Santa Maria and the Rosary

The word rosary refers both to a set of devotional prayers and to the beads that Catholics traditionally use while reciting the prayers. Rosary beads have been in existence since the 12th century. Each decade of the Rosary consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory be to the Father. While reciting these prayers, either aloud or silently, we are asked to meditate and reflect on three sets of mysteries: Joyful (Monday and Saturday), Sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday), and Glorious (Wednesday and Sunday).

In 2001, Pope John Paul II added a fourth set, the Luminous (Thursday). In 2002, Pope John Paul II in his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae urged all, especially the family, to return to this devotion. We are asked to focus on events in the life of Santa Maria. The church has given importance to the Rosary decades ago, that October, the tenth month of the Roman Calendar was declared as the month of the Rosary.