The Hopeful Mysteries of the Rosary

"I am pleased and honored to introduce to the people of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, the Hopeful Mysteries of the Rosary. This is the result of a great deal of prayer and deliberation among some members of our local church, and now it is a gift for the universal church as well...The more I pray these mysteries, the deeper I am drawn into the mystery of salvation. Indeed, praying these mysteries truly imparts hope for all who pray them with an open heart. This hope is very real, and it is ongoing as well. Amid personal sin and trials of all kinds, I live in hope of forgiveness and eternal life." - From Bishop Wack's Promulgation Letter, Dec. 8, 2024

WHAT ARE THE HOPEFUL MYSTERIES?

The First Hopeful Mystery: Creation | Original Sin and the "First Gospel"

The Second Hopeful Mystery: The Flood | God's Universal Covenant

The Third Hopeful Mystery: Abraham's Sacrifice | God's Promise of Fruitfulness

The Fourth Hopeful Mystery: Passover | God Saves His People, the Exodus

The Fifth Hopeful Mystery: The Immaculate Conception | God Prepares a Mother for His Son

The hopeful mysteries are five events in salvation history that include the Creation, the Great Flood, Abraham’s Sacrifice, the Passover and the Immaculate Conception. They present to the faithful the history of Salvation from beginning grace for mankind to the preparation of the promised parental dwelling place of Our Lord in Heaven at the Supper of the Lamb.  Four of these mysteries, like the other 20 (15 attributed to St. Dominic and 5 to Pope St. John Paul II), are taken directly from the Bible. The fifth hopeful mystery, the Immaculate Conception, was declared a de fide dogma of the faith by Pope Pius IX in his 1854 Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus.

The Hopeful Mysteries enrich the four other sets of mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary by inviting us to reflect on key moments in the history of salvation prior to the Annunciation. Each mystery shows God's people beginning to hope for salvation in God alone, and helps us see how Providence prepares the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is God with us.

When should I pray the hopeful Mysteries?

The other four sets of mysteries are traditionally tied to specific days: 
Joyful - Monday & Saturday | Sorrowful - Tuesday & Friday | Glorious - Wednesday & Sunday | Luminous - Thursday
However, the Hopeful Mysteries are not associated with a specific day of the week. The faithful may consider, at their own prayerful discretion, occasionally praying this set of mysteries in place of another set tied to it's traditional day. One can offer the Hopeful Mysteries up as an additional set of mysteries on any given day.

Are the Hopeful Mysteries approved by the Church?

Bishop Wack has examined the Hopeful Mysteries and provided them with a nihil obstat ("nothing obstructs") and imprimatur ("let it be printed") indicating that there no theological errors that would prevent their diffusion among the faithful. As these mysteries are meditated upon by more and more individuals we look eagerly for signs from the Holy Spirit that God intends these to enrich the prayer lives of Catholics around the world. If you experience particular fruits in praying with the Hopeful Mysteries, please share your testimony in written form and submit it to [email protected].