Honoring the Rosary this Month

Savina Villani

Staff Writer

This October, a group of students will actively pray the holy Rosary every Tuesday and Thursday in the chapel. This group was established to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary during the month of the Rosary, and to follow Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to pray the Rosary for world peace.

The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer which includes the “Apostles’ Creed,” “Hail Mary,” “Our Father,” and “Glory Be.” These are split up into five “decades,” where each decade is opened with an “Our Father,” then ten “Hail Mary’s,” then a “Glory Be” and other optional prayers.

To keep track of all these prayers, the person praying it will use a beaded string with a crucifix to guide them. Some rosaries are in the form of a bracelet or ring, which allows for people to pray it whenever or wherever they are. The rosary beads are a little different from the holy Rosary itself, which is the actual prayer, and these beads are a common symbol of Catholicism.

People may wonder why the holy Rosary should be prayed, and why Mary should be honored. Catholic tradition teaches that the Virgin Mary herself instituted the holy Rosary, when she appeared in a vision to St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican religious order in the 13th century. She is said to have given him a rosary, asking that Christians pray the “Hail Mary,” “Our Father,” and “Glory Be” instead of the Psalms.

During this 20-minute long prayer, the person praying reflects on different sets of five mysteries, each set of mysteries designated to a certain week day, and each mystery designated to a certain decade.

The sets of mysteries are: the Joyful Mysteries, which relate to Christ’s birth, and are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays; the Luminous Mysteries, which relate to Communion and are prayed on Thursdays; the Sorrowful Mysteries, which relate to Jesus’ Passion of the Cross and are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays; and the Glorious Mysteries, which relate to the resurrection of Jesus and are prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

While all of this may seem complicated and perhaps intimidating at first, a person receives plentiful graces from praying the holy Rosary. Most noticeably, people who habitually pray the Rosary will experience a deeper relationship with Christ (especially through the contemplation of the mysteries), a greater disposition to avoid sin and live virtuously, and increased focus and consistency.

This short list does little justice to the overflowing gifts of the holy Rosary. However, the saints have written about the Rosary, including St. Louis de Montfort, St. Padre Pio, Pope St. John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and many others. Their words about the Rosary give additional insight and meaning to the prayer.

This group of students, who were brought together in the fall of last year by Alex and Claire Boligan, welcomes anyone who would like to participate––from people who have never prayed the Rosary and people who are already devoted to it daily. While this group will consistently meet every day, there is no requirement for the number of days a person should attend.

This month, Campus Ministry will also sponsor a “Make Your own Rosary Beads Night” on Friday, Oct. 24th from 4-6pm in Tinsley. This event is open to anyone who wants to make a set of rosary beads or a rosary bracelet.