 the rosary the number 150 corresponds to how many hail marys there were for each set so we've got five sets of ten hail marys for the joyful for the sorrowful and for the glorious so that's where that number 50 150 comes from and pope john paul ii goes on to say this he says i believe however that to fully the christological depth of the rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the tradition