Devotion to the Rosary
The Rosary is the preeminent Roman Catholic devotion. Recitation of a Rosary, often daily, is a common thread in the devotional practices of religious orders and
lay apostolates, and has been highly commended by saints and popes across the ages.
History
In 1214, the Virgin Mary appeared to a penitent St. Dominic, who had been unsuccessfully preaching against the Albigensian heresy in
Toulouse, France. According to Bl. Alan de la Roche, she presented the Rosary as the greatest weapon for conversion. Immediately, bells rang miraculously to summon the people to hear Dominic. While preaching on the Rosary,
a statue of the Virgin raised its arms three times seeming calling down God's vengeance on the unrepentant and
and a violent storm erupted. Many heretics returned to the Church, and Dominic began to spread this powerful new devotion.
The present form of the Rosary with the three sets of mysteries is credited to Bl. Alan, a Dominican to whom St. Dominic appeared. Bl. Alan established the Confraternity of the Rosary in 1475 (he actually claimed to have re-established Dominic's earlier effort), and the devotion spread. The Rosary is also called the 'New Psalter of the Virgin'.
The Rosary eclipsed and incorporated earlier devotional practices such as the saying of 150 'Our Fathers' to
parallel the more involved monastic practice of saying all 150 Psalms, and the use of rocks (later beads) to keep track of the repetitions. The 'Hail Mary' eventually became longer
(the second half of the prayer being added in the 14th/15th century). The 'Fatima Ejaculation' ('O my Jesus...') was added
at the request of Mary speaking through Sister Lucia, one of the seers of the 1917
apparition of Mary in Fatima.
It is difficult to find a pope or saint who has not had something to write, or say, about the value of the
Rosary. Every pope of the 20th century wrote something to encourage the devotion.
Historical Highlights
1214: Rosary is given to St. Dominic by the Virgin Mary
1464: fifteen promises reveal to Bl. Alan de la Roche
1475: Rosary Confraternity is formed by Bl. Alan de la Roche
1571: superior Moslem fleet destroyed at Lepanto in the midst of a Rosary 'crusade' for victory
1683: Rosary prayers play a role in the victory over the numerous Moslem invaders at Vienna
1716: St. Louis de Montfort dies; credited with enrolling over 100,000 members in the Confraternity
1716: Pope Clement XI extends the Feast of the Holy Rosary (October 7) throughout the Church
1858: the Rosary plays a central role in the apparitions to St. Bernadette at Lourdes
1898: the last of several encyclicals by Pope Leo XIII extolling the Rosary is written
1917: apparitions of Mary at Fatima in which the Rosary was a central action and theme
1925: Sister Lucia of Fatima reveals the First Saturday devotions centering on the Rosary's mysteries
1942 : Fr. Patrick Peyton begins promoting the 'Family Rosary' and in time is called the 'Rosary Priest'
Resources
Books About the Rosary
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