The rosary beads provide a physical method of keeping count of the number of Hail Marys said as the mysteries are contemplated. The fingers are moved along the beads as the prayers are recited. ... The Hail Mary is said on the ten beads within a decade, while the Lord's Prayer is said on the large bead before each decade. A rosary is divided into five sections, known as decades, which consist of 10 beads each, and the idea is to pray your way around the entire strand. There are basically three steps to completing a decade: To begin, recite an Our Father prayer. Then, for each of the 10 beads, recite one Hail Mary. Once you finish all 10, conclude the decade with a Glory Be.