Sparking a Rosary Revival

Praying the Rosary on a recent pilgrimage inspired Sherry Hayes-Peirce to brainstorm ways to spark a Rosary revival in our families and parishes, and among friends.

We commonly celebrate October as Respect Life Month. As the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, our priest shared a beautiful homily of the origins of the Rosary.

Many know I celebrated my 60th birthday by walking the Camino in Spain last month. I booked the trip through a travel agency affiliated with Dynamic Catholic. Each day of the pilgrimage, attending Mass and praying the Rosary was a part of the day. In years past, praying the Rosary was not a regular practice for me. My prayer in Adoration is more fruitful for me in growing my faith.

One of the gifts I bought myself to remember my time on the Camino praying with the pilgrims with me each day was a seashell Rosary.

null

Did you know the Dominican Order promoted the Rosary?

History has it that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in 1214, and she taught him the prayers to recite. The order commonly prayed the Liturgy of the Hours, including the 150 Psalms; over time, the Hail Mary prayer replaced the Psalms. This order’s charism was to preach to the itinerant communities. Many followers could not read Latin, so they could not read nor memorize the volume of prayers read during the Litany of the Hours; instead, they would recite 150 Hail Marys. Over time, the Rosary was redesigned to focus on the life of Jesus. By the 15th century, the Rosary we pray today was in place, except for the Luminous Mysteries.

Thanks to this new method of prayer — when adopted and properly carried out as instituted by the Holy Father St. Dominic — piety, faith and union began to return, and the projects and devices of the heretics to fall to pieces. Many wanderers also returned to the way of salvation, and the wrath of the impious was restrained by the arms of those Catholics who had determined to repel their violence. (Pop Leo XIII, Supremi Apostolatus Officio, September 1883)

The life of Jesus was reflected in the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, to reflect on while praying ten Hail Marys for each of the five Mysteries. A little over twenty years ago, Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the reflections. One of the Luminous Mysteries is the Institution of the Eucharist. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, underscores that the Rosary is a compendium of the Gospel and that praying is so powerful.

Only the experience of silence and prayer offers the proper setting for the growth and development of a true, faithful, consistent knowledge of that mystery.

20241025 SHPeirce 3

Pray the Rosary for #ThoughtfulThursday

So often, the busyness of life leads people to believe that praying the Rosary takes too long. In truth, it only takes about 20 minutes. Unlike the other Mysteries, which are prayed on particular days of the week, praying the Luminous Mysteries is encouraged for any day, but Thursday is preferred.

Since my return from my pilgrimage, I’ve committed to praying the Rosary every Thursday to continue processing and keep my Camino alive in my mind, heart, and soul. Pope Leo XII’s encyclical Supremi Apostolatus Officio (On Devotion to the Rosary) calls Catholics to pray the Rosary from October 1 to November 2. As the world experiences tumultuous times, it is the perfect opportunity for those who have moved away from the daily praying of the Rosary to at least start a weekly habit every Thursday.

One of our parishioners is a certified fitness instructor. She has started hosting a stretching and meditation session once a month that incorporates praying the Rosary. Participants hold stretches while praying a decade of the Rosary. Others have created Zoom Rosary groups that meet daily or weekly. Some commute at least 30 minutes and use an app like Hallow or pray the Rosary from memory. Catholicmom.com contributor Emily Jaminet even shared how she used Alexa as a hack for praying the Rosary.

Let’s spark a Rosary revival by sharing this article or creating your own, encouraging others to pray the Rosary for #ThoughtfulThursday! Leave a comment on what your commitment will be.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.