Catechetical Newsletter

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Mary, Queen of the Rosary! Queen of Peace!
by Kate Ristow

Believe it or not, we dedicate October to Mary and the Feast of the Holy Rosary because of a naval battle. However, the Rosary has a long and rich tradition in the Catholic Church. In ancient times, when many people were unable to read and did not have access to the Scriptures, it was common for the faithful to pray 150 Hail Mary’s daily. The number of Hail Mary’s matched the number of Psalms in the Bible.

We believe that Mary’s request that we pray the Rosary was first revealed to St. Dominic (1170-1221). At that time of his life, Dominic was preaching against a heresy that was dividing the Church. His efforts were unsuccessful and it is said that he asked Mary to guide him. In the vision Dominic experienced, Mary implored him to incorporate her Psalter—the 150 Hail Mary’s—into his preaching. From then on, the praying of Mary’s Psalter became more popular. The devotion was first called the “bouquet of roses,” taken from the Latin word meaning rosarium. The faithful who prayed Mary’s Psalter offered her a bouquet of prayers, seeking her help and intercession.

In 1571, the Christian states of the European Church united to defeat the Ottoman Turks in a legendary naval battle. Before and during the fighting, Christians gathered to pray the Rosary and to ask Mary to grant them victory over the Ottoman’s—a much stronger enemy. In the face of disastrous odds, the Christians triumphed. Not long after, Pope Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7.

In our fast-paced, noisy world, praying the Rosary is a powerful way of reflecting on the important events in the lives of Mary and Jesus. Take time alone and with your class to pray a decade of the Rosary on a regular basis.

Work with your class to outline the four sets of mysteries that make up the Rosary: The Joyful Mysteries, the Mysteries of Light, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. Divide the class into four small groups and assign one set of mysteries to each group. Have the students create a poster based on the mysteries they’ve been assigned.

Have older students use their Bibles to locate the Scriptural reference for all twenty of the mysteries. Before praying a decade of the Rosary together, invite a volunteer to read the corresponding Scripture passage aloud for the students to meditate on as they pray together.

Tell your students about Mary’s appearances at Fatima. Help them to appreciate that our Blessed Mother asks us to pray the Rosary for world peace and for the hope that one day all people will be united in their love for her son, Jesus. Pray with your class especially for peace in Afghanistan and all places where there in conflict and injustice.

Adult Formation
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Eucharist and Reconciliation

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