The Rosary

Among the rich variety of Catholic devotions, there is one that appeals to every Catholic heart-the Rosary. The Rosary, like the Church itself, is universal. It is found in the life of the members of the ordinary family, of the priest and nun; it is found in the wilds of mission jungles, amid the thunder of the battlefield, in the papal palace and the hands of the Pope, in the homes of the rich and poor, in the factory and in the statesman's office. Wherever we find true Catholic piety, we find devotion to the Rosary.

Brief History

In the beginning, the beads were called "Paternoster beads" and in old literature we find many references to saying one's Paters. Side by side with development of the Paternoster beads was a similar devotion to the sacred humanity of Christ and, consequently, great attention to his human Mother. The names of Jesus and Mary began to be recited every day along with the Paters. In time, certain religious teachers encouraged the people to greater awareness of the saving love of God in the mystery of Redemption that was at the heart of their prayers to the Father and Jesus and to Mary. In time, some form of meditation on Redemption, as revealed in the life and death of Jesus with Mary in obedience to the Father, came to be a regular feature of reciting one's daily prayers. These various currents of Catholic devotion came together in the course of time until the Rosary as we have it today took shape in the 16th century. It is a marvellous example of Christian popular piety flowering in the simple language and symbolism of everyday life.

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