A rosary represents far more than a common set of prayer beads, and they are considered a powerful emblem of devotion and respect. But how did that come to be?
There are many different opinions on the exact history of the rosary. Some say that prayers using beads could possibly be traced to monks that prayed 150 Psalms daily during the Liturgy of Hours, during which they used a rope or cord with knots or beads to keep count. Many scholars do not typically consider the knotted prayer ropes from the early 3rd and 4 centuries to formally be rosaries (they are instead sometimes considered chaplets).
Many Catholic traditions state that the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Saint Dominic in a vision, which was in turn promoted by the Dominican priest Blessed Allan de la Roche (also known as Alanus de Rupe)-- though this was some 300 years later. Allan claims that he received a vision of Jesus who impressed upon him the importance of reinstating the rosary into prayer. He also claims he received the Blessed Mother’s 15 Promises. Despite the popularity of these claims, no historical evidence can be found that empirically links St. Dominic to the rosary.
Other scholars, however, point to a discovery of Andreas Heinz (a theological from Trier), who claims to have discovered a rosary (of the vita Christi variety) that is believed to be dated to 1300. This is believed by some to suggest that the rosary’s origins extend back to that time.
The rosary has a history of having divine power and importance. Some even say that in 1571 the victory of the Battle of Lepanto was won because of the prayers performed using a rosary by the European masses at the urging of Pope Pius V. This eventually resulted in the Our Lady of the Rosary, a Roman Catholic feast day celebrated in honor of the decisive victory.
By 1569, the official devotion to the rosary was established by papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices. Following that, Saint Peter Canisius (a Doctor of the Church) is credited to adding the phrase “Hail Mary” to one of the sentences. He was a staunch advocate for the rosary and Marian devotion and believed it was one of the most powerful tools to undo the damage caused by the Reformation (the 16-the century movement that religiously and politically challenged papal authority and the Catholic Church).
But the rosary has continued to persist over the ages. The most common rosary in our era is still the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin. A rosary is sometimes called a chaplet, though chaplets traditionally have fewer beads than a rosary. The widely accepted rosary of Mary, for example, has five sets of ten beads (known as a “decade”), and a small string with a crucifix attached. The string and crucifix connect the two ends with five beads (three small and two large).
You can discover more about the holy rosary, its historical significance, and its importance today. Learn more here.
