Hate To Ask...Is This A Valid Rosary Blessing?

[dailey]

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the priest blessed all of our rosaries saying he was doing a special blessing, not sure what he called it, but basically he said that we can gain an indulgence by saying the stations of the cross, and also, if we hold the rosary at time of death, we will go to heaven (actually, I didn’t hear his exact words but it was something to that effect). I think he did mention something about apostolic or benediction blessing?

At any rate, I can’t find any information on this blessing on the internet and I don’t want to ask the priest for fear he will think I doubt him, so I was hoping someone here would be familiar with it. I did see on the internet some people saying that some of these “blessings” are not approved by the chuch so that made me wonder…

 

[FrDavid96]

In the current rite (1989 Book of Blessings) the priest can use “these or similar words” to bless a rosary. That leaves quite a lot of room for variation.

As long as the priest intended to bless the rosaries (as opposed to people just holding them up at the blessing at the end of Mass, or some such), and so long as he said words to that effect and made the sign of the cross over them, they’re blessed.

If he said that he was blessing rosaries, then I would take it as a given that he was in fact blessing them.

 

[dailey]

In the current rite (1989 Book of Blessings) the priest can use “these or similar words” to bless a rosary. That leaves quite a lot of room for variation.

As long as the priest intended to bless the rosaries (as opposed to people just holding them up at the blessing at the end of Mass, or some such), and so long as he said words to that effect and made the sign of the cross over them, they’re blessed.

If he said that he was blessing rosaries, then I would take it as a given that he was in fact blessing them.

Thanks for the response! Actually, it was not amass, it was the divine mercy service after mass. The priest had us hold the rosaries up in the air and he gave them the special blessing which was if we died with it in our hands, we would go to heaven. THAT particular blessing is what I am interested in learning more about. I know the rosaries are now blessed…but what about the going to heaven part? Where can I find more info on that?

 

[Mary_Ellen]

You should ask the priest. No blessing, in and of itself, can get you to heaven if you’re holding the blessed rosary - you still have to be in a state of grace.

 

[FrDavid96]

Thanks for the response! Actually, it was not amass, it was the divine mercy service after mass. The priest had us hold the rosaries up in the air and he gave them the special blessing which was if we died with it in our hands, we would go to heaven. THAT particular blessing is what I am interested in learning more about. I know the rosaries are now blessed…but what about the going to heaven part? Where can I find more info on that?

The going directly to heaven part…you really need to talk to him and give him the opportunity to clarify what he said.