A Brief History of the Rosary
What is the Rosary? And where did the Rosary come from?
The Rosary is an incredibly rich practice of prayer that developed slowly, evolving over the centuries. The first recorded use of the word “rosary” did not appear until 1597. But the roots of the Rosary are found far earlier.
While this ancient spiritual practice is unappreciated by many Catholics today, the Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers you may ever pray.
The Third Century AD: The Rosary has roots in several early Christian prayer traditions. They share similar formats to the Rosary with repetitive structures and prayers.
Early 1100s AD: Following the ancient tradition of repetitive prayer, St. Alvery would recite 150 Hail Mary prayers every day, but that’s not all! He would also genuflect (kneeling with your right knee to the ground) for one hundred of them and lay prostrate (lying flat on your chest) for the last fifty. If you think the modern day Rosary is a lot to handle, consider that it’s only 50 Hail Marys—and you don’t have to genuflect or lie down for any of them!
1214 AD: St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order, had a vision of Mary, who told him about the Rosary (and even showed him a pair of rosary beads!). Dominic made it his mission to spread the Rosary wherever he went. He encouraged lay Catholics to gather in small groups to pray an early version of the Rosary together. Click here to learn more.
Early 1400s AD: Dominic of Prussia developed the Joyful, Glorious, and Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. By centering each decade on an event in the lives of Jesus and Mary, the prayer unleashed the spiritual imagination to contemplate these important moments in the Gospels.
Ever have a hard time focusing on the mystery while you pray? Dominic also developed the practice of the Scriptural Rosary, which many people still use today! The Scriptural Rosary invites you to read a line of the Gospels before each Hail Mary, helping you focus on the mystery more deeply.
Mid-Late 1400s AD: When Alan de Rupe of Brittany discovered the Rosary, he instantly saw it as a powerful tool for spiritual growth…and one that was meant for everyone! Rupe set out to massively increase the popularity of the Rosary throughout Europe and he succeeded. He established Rosary confraternities, where members would pledge to pray fifteen decades of the Rosary each week and to pray for each other.
1571 AD: During the pontificate of Pope Pius V, the Ottoman Turks became a serious threat to Christian countries. In 1571, an enormous fleet of 120,000 Ottoman soldiers approached the Greek coast, ready to attack. On that same day, the Rosary Confraternity of Rome met to pray for the victory of the Christian forces…and against all odds, the Christian army won the battle! In commemoration, Pope Pius V established a feast day in honor of Our Lady of Victory on October 7th.
1597 AD: The first recorded use of the term “Rosary” was published.
Early 1700s AD: St. Louis de Montfort was a Catholic priest who so loved Mary and the Rosary that he encouraged Catholics to consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary. He wrote multiple spiritual classics including True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, The Secret of the Rosary, and The Secret of Mary. These masterpieces were some of the Church's earliest works that combined the study of Mary (Mariology) with the study of God (Theology). Saint Louis de Montfort's works have inspired men and women to know and love Mary and Jesus for centuries.
1917 AD: Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, giving them many messages, including a call to pray the Rosary every single day for world peace. She invited them to add on a short prayer to every decade: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and bring all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.” This new update to the Rosary is called “The Fatima Prayer.”
2002 AD: Pope John Paul II instituted the Luminous Mysteries, which focused on epic moments in the life of Jesus when his divinity exploded into ordinary human activities. He also named October 2002-October 2003 “The Year of the Rosary” to spread devotion across the world.
590 AD: Believe it or not, the Hail Mary used to only be one line from Luke’s Gospel: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” In 590 AD, Pope Gregory the Great invited Catholics to pray the Hail Mary during the Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. This was the beginning of the prayer’s popularity.
1050 AD: Later, the words of Elizabeth to Mary were added to the Hail Mary prayer: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”( Luke 1:39-44) At this point, more people started praying the Hail Mary repetitively, using beads to keep track.
1261 AD: Pope Urban IV added the name of Jesus to the end of Elizabeth’s words: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
1555 AD: St. Peter Canisius published the Hail Mary in his catechism with almost the entire final petition. His version read: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.”
1566 AD: Eleven years later, the Catechism of the Council of Trent included, for the first time, the entire petition, concluding with the words “now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
1568 AD: The Hail Mary was officially approved as the current version we say today: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
Catholics were not the first to pray with beads. And while the exact origin of prayer beads is unknown, men and women of many faiths and cultures (Hindus, Greeks, Buddhists, and more) have (and do) use beads to pray. In fact, the word bead in English is actually derived from an Old English word bede that means prayer.
The use of prayer beads almost universally is to allow the person to keep track of the number of prayers that have been said, while at the same time focusing on the deeper meaning of the prayers themselves.
While praying with beads certainly wasn’t an original idea, it’s a powerful reminder that everything before the coming of Jesus was preparing for that moment and that God yearns to transform everything into something holy, even something as ordinary as a small rope with some beads on it.
Catholics use a rosary made up of fifty-nine beads. The six large beads are used for praying the Our Father prayer, and the fifty-three smaller beads are used for praying the Hail Mary prayer. Other prayers of the Rosary include the Apostles’ Creed, the Glory Be, and the Hail, Holy Queen. There are five decades, or groups of ten small beads, that make up the main portion of the Rosary.
The mysteries of the rosary were introduced by Dominic of Prussia sometime between 1410 and 1439. This gave each decade of the rosary a unique quality. Each mystery leads us to ponder very specific events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and the lessons they hold for our own lives today.
There were originally three sets of mysteries: the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries.
On October 16, 2002, almost 600 years after the original Mysteries of the rosary were established, Pope John Paul II proposed adding a new set of mysteries called the Luminous Mysteries (the Mysteries of Light).
Did you know that the Rosary is a powerful weapon against evil?
In 1214, the Church was facing a growing threat: the Albigensian Heresy. This heresy promoted a dualistic view of reality where the material world is completely corrupt and even evil. Under this view, humans must renounce the world in order to be free.
St. Dominic was called to combat this heresy in an unexpected, but powerful way.
It is widely believed that in 1214, Dominic had a vision of Mary. She is said to have presented him with a string of beads and special prayers to say through her intercession. The Rosary would continue to develop over the next few centuries, but it quickly became Dominic’s greatest weapon in the spiritual battle against the Albigensians. It also transformed his life and mission. Dominic grew an incredible devotion and love for Mary and the Rosary, and shared this knowledge with the Dominican Order, which he founded. The Dominicans promoted the Rosary throughout the world, and still do to this day!
The rosary is an incredibly rewarding spiritual practice for the men and women of any age, and all ages. It is like an ancient treasure map that has led countless men and women from all walks of life to the treasures of peace, joy, clarity, and contentment.
You can pray the Rosary for a special intention. You can pray the Rosary to grow into a better person, employee, neighbor, citizen, and member of the human family. You can pray the Rosary to deepen your love and understanding of the Gospels. And it only takes about 20 minutes of your time!
The Rosary works. It’s a very powerful way to pray. There is just something about it that settles our hearts and minds. It puts everything in perspective and allows us to see things as they really are. It reaches deep down into our souls and puts us at ease, creating a peace that is rare and beautiful.
But don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself. Develop a habit of praying the Rosary, and discover the treasures of this powerful, ancient prayer. Click here to learn how to pray the Rosary!
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