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The Holy Rosary
The World Day of Prayer

The Holy Rosary

Introduction

Archbishop Fulton Sheen described the Rosary as “the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.” 

The rosary probably began as a practice by the laity to imitate the monastic Divine Office (Breviary or Liturgy of the Hours), during the course of which the monks daily prayed the 150 Psalms. The laity, many of whom could not read, substituted 50, or even 150, Ave Marias (Hail Marys) for the Psalms. This prayer, at least the first half of it so directly biblically, seems to date from as early as the 2nd century, as ancient graffiti at Christian sites has suggested. 

When praying the Rosary, the faithful reflect on some key moments of Jesus' life (the mysteries) while praying 10 "Aves" hail Mary. In fact Rosary means a crown of roses, a spiritual bouquet given to the Blessed Mother. It is also considered to be the fulfilment of a verse in the scripture (Luke 1:48) in which Virgin Mary, announcing to her cousin the mystery of the incarnation prophesises “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.”

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The Rosary, a modern prayer
Currently, many Christians are turning to this ancient prayer. For instance, the web site www.virtualrosary.org, which offers a software to pray the rosary on line, has received 3 million visits and shows currently more than 300.000 intentions of prayer. 

In 2002, late pope John Paul II updated the prayer adding 5 new mysteries, which he called Luminous, to the traditional 15 mysteries (Joyful, sorrowful and glorious), and in his apostolic letter "The Rosary of Virgin Mary" encouraged the faithful to pray this beautiful prayer if possible in family or community.

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The Rosary, at Saint Anthony's in October
Although the Rosary cannot be considered as a liturgical prayer in the same sense of the Mass, it can be said in community, and the Church has often encouraged to pray the Rosary in family and in community.

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Home Family Rosary
A group of Parishioners meet regularly to pray the Rosary in family. A family organises the Home Family Rosary in their house and other families join for the prayer and to have a light refreshment afterwards. Find out more clicking here.

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