Saturday, a day dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s also popular in May, the month of Mary.
The Franciscan Crown Rosary is a popular session inside of the Hallow app. Led by Fr. David Michael Moses, Hallow offers the traditional seven joys version as well as a version focused on the seven sorrows of Mary.
St. Francis College in Brooklyn holds a procession each year, where students and facultry process through the campus praying the Franciscan Crown Rosary.
“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” ~ St. Maximilian Kolbe
Frequently Asked Questions about the Franciscan Crown Rosary
While you can use a standard five-decade rosary by simply continuing around a second time (and stopping after two decades), traditional Franciscan Crown rosaries with seven decades are available. These typically have the Franciscan coat of arms at the center where the decades join. Reddit has a community of independent rosary makers who produce this (and other) types of rosary bears.
The main differences are: 1) The Franciscan Crown has seven decades instead of five, 2) It focuses exclusively on joyful moments in Mary’s life, 3) It includes two extra Hail Marys at the end, and 4) It doesn’t include the Fatima Prayer or the Apostles’ Creed.
There’s no official time, but many find it meaningful to pray on Saturdays (traditionally dedicated to Mary), during Advent and Christmas seasons, or on Franciscan feast days. The best time is whenever you can set aside about 20 minutes for prayer.