Is the rosary a solely private devotion?

[aBeLLe787]

I’ve recently started a rosary prayer group on my college campus. There are quite a few students interested (about 20). It’s pretty exciting. I asked my priest for permission to have the group meet at the church the other day. He said “yeah, sure”, but he also said that it’s a private devotion and it seemed like he wasn’t too thrilled.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong about praying the rosary as a group? I pray it privately too, but I didn’t think it was a solely private devotion.

 

[Eileen_T]

It’s not!

Several people in my parish pray the Rosary before daily Mass. What does he say about the Catholic habit of publically praying the Rosary in Church during May & October?

Supremi Apostolatus Officio
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on the Devotion of the Holy Rosary (September 1, 1883)

Not only do We earnestly exhort all Christians to give themselves to the recital of the pious devotion of the Rosary publicly, or privately in their own house and family, and that unceasingly, but we also desire that the whole of the month of October in this year should be consecrated to the Holy Queen of the Rosary. We decree and order that in the whole Catholic world, during this year, the devotion of the Rosary shall be solemnly celebrated by special and splendid services. From the first day of next October, therefore, until the second day of the November following, in every parish and, if the ecclesiastical authority deem it opportune and of use, in every chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin–let five decades of the Rosary be recited with the addition of the Litany of Loreto. We desire that the people should frequent these pious exercises; and We will that either Mass shall be said at the altar, or that the Blessed Sacrament shall be exposed to the adoration of the faithful, Benediction being afterwards given with the Sacred Host to the pious congregation. We highly approve of the confraternities of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin going in procession, following ancient custom, through the town, as a public demonstration of their devotion. And in those places where this is not possible, let it be replaced by more assiduous visits to the churches, and let the fervor of piety display itself by a still greater diligence in the exercise of the Christian virtues.

A 1897 encyclical encouraged the development of the “Living Rosary,” a movement started earlier in the century by Pauline Jaricot (the founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith). Jaricot’s Living Rosary was a group of 15 individuals, each pledged to say one decade of the Rosary a day.

“The prayers and praises, rising incessantly from the lips and hearts of so great a multitude, will be most efficacious” (1897).

Perhaps, during Lent, you could combine it with Stations of the Cross.

Pope John Paul II wrote in his Apostolic Letter, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE

The centre of gravity in the Hail Mary, the hinge as it were which joins its two parts, is the name of Jesus. Sometimes, in hurried recitation, this centre of gravity can be overlooked, and with it the connection to the mystery of Christ being contemplated. Yet it is precisely the emphasis given to the name of Jesus and to his mystery that is the sign of a meaningful and fruitful recitation of the Rosary. Pope Paul VI drew attention, in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, to the custom in certain regions of highlighting the name of Christ by the addition of a clause referring to the mystery being contemplated.(37) This is a praiseworthy custom, especially during public recitation. It gives forceful expression to our faith in Christ, directed to the different moments of the Redeemer’s life. It is at once a profession of faith and an aid in concentrating our meditation, since it facilitates the process of assimilation to the mystery of Christ inherent in the repetition of the Hail Mary. When we repeat the name of Jesus – the only name given to us by which we may hope for salvation (cf. Acts 4:12) – in close association with the name of his Blessed Mother, almost as if it were done at her suggestion, we set out on a path of assimilation meant to help us enter more deeply into the life of Christ.

 

[Elzee]

I have been told our priest will not allow the rosary to be said before or after Mass because he doesn’t want people to feel obligated to particpate. So, a group of us meet at a different time to pray it together.

I do like praying it with our group, but I actually prefer praying it by myself because I can go at my own pace. I also meditate better alone than in a group.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I’ve recently started a rosary prayer group on my college campus. There are quite a few students interested (about 20). It’s pretty exciting. I asked my priest for permission to have the group meet at the church the other day. He said “yeah, sure”, but he also said that it’s a private devotion and it seemed like he wasn’t too thrilled.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong about praying the rosary as a group? I pray it privately too, but I didn’t think it was a solely private devotion.

I think what the priest meant is that praying the Rosary is a private devotion, that is not required for all Catholics. Being a private devotion doesn’t mean it can not be said within a group of people who also share this devotion.

Jim

 

[Anne1964]

We pray the rosary before Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays at my parish. There are always a lot of people there, but it is also ok to just go to Mass. I generally arrive early enough to pray the rosary, but I’ve never felt pressured to do so, and there have certainly been occasions where I have arrived just in time for Mass.

One of the reasons I switched to my current parish is because we have more opportunities for things like praying the rosary in church.

 

[novenarosary]

That’s a new one. Perhaps he was just emphasizing that even though you will be praying in a group setting, to remember to stay focused on the Mysteries (FYI, it’s Sorrowful everyday thru Lent).

I remember I used to pray the Rosary on Thursdays at my old Parish in a separate room with the sisters at 7pm. I would also join in while watching EWTN. These days I pray it over the phone with my friend who lives in California. We alternate thru the decades where one says “Hail Mary full of grace…” and the other ends it with “Holy Mary mother of God…” and we alternate the reflections of the Mysteries.

They say there are indulgences given when the Rosary is prayed out loud. What a perfect oppurtunity to pray out loud without looking like a whacko! LOL!

Good for you for setting up this group! It’s wonderful to see young people carrying their Faith to college.

To Christ thru Mary,
Dianna

 

[John_R]

The most powerful spiritual weapon the average lay Catholic has today is the Rosary. Praying it in public is not only a good thing but a wonderful way to fight evil. There is a youth group that promotes the recitation of the Holy Rosary in public on college campus. I suggest you visit their site for useful information:

tfp.org/student_action/campusrosarycrusade/index.htm

God bless you!

 

[wjp984]

I think by private your priest actually meant personal. Your priest would then be right since it is a private as in personal devotion. What I think your priest means is not everyone will like to choose the rosary as their devotion. It sounds like this is the case for your priest as your priest very well may not choose the rosary as one of his devotions. Our priest does not choose the rosary as one of his devotions and therefore also is not enthusiastic about the students saying it. However, he allows us to meet once a week and say the rosary even though he personally does not choose that devotion. 20 people? That’s really cool. We don’t have that many students going to mass regularily let alone praying the rosary.

 

[otjm]

I’ve recently started a rosary prayer group on my college campus. There are quite a few students interested (about 20). It’s pretty exciting. I asked my priest for permission to have the group meet at the church the other day. He said “yeah, sure”, but he also said that it’s a private devotion and it seemed like he wasn’t too thrilled.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong about praying the rosary as a group? I pray it privately too, but I didn’t think it was a solely private devotion.

It is a private devotion, as opposed to a public liturgy. There are two public liturgies - the Mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours (aka the Divine Office).

There are numerous private devotions. Two others come immediately to mind; the Stations of the Cross, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Devotion.

If your group would be interested in the Liturgy of the Hours - for example, Morning Prayer (Lauds), Evening Prayer (Vespers), and/or Night Prayer (Compline), you might be able to find it on the Internet, or look for a book called Shorter Christian Prayer. Your priest might be interested in helping you get that started. I believe at the Dominican House by the University of Oregon, they have Morning and Evening Prayer, and a number of students gather for that.

 

[m134e5]

I’ve recently started a rosary prayer group on my college campus. There are quite a few students interested (about 20). It’s pretty exciting. I asked my priest for permission to have the group meet at the church the other day. He said “yeah, sure”, but he also said that it’s a private devotion and it seemed like he wasn’t too thrilled.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong about praying the rosary as a group? I pray it privately too, but I didn’t think it was a solely private devotion.

College campuses need rosary groups now more than ever. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Many parishes say the rosary publically before Mass- and many more did until the 60’s or 70’s. If it isn’t one of the priest’s devotion, that’s fine, but he should not discourage others from praying it in the church.

 

[puzzleannie]

That’s a new one. Perhaps he was just emphasizing that even though you will be praying in a group setting, to remember to stay focused on the Mysteries (FYI, it’s Sorrowful everyday thru Lent).

IDianna

not new, just true, the rosary is a private devotion as opposed to liturgy, the public prayer of the Church, that is Mass, sacramental rites and Liturgy of the Hours. That does not mean it cannot be recited in a group or a public place, it just means that it is not part of the official public prayer of the Church.