Brief History of the Rosary
I.) Early Christians (3rd Century)
The early Christians also prayed with tools to keep track and not get lost in their prayers. In the third century, Christian hermits and monks in Egypt (known as the Desert Fathers) used stones and prayer ropes to track the 150 psalms. Others prayed “The Jesus Prayer” (saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) repeatedly in a form of mantra while counting beads. Some also prayed the “Pater Noster” (Latin for “Our Father”) 150 times using a string of beads with five decades, which later became known as “Paternosters” (Dynamic Catholic).
II.) St. Dominic de Guzman (1170–1221)
According to tradition, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to St. Dominic de Guzman (1170–1221) in the Church of Prouille and gave him the Rosary -both the beads and the prayers- and instructed him to teach this devotion to the people. Mary promised that his apostolic efforts would be blessed with great success. This apparition led to her title “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Saint Dominic, who founded the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), dedicated his work to preaching and education, especially in countering the Albigensian or Cathar heresy in France, spread by a neo-Manichaean sect (New Advent).
Catharism taught that the universe was a battle between good (spirit) and evil (matter), and that human beings were spirits trapped in physical bodies. Its leaders, known as the "perfect," practiced extreme austerity, remaining chaste and avoiding all foods resulting from sexual union (Britannica). This ideology is a serious threat to salvation, as it contradicts and rejects Christ, His teachings, and His Church. It denies:
>The absolute goodness of God;
>The goodness of creation, as seen in Genesis 1:31: “God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good”;
>The Incarnation of Christ;
>The Sacraments, especially Baptism and the Eucharist.
Though more can be said about its heresy, we shall continue focusing on the rosary.
III.) Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460)
A Carthusian monk, Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), introduced the practice of meditating on the life of Jesus and Mary during each Hail Mary between 1410 and 1439. This method of prayer spread among the Benedictines and Carthusians.
IV.) Blessed Alan de la Roche (1460)
In 1460, Alanus de Rupe, also known as Blessed Alan de la Roche (c. 1428–1475), obeyed the voice of the Blessed Mother Mary to revive the ancient confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. Jesus Himself spoke to him from the Sacred Host: “I would willingly be crucified again rather than have My Father offended by the sins you used to commit. You are crucifying Me again now because you have all the learning and understanding that you need to preach My Mother's Rosary, and you are not doing so. If you only did this, you could teach many souls the right path and lead them away from sin- but you are not doing it, and so, you yourself are guilty of the sins they commit.” From then on, he preached the Rosary unceasingly and shared the promises of the Holy Rosary that the Blessed Mother gave him (Catholic Online).
V.) Pope Pius V (1569, 1571)
In 1569, Pope Pius V issued the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices, securing the standard form of the Holy Rosary for the whole Catholic Church. He structured it around 15 mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious.
In 1571, Pope Pius V called on Europe to pray the Holy Rosary. This resulted in the Christian naval victory at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7th, against the Ottoman Turks. This triumph led to the establishment of the Feast of “Our Lady of Victory,” later renamed “Our Lady of the Holy Rosary” by Pope Gregory XIII. To this day, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, and the entire month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary.
VI.) St. Louis de Montfort (1700)
In the 1700s, St. Louis de Montfort promoted total consecration to Jesus through Mary. Praying the Rosary is a powerful way to connect and consecrate oneself to God through His Mother. His book True Devotion to Mary is highly recommended for a deeper understanding of Marian devotion and the Rosary.
VII.) Apparition in Fatima (May 13, 1917)
On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. These apparitions continued on the 13th of each month until October 1917. In her final apparition, she revealed herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Thousands witnessed the Miracle of the Sun that day. During the apparitions, she warned of the consequences of sin: wars, famines, plagues, persecution of the Church, and the loss of souls in hell (EWTN). She called for prayer, penance, and devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She also asked that the short prayer “O my Jesus” (Fatima Prayer) be added after each decade of the Rosary.
VIII.) Pope John Paul II (2002)
In 2002, Pope John Paul II (1920–2005), through his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, introduced the Luminous Mysteries (Mysteries of Light) to be prayed on Thursdays. These mysteries focus on key events in the public life of Christ that reveal the Kingdom of God. The Rosary now includes the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries.
The Holy Rosary
The word “rosary” comes from the Latin rosarium, meaning “rose garden.” In Old English, “bead” originally meant “prayer.” So the Rosary can be understood as a “garden of prayers” or a collection of prayers. The term “rosary” was officially used in 1597 after the full development of the Hail Mary prayer to describe the string of beads used for prayer.
Structure
Today, the Rosary consists of several prayers beginning with the Apostles’ Creed, followed by one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and the Doxology known as the Glory Be. The core of the Rosary centers on meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life and the Blessed Mother’s witness. Each mystery is accompanied by one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, followed by the Fatima Prayer. After the five decades, the Rosary concludes with the Salve Regina, and may also include the Litany of Loreto and other concluding prayers.
- Dynamic Catholic - History of the Rosary
- EWTN - History of the Rosary
- Franciscan Media - The Origins of the Rosary
- New Advent (Catholic Encyclopedia) - Rosary
- Britannica - Albigensian Crusade
- EWTN - The Rosary Predated St. Dominic
- Sacred Heart Alturas - FAQ: History of the Rosary
- Catholic Online - St. Dominic
- Britannica - Battle of Lepanto
- The Catholic Company - Pope Saint Pius V: Pope of the Rosary
- SSPX - St. Pius V and the Feast of the Holy Rosary
- Vatican News - The Popes and the Rosary
- Word on Fire - Our Lady of the Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto
- Catholic News Agency - Our Lady of Fatima
- EWTN - Our Lady of Fatima
- Vatican - Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Apostolic Letter)