Roman Catholic Mariology A series of articles on Rosary

Blessed Virgin Mary Devotions & spirituality Our Lady of the Rosary Battle of Lepanto History of the rosary Praying methods Rosary & Scapular Prayers & Promises The Mysteries Rosary based prayers Rosary of the Holy Wounds Three Hail Marys Fatima Prayer Fifteen rosary promises Power of the Rosary Writings Secret of the Rosary God Alone Ingruentium Malorum Marialis Cultus Rosarium Virginis Mariae The Power of the Rosary People & Societies Saint Dominic Bl. Alanus de Rupe Pope St. Pius V St. Louis de Montfort Rosary Pope (Leo XIII) Confraternity of the Rosary Our Lady's Rosary Makers

The rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden")^[1] or "garland of roses"^[2] is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion. It has been promoted by a number of popes as part of the veneration of Mary.^[3] The rosary also represents the Roman Catholic emphasis on "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ", and the Mariological theme: "to Christ through Mary", taught by St. Louis de Montfort. ^[4][5][6]

The term "rosary" denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary, as well as the sequence of prayers. The prayers consist of repeated sequences of the Lord's Prayer followed by ten prayings of the Hail Mary and a single praying of "Glory Be to the Father" and is sometimes accompanied by the Fatima Prayer; each of these sequences is known as a decade. The praying of each decade is accompanied by meditation on one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall the life of Jesus Christ.

The traditional 15 Mysteries of the Rosary were standardized, based on the long-standing custom, by Pope St. Pius V in the 16th century. The mysteries are grouped into three sets: the joyful mysteries, the sorrowful mysteries, and the glorious mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II announced five new optional mysteries, the luminous mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 20.

Theological significance[link]

A traditional five decade rosary in sterling silver

The rosary is part of the Catholic veneration of Mary, which has been promoted by numerous popes. In the 16th century, Pope Pius V introduced the rosary into the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated on October 7.

Pope Leo XIII, known as "The Rosary Pope", issued twelve encyclicals and five apostolic letters on the rosary and added the invocation Queen of the most Holy Rosary to the Litany of Loreto. Pope Pius XII and his successors actively promoted the veneration of the Virgin in Lourdes and Fatima, which is credited with a new resurgence of the rosary within the Catholic Church.^[7] Pope John Paul II (whose pontificate had major Marian themes) issued the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae^[8] which built on the "total Marian devotion" pioneered by Saint Louis de Montfort.

Most recently, on May 3, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI stated that the Rosary is experiencing a new springtime: "It is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother."^[9] To Benedict XVI, the rosary is a meditation on all important moments of salvation history.^[9]

The Congregation for Divine Worship's directory of popular piety and the liturgy emphasizes the meditative aspects of the rosary, and states:^[10]

The Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires "tranquillity of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life"

The Congregation for Divine Worship also emphasizes the importance of the rosary as a formative component of spiritual life.^[10]

The theologian Romano Guardini thus defined the Roman Catholic emphasis on the rosary as "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ".^[4] His statement echoed the view that in Roman Catholic Mariology the path to Christ is through Mary, with Mariology being inherent in Christology; a sentiment also expressed by saints such as Louis de Montfort who was a strong rosary advocate.^[11][12] This view had been endorsed by Leo XIII who viewed the rosary as a vital means to participate in the life of Mary and to find the way to Christ.^[5]

Devotions and spirituality[link]

The Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary and the Virgin of the Rosary

Devotion to the rosary is one of the most notable features of popular Catholic spirituality.^[13] Pope John Paul II placed the rosary at the very center of Christian spirituality and called it "among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation."^[14][15]

Saints and popes have emphasized the meditative and contemplative elements of the rosary and provided specific teachings for how the rosary should be prayed, for instance the need for "focus, respect, reverence and purity of intention" during rosary recitations and contemplations.^[16]

From the sixteenth century onwards, rosary recitations often involved "picture texts" that assisted meditation. Such imagery continues to be used to depict the mysteries of the rosary. Saints have stressed the importance of meditation and contemplation. Scriptural meditations on the rosary build on the Christian tradition of Lectio Divina, (literally divine reading) as a way of using the Gospel to start a conversation between the soul and Christ. Padre Pio, who was devoted to the rosary, said: "Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him."^[17]

References to the rosary have been part of a number of reported Marian Apparitions spanning two centuries. The reported messages from these apparitions have influenced the spread of rosary devotions worldwide.^[18][19] In Quamquam Pluries Pope Leo XIII related rosary devotions to Saint Joseph and granted indulgences for adding a prayer to St. Joseph to the Rosary during the month of October.^[20]

Penance or reparation[link]

Praying the rosary may be prescribed by priests as a form of penance after confession. Penance in this form is not generally intended as a "punishment"; rather, it is meant to encourage reflection upon and spiritual growth from past sins.^[21]

Some forms of the Roman Catholic rosary are aimed at reparation for the sins of others. An example is the Rosary of the Holy Wounds first introduced at the beginning of the 20th century by the Venerable Sister Mary Martha Chambon, a Roman Catholic nun of the Monastery of the Visitation Order in Chambéry, France.^[22] This rosary is somewhat similar in structure to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, is said on the usual rosary beads and is intended as an Act of Reparation to Jesus Christ for the sins of the world.^[23]

History[link]

There are differing views on the history of the rosary. According to tradition, the rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1214 in the church of Prouille. This Marian apparition received the title of Our Lady of the Rosary.^[24] In the 15th century it was promoted by Blessed Alanus de Rupe (aka Alain de la Roche or Saint Alan of the Rock), a learned Dominican priest and theologian, who established the "15 rosary promises" and started many rosary confraternities. However, most scholarly research suggests a more gradual and organic development of the rosary.^[25]

The practice of meditation during the praying of the Hail Marys is attributed to Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), a Carthusian monk, who called it "Life of Jesus Rosary".^[7] The German monk from Trier added a sentence to each of the 50 Hail Marys, using quotes from scriptures.^[7][26] In 1569, the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices by the Dominican Pope Pius V officially established the devotion to the rosary in the Catholic Church.^[27][28]

From the 16th to the early 20th century, the structure of the rosary remained essentially unchanged.^[25] There were 15 mysteries, one for each of the 15 decades. In the 20th century the addition of the Fatima Prayer to the end of each decade became more common. There were no other changes until 2002 when John Paul II instituted five optional new Luminous Mysteries.

Devotional Growth[link]

Our Lady of Lourdes appearing at Lourdes with Rosary beads.

The rosary has been featured in the writings of Roman Catholic figures from saints to popes and continues to be mentioned in reported Marian apparitions, with a number of promises attributed to the power of the rosary.

As early as the 15th century, through Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan de Rupe the Blessed Virgin Mary made 15 specific promises to Christians who pray the rosary.^[29] The Fifteen rosary promises range from protection from misfortune to meriting a high degree of glory in heaven.^[30] In support of this statement Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes of New York provided his imprimatur to this effect.^[31]

In the 18th century, the French priest Louis de Montfort elaborated on the importance of the Rosary and its power in his widely read book the Secret of the Rosary.^[32] He emphasized the power of the rosary and provided specific instructions on how it should be prayed, e.g. with attention, devotion and modesty (reverence), with reflective pauses ^[33] between the beads and smaller pauses between phrases of the prayers.^[34]

One of the forces that drove the spread of the rosary during the 19th century among Roman Catholics was the influence of the Rosary Pope, a title given to Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903) because he issued a record twelve encyclicals and five Apostolic Letters on the rosary, instituted the Catholic custom of daily rosary prayer during the month of October, and in 1883 added the invocation Queen of the most Holy Rosary to the Litany of Loreto.^[35]

Leo XIII, the Rosary Pope, explained the importance of the rosary as the one road to God, from the Father to the Son, to his Mother, and from her to the human race. He emphasized that no human creature can change this and therefore there exists only one road for the faithful, to the mother and from her to Christ and through Christ to the Father. The rosary is a vital means to participate in the life of Mary and to find the way to Christ.^[5] This emphasis on the path through Mary to Christ (which was also a basis for some of Louis de Montfort's writings) has since been a key direction in Roman Catholic Mariology, with Mariology being viewed as inherent in Christology, and the rosary paving that path.^[36][37]

Rosary as a family prayer was supported by Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Ingruentium Malorum: "The custom of the family praying of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means.^[38]

Rosary Novena[link]

The use of Novenas which include a rosary is popular among Catholics.^[39][40] As in other Novenas, the traditional method consists of praying the rosary on nine consecutive days, and submitting a petition along with each prayer.^[41] Indulgences are provided for rosary Novenas that include specific prayers, e.g. a prayer to Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Dominic.^[41]

The longer "54-day Rosary Novena" consists of two parts, 27 days each, i.e. three repetitions of the 9 day Novena cycle. It is an uninterrupted series of Rosaries in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reported as a private revelation by Fortuna Agrelli in Naples, Italy in 1884.^[40][42] The Novena is performed by praying five decades of the Rosary each day for twenty-seven days in petition. The second phase which immediately follows it consists of five decades each day for twenty-seven days in thanksgiving, and is prayed whether or not the petition has been granted. During the novena, the meditations rotate among the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.^[42]

Approved form[link]

The crucifix on a rosary.

The structure of the Catholic rosary is as follows:^[43]

• A sign of the cross on the Crucifix and then the Apostles' Creed;
• An Our Father on the first large bead;
• A Hail Mary on each of the three small beads with the following intentions (the theological virtues):
  1. For the increase of faith
  2. For the increase of hope
  3. For the increase of charity
• A Glory Be to the Father;
• Announce the mystery
• An "Our Father" on the large bead
• A "Hail Mary" on each of the adjacent ten small beads;
• A "Glory Be to the Father";
• (The Fatima Prayer is commonly added here, as a pious addition: "O My Jesus, Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven. Especially those most in need of thy mercy.")
• Announce the next mystery, again an Our Father on the next large bead, followed by ten Hail Marys on the small beads, the Glory Be to the Father, (and Fatima Prayer, cf. below) for each of the following decades;
• In conclusion, Hail Holy Queen and a sign of the cross.

Variations and common pious additions[link]

Some Catholics recite the Fatima Decade Prayer at the end of each Decade. Some add the Miraculous Medal prayer "O Mary, conceived without sin..." or the Fatima Ave refrain ("Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!"). Others add a praying of a pious Eucharistic prayer "O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine" at the end of each decade in honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the practice of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, they have an additional decade for the intentions of the students or the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A single decade Irish penal rosary

After Hail, Holy Queen many Catholics add the prayer "O God, by Your Only Begotten Son...", the prayer to Saint Michael, and a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father. In some cases, the Litany of Loreto may be recited at the end.

In the practice of the Dominican Order, the opening prayers of the rosary mirror the opening of the Divine Office:^[44]

1. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
3. Blessed art Thou among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus.
4. O Lord, open my lips.
5. And my mouth will proclaim Your praise.
6. Incline Your aid to me, O God.
7. O Lord, make haste to help me.
8. 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.^[45]

Mysteries of the Rosary[link]

Roman Catholic Mariology A series of articles on Marian Prayers

Alma Redemptoris Mater Angelus As a Child I Loved You Ave Maris Stella Ave Regina Caelorum Fatima Prayers Flos Carmeli Hail Mary Hail Mary of Gold Immaculata prayer Immaculate Mary Magnificat Mary Our Queen Memorare Regina Coeli Rosary Salve Regina Stabat Mater Sub tuum praesidium Three Hail Marys

The Mysteries of the rosary follow the life of Christ from the Annunciation to the Ascension. They are meant as meditations on the life of Christ.^[43] The meditations are known as the Joyful (sometimes Joyous) Mysteries; the Sorrowful Mysteries; and the Glorious Mysteries. Each of these Mysteries has within it five different stages of Christ's life to be contemplated.^[43] Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (October 2002), recommended an additional set called the Luminous Mysteries (or the "Mysteries of Light").^[46]

Joyful Mysteries[link]

1. The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery: Humility
2. The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of Neighbors
3. The Nativity. Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty (poor in spirit), Detachment from the things of the world, Contempt of Riches, Love of the Poor
4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Purity, Obedience
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: True Wisdom and True Conversion, Piety, Joy of Finding Jesus

Luminous Mysteries[link]

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit, the Healer.
2. The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary. The understanding of the ability to manifest-through faith.
3. Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God (Call of Conversion to Messiah)
4. The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness
5. The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration

Sorrowful Mysteries[link]

1. The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin, Uniformity with the will of God
2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit of the Mystery: Mortification, Purity
3. The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of the Mystery: Contempt of the world, Courage
4. The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience
5. The Crucifixion. Fruit of the Mystery: Salvation, Forgiveness

Glorious Mysteries[link]

1. The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith
2. The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope and desire for ascension to Heaven
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fruit of the Mystery: Holy Wisdom to know the truth and share with everyone, Divine Charity, Worship of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Grace of a Happy Death and True Devotion towards Mary
5. The Coronation of the Virgin. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance and Crown of Glory, Trust in Mary's Intercession

Days of praying[link]

The full rosary consists of praying either all 3 traditional sets of mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious) or the 3 traditional sets of mysteries plus the Luminous mysteries. One can pray the complete rosary (i.e. all 15 or 20 mysteries) each day. When praying just one set of mysteries per day, traditionally the prayers take the following format:

Rosary beads[link]

A 16th century rosary found on board the carrack Mary Rose

The rosary beads provide a physical method of keeping count of the number of Hail Marys said as the mysteries are contemplated.^[43] The fingers are moved along the beads as the prayers are recited. By not having to keep track of the count mentally, the mind is more able to meditate on the mysteries. A five decade rosary contains five groups of ten beads (a decade), with additional large beads before each decade.^[47] The Hail Mary is said on the ten beads within a decade, while the Our Father is said on the large bead before each decade. A new mystery is meditated upon at each of the large beads. Some rosaries, particularly those used by religious orders, contain 15 decades, corresponding to the traditional 15 mysteries of the rosary. Both five and 15 decade rosaries are attached to a shorter strand, which starts with a crucifix followed by one large, three small, and one large beads before connecting to the rest of the rosary.^[43]

The praying of the rosary is started on the short strand, reciting the Apostle's Creed at the crucifix, an Our Father at the first large bead, three Hail Marys on the next three beads (for faith, hope and charity), then a Glory be to the Father on the next large bead. The praying of the decades then follows. Although counting the prayers on a string of beads is customary, the prayers of the rosary do not actually require a set of beads, but can be said using any type of counting device, by counting on one's fingers, or by counting by oneself without any device at all.^[43]

Single-decade rosaries[link]

A Single-decade ring rosary

Single-decade rosaries, also referred to as chaplets, can also be used to pray the Rosary, where one goes through the ring of ten beads for every decade. In 16th and 17th century Ireland severe legal penalties were prescribed against practicing Roman Catholics. Small, easily hidden rosaries were thus used to avoid identification and became known as Irish penal rosaries.^[48] Sometimes rather than a cross, other symbols of specific meanings were used, such as a hammer to signify the nails of the cross, Cords to represent the scourging, a Chalice to recall the Last Supper, or a crowing Rooster signifying the resurrection.

A rosary ring is a ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations and a cross on the surface, representing one decade of a rosary.^[49] These rosary rings were given to some Catholic nuns at the time of their solemn profession.^[49] Some ring rosaries use a small bearing on the inside of the ring to permit easy turning. A finger rosary is similar to a ring, but is somewhat larger. Rosaries like these are used by either rotating or just holding them between a finger and thumb while praying. A hand rosary is a decade in a complete loop, with one bead separated from ten other beads, this is meant to be carried while walking or running, so as not to entangle the larger type. Smaller ring rosaries became known as soldiers' rosaries, because they were often taken into battle by soldiers, most notably during World War I.

In addition to a string of beads, single-decade rosaries also come in other physical forms. A ring rosary is a finger ring with eleven knobs on it, ten round ones and one crucifix. A rosary bracelet is one with ten beads and often a cross or medal as well. The most modern form is the rosary card. A rosary card is either one with a "handle" that moves like a slide rule to count the decade, or it has a whole rosary with bumps similar to Braille.

Materials and Distribution[link]

The beads can be made from a wide variety of materials including wood, bone, glass, crushed flowers, semi-precious stones such as agate, jet, amber, or jasper, or precious materials including coral, crystal, silver, and gold. Rosaries are sometimes made from the seeds of the "rosary pea" or "bead tree". Today, the vast majority of rosary beads are made of glass, plastic, or wood. In rare cases they are made of expensive materials from gold and silver to mother of pearl and Swarovski black diamond designs. Early rosaries were strung on strong thread, often silk, but modern ones are more often made as a series of chain-linked beads. [Roman Catholic missionaries in Africa have reported that rosaries made of tree bark have been used there for praying for the lack of conventional rosaries. It is widely reported that the demand for rosaries in third world countries far outweighs the supply. Our Lady's Rosary Makers produce some 7 million rosaries annually that are distributed to those in economic and spiritual need.^[50]

Yet most rosaries used in the world today for praying are made of simple plastic or wooden beads connected by cords or strings. Plastic beads are inexpensive to make, but not easy to assemble. Hence the major cost component for making simple rosaries is the assembly effort. A large number of inexpensive rosary beads are manufactured in Asia, especially in China and Taiwan, although Italy has a strong manufacturing presence in moderate cost and high end rosaries.

Assembled rosaries are often purchased as retail religious items. Yet literally hundreds of millions of rosaries have been made and distributed free of charge by Roman Catholic lay and religious apostolates worldwide. A number of rosary making clubs exist around the world for the purpose of making and distributing rosaries to missions, hospitals, prisons, etc. free of charge. The largest such non-profit organization in the United States is Our Lady's Rosary Makers whose 17,000 members annually distribute roughly 7 million free rosaries. Many other volunteer-based clubs and groups exist worldwide and distribute tens of millions of free rosaries every year.

It is especially common for beads to be made of material with some special significance, such as jet from the shrine of St. James at Santiago de Compostela, or olive seeds from the Garden of Gethsemane.

Rosary beads are at times used to say Roman Catholic rosary based prayers which do not primarily involve the Hail Mary and the mysteries of the rosary. Examples include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy introduced by Saint Faustina Kowalska and the Rosary of the Holy Wounds introduced by the Venerable Sister Mary Martha Chambon.^[22] These prayers often use rosary beads, but their words and format do not correspond to the usual mysteries. Both Saint Faustina Kowalska and the Venerable Sister Mary Martha Chambon attributed these prayers to Jesus as part of their visions of Jesus Christ.^[51]

Sacramental Use[link]

Wearing the rosary[link]

A set of blessed rosary beads is considered to be a sacramental. Beads may be made to include enclosed sacred relics or drops of holy water. One Catholic catechism instructs the faithful to wear the rosary as "it will help them to love Jesus more" and serve as a "protection from Satan."^[52] Many households who cannot afford Christian artwork or a crucifix often hang up a rosary in their place.^[53] George Washington Browlow, a painter, often delineated people wearing the rosary in his artwork.^[53]

Many religious orders wear the rosary as part of their habit. A rosary hanging from the belt often forms part of the Carthusian habit.^[54] A person may be wearing a rosary as a statement of faith, to keep it handy for praying throughout the day, or to avoid losing it.^[55] Nevertheless, Canon 1171 asks individuals to treat all sacramentals reverently.^[56]

Rosary and Scapular[link]

"The Rosary and the Scapular are inseparable" were words attributed to the Virgin Mary by Lucia Santos, one of the three children who reported the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima in 1917 and later the Pontevedra apparitions in 1925, Fátima, Portugal and Pontevedra in Galicia, Spain.^[57] In these apparitions, the Virgin Mary reportedly called herself The Lady of the Rosary and in one of the final Fátima appearances on October 13, 1917 had a Brown Scapular in one hand and a Rosary in the other. The Lady of the Rosary, reportedly encouraged the praying of the Rosary and the wearing of the Brown scapular.^[58][59]

Throughout history, the Rosary and the Scapular as Roman Catholic Sacramentals for devotions and prayers have been supported, encouraged and linked by a number of Catholic figures such as popes, saints and cardinals and specific promises and indulgences have been associated with them.^[60][61][62]

Following their joint growth in the 18th and 19th centuries, by the early 20th century the Rosary and the devotional Scapular had gained such a strong following among Catholics worldwide that the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914 stated: "Like the Rosary, the Brown Scapular has become the badge of the devout Catholic."^[63] In the mid 20th century, the United States "Scapular Magazine" helped enroll one million Americans to pray the Rosary based on the Our Lady of Fatima messages.^[64] The Rosary and the devotional scapular continue to be linked in the 21st century.^[65]

Rosary outside the Latin Church[link]

Many similar prayer practices exist in other Christian communities, each with its own set of prescribed prayers and its own form of prayer beads, such as the prayer rope in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. These other devotions and their associated beads are usually referred to as "chaplets". The rosary is sometimes used by other Christians, especially in Lutheranism, the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Church.^[66][67] Other Protestants, however, such as Baptists and Presbyterians, do not use it and actively discourage their members from using this method of prayer.

Anglicanism[link]

The use of the Roman Catholic Rosary is also fairly common among Anglicans of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship.^[68] Many Anglo-Catholic prayer books and manuals of devotion contain the Roman Catholic Rosary along with other Marian devotions. The public services of the Anglican churches, as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, do not directly invoke the Blessed Virgin or any other saint in prayer, and the thirty-nine Articles of Religion reject the practice of praying to saints, but many Anglo-Catholics feel free to do so in their private devotions. Anglicans who pray the Roman Catholic Rosary tend not to use the Luminous Mysteries or the Fatima decade prayer.^[66]

Anglican prayer beads, also known informally as the "Anglican Rosary", are a recent innovation created in the 1980s.^[69] They consist of four "weeks" (the equivalent of a decade) of seven beads each. The weeks are separated from each other by single beads termed "cruciform beads." A variety of different prayers may be said, the most common being the Jesus Prayer.

No "power and promises" are associated with the Anglican Prayer Beads by those who pray on them. The Anglican Prayer Beads are not a Marian devotion, and there are no appointed meditations. Although it is sometimes called the "Anglican rosary," it is distinct from the Holy Rosary of Our Lady as prayed by Catholics, Anglicans, and other Western Christians.^[68]

Lutheranism[link]

The Lutheran Church encourages its members to pray the Rosary.^[70] However, though the Lutherans follow the same format of the Rosary as the Roman Catholics, each "Hail Mary" is replaced with the "Jesus Prayer".^[67] The only time the "Hail Mary" is said is at the end of the Mysteries on the medal, where it is then replaced with the "Pre-Trent" version of the prayer (which omits "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death").^[67] The final "Hail Mary" can also be replaced by reciting of either the Magnificat, or Martin Luther's "Evangelical praise of the Mother of God".^[67]

Churches named for the Rosary[link]

For a larger gallery of church images, please see: Rosary church gallery.

A number of churches around the world are named after the Rosary. These range from small churches in Poland, Brasil or Hong Kong to key basilicas at Lourdes and Fatima with millions of pilgrims per year.

• 

  Rosary Basilica, Fatima, Portugal, 1953.

• 

  Rosary Basilica, Lourdes, France, 1899.

• 

  Our Lady of the Rosary, Drawień, Poland, 1695.

• 

  Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, Ohio, 1931.

Gallery of Rosary in Marian art[link]

Since the 17th century, the Rosary began to appear as an element in key pieces of Roman Catholic Marian art, often in art that depicts the Virgin Mary. Key examples include Murrillo's Madonna with the Rosary at the Museo del Prado in Spain, and the statute of Madonna with Rosary at the church of San Nazaro Maggiore in Milan. Several Roman Catholic Marian churches around the world have also been named after the rosary, e.g. Our Lady of the Rosary Basilica, in Rosario Argentina, the Rosary Basilica in Lourdes and Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

• 

  Madonna and rosary by Nicola Porta

• 

  Madonna with rosary, by Guido Reni, 1596

• 

  Madonna offering Saint Dominic rosary by August Palme, 1860

• 

  Madonna with the Rosary by Murillo, 1650

• 

  Madonna of the Rosary statute, Naples, Italy

• 

  Rosary Madonna, Porto Alegre, Brazil

• 

  Madonna with Rosary, Italy

• 

  Madonna with Rosary by Josef Mersa, Italy

• 

  Crucifixion and rosary

• 

  Saint Anthony with a rosary

See also[link]

	Book: Mary and Mariology
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: rosary

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Beads and Prayers: The Rosary in History and Devotion by John D Miller, Continuum, 2001, ISBN O860123200.
• Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy: A Consideration of the Rosary by J. Neville Ward (Doubleday, 1973); revised as Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy: Meditations on the Rosary (Seabury Classics, 2005) - an ecumenical Methodist minister's book on the Rosary. ISBN 1-59628-012-3
• Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Friar Servants of Mary, Chicago, Illinois, 1990.
• "Stories of the Rose: The Making of the Rosary in the Middle Ages" by Anne Winston-Allen (1997, Pennsylvania State University Press) - the most current source in English on the history and development of the Rosary in its earliest years. ISBN 0-271-01631-0
• The Lourdes Pilgrim, by Oliver Todd, Matthew James Publishing, 2003, p. 41.
• God Alone: The Collected Writings of St. Louis Marie De Montfort, by Saint Louis de Montfort, Montfort Publications, 1995 ISBN 0-910984-55-7
• Pope Pius XII Rosary encyclical Ingruentium Malorum on the Vatican website
• Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus, To Honour Mary, 2 February 1974.
• Pope John Paul II Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae on the Vatican website

External links[link]

Look up rosary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• "Rosary of the Virgin Mary" from the Vatican website, in English and in Latin.
• "Rosary" from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Handy PDF Downloadable Rosary Pamphlets The Traditional 15 Mysteries.
• How to recite the Holy Rosary Printer-friendly PDF document (includes prayers, bead use, mysteries) -
• PDF Rosary Downloads with Meditations Traditional 15 plus 5 Luminous Mysteries. -
• Rosary Prayer Guide: How to Pray the Rosary -
• Instructions on how to join the Rosary Confraternity, how to pray the Rosary, history -
• Guide to Making a Knot Rosary -
• Perpetual Web Rosary A continuing and interactive online Rosary -
• Come Pray the Rosary A perpetual, interactive online Rosary with video
• Ecumenical Miracle Rosary

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Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, PCPA (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo on April 20, 1923) is an American Roman Catholic nun who founded the Eternal Word Television Network. In 1944 she entered the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, a Franciscan religious order for women, as a postulant, and a year later she was admitted to the order as a novice. She went on to found a new house for the order in 1962 in Irondale, Alabama, where the EWTN is headquartered, and in 1996 she initiated the building of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angels monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. Mother Angelica hosted shows on EWTN until she suffered a stroke in 2001. She continues to reside at the monastery in Hanceville.

Early childhood[link]

The future Mother Angelica was born Rita Antoinette Rizzo, on April 20, 1923, in Canton, Ohio. She was the only child of John and Mae Helen Rizzo (née Gianfrancesco). Her father abandoned the family when Rita was very young, and her parents divorced in 1929. Her mother maintained full custody of Rita, but struggled with chronic depression and poverty. Her maternal grandparents kept Rita at times.

Rita's childhood was marred by poverty and unhappiness as she grew up during the Great Depression. Looking back upon this time in her life, Angelica described herself and her mother as being "like a pair of refugees. We were poor, hungry, and barely surviving on odd jobs before Mother learned the dry cleaning business as an apprentice to a Jewish tailor in our area. Even then, we pinched pennies just to keep food on the table."^[1]

By the age of 16, Rita realized that her mother's dry-cleaning job was a dead end; so she began searching for work for her mother. Through Rita's efforts, her mother got a better job that provided some relief from their dire poverty.^[1]

By 1941, a stomach ailment from which Rita had suffered since 1939 required medical attention. By November of that year, x-rays revealed serious abnormalities in her stomach and intestines. The pain continued to worsen, with no alleviation. Doctors were unable to do anything to relieve her suffering or remedy the ailment.

Reports of alleged miracles[link]

According to Raymond Arroyo, after praying a novena, Rita claimed to still suffer from severe abdominal pain. She went to bed the night of January 17, 1943 and experienced the worst stomach pain yet. The next morning, Rita found that she had no pain whatsoever. She believed that God had performed a miracle. This experience profoundly touched Rita's life and led her to a very deep love for God. Angelica traces her lifelong commitment to God to this healing event.^[2]

According to EWTN personalities Raymond Arroyo and Bob and Penny Lord, Mother Angelica also reported experiencing an apparition of the child Jesus. She claimed to have met the child-Jesus several times in 1995 during her missionary travel in Bogota, Colombia, where a life-sized statue of the Infant of Prague dressed in pink robe came alive, smiled and spoke to her. The child introduced himself as Divino Nino de Jesus. Mother Angelica brought this devotion back to her to the United States of America and invoked its patronage in her convent building. The statue propagated by Mother Angelica and her religious sisters portrays a child-Jesus holding his heart in his palm^[3].

Early adulthood and religious vocation[link]

After graduating from high school in 1941, Rita tried many odd jobs. She began working at Timken Roller Bearing Company. Following work each day, she would stop at a local parish and pray the stations of the cross. She regularly attended Mass.

One evening in the summer of 1944, Rita stopped at a church to pray. Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, Rita felt God was calling her to be a nun. She sought guidance from a local parish priest who encouraged her to begin visiting convents. Her first visit was to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Buffalo, New York. This active order felt, however, that Rita was better suited for a contemplative order. She also visited Saint Paul's Shrine of Perpetual Adoration, a facility operated by an order of cloistered contemplative nuns, located in Cleveland, Ohio. When visiting this Order, Rita felt as if she were at home. The Order accepted her as a postulant, asking her to enter on August 15, 1944.

The one heartache that Rita suffered was leaving her mother, who was very much opposed to her daughter's pursuing the religious life. So Rita secretly planned her departure. On August 14, she wrote her mother a letter. When Mae found it on the morning of August 15, Rita had already arrived at her destination. In part the letter read: "When you receive this letter, I will be in Cleveland. I have entered the Adoration Monastery at 40th and Euclid. You know it better as St. Paul's Shrine.... Something happened to me after my cure. What it was, I don't know. I fell completely in love with Our Lord. To live in the world for these past nineteen months has been very difficult. I love you very much and I have not forgotten what you have done for me. Please trust Him ... I ask your blessing that I may reach the heights I desire. I love you very much."

Early religious life[link]

On August 15, 1944, Rita Antoinette Rizzo became Sister Rita, when she arrived at Saint Paul's Shrine in Cleveland and entered the Adoration Monastery of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (a cloistered contemplative order).

As a postulant, Sister was introduced to the religious life. She joined the nuns in prayer, adoration, and manual labor. Among her early assignments were working in the laundry, baking altar breads, working in the kitchen, and cleaning floors. Before long, though, Rita's knees began to cause her problems; so her work assignments were altered. On November 8, 1945, Rita was invested as a Poor Clare nun. She received the brown Franciscan habit and white novice veil. She received a new name and title: Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation.

During her time as a novice, a wealthy couple offered their mansion to the nuns so that a new foundation could be established. Their mansion was located in Canton, Ohio, Angelica's hometown.

Final vows and leadership in the convent[link]