Orders who pray the Rosary

[friardchips]

Dear Forum posters I have three questions I could do with some wider help on, please:

• Do you know of any contemplative Orders, in the U.K. who definitely pray the Rosary together as a community?
• Do you know of any missionary Orders in the U.K, who, at their friaries or priories, pray the Rosary together as a community?
• Do you know of any Orders in Europe, where english-speaking people can join, if they don’t speak the language of the country in which the Order is situated, and that also prays the Rosary as a community - contemplative or missionary?

I hope you can help! Many thanks!

 

[Neofight]

I’m betting the Franciscans pray the Rosary in community.

Below is an excerpt from a website describing it:

The Franciscan Crown Rosary is a Rosary consisting of seven decades with each decade describing a particular joy from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Seven Joys are:

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Adoration of the Magi
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
6. The Appearance of Christ to Mary after the Resurrection
7. The Assumption and Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven

How to Pray the Crown Rosary

The Franciscan Crown Rosary begins quite simply by stating the first Mystery and then praying one Our Father and ten Hail Marys while meditating upon it. This same procedure is then followed for the other six Mysteries. Even though it is common practice nowadays to add the Glory Be at the end of each decade, and even the Fatima Prayer, these are not required. It is customary to finish by adding two Hail Marys in honor of the 72 years that Our Lady is said to have lived on earth, and one Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Pope.

Story of the Franciscan Crown

The story of the Rosary of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin dates back to the early 15th century. A pious young man named James had been accustomed to adorning a beautiful statue of Mary with a crown of flowers, which he had picked and woven himself. He later entered the Franciscan Order, but either because of a lack of time or permission, he was no longer able to continue this devotion. Distraught because of this, he decided to abandon the religious life and return to the world.
Our Lady then appeared to him and convinced him not to leave the order. She told him that he should not be downcast because he was no longer permitted to adorn her statue, for she would teach him a way to give her honor which was much more pleasing and meritorious. Instead of a crown of flowers, which quickly wither, he was to weave a crown of prayers, and these prayers could be offered at any moment. She then taught him the Rosary of the Seven Joys, adding that these prayers would not only form a more acceptable crown, but they would also yield innumerable graces for himself and others.

This simple but beautiful devotion of praying the Crown of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin soon spread over the entire Franciscan Order and was officially established in 1422.

Franciscan Scripture Reading

Franciscan reading exhibits qualities of Franciscan spirituality; actions, spontaneity, love, praise, beauty, and delight in creation. This form of reading involves the mental process of entering personally into the text.
Read chapter 53 of Isaiah. The message in the chapter prompts a reflection of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. The Franciscan method invites you to take actions that would prompt obedience and compassion for humankind. You would also gain an appreciation for loving your fellow man. In connecting with the sacrifice of Cavalry, imagine as best you can the experience of dying on the cross. Using a cross with the crucified Savior, hold it in your hands, gazing at the details of the Lord’s crucified body. Imagine his pain and suffering.

You might look through today’s newspaper and identify places in the world where people are suffering and make a conscious effort to relieve that suffering. You may choose to write a poem expressing your feelings or paint a picture. Such a scene has been captured countless times on canvas.

The Franciscan method of action, love, spontaneity, love, praise, and delight in creation while reading scripture, is a personal connection with God causing the reader to saturate the entire experience with prayer, asking God to make you an instrument of peace in the lives of those who are suffering.

**Hope this helps.

Peace and all good!**

 

[Oneofthewomen]

The Rosary is a “private devotion”. There may be orders who incorporate it into their daily prayer, but I don’t think it can be made a “requirement”, per se.

The Liturgy of the Hours on the other hand, is the “official” prayer of the Church and is something that you will find that all priests/deacons/religious are required to do.

Dear Forum posters I have three questions I could do with some wider help on, please:

• Do you know of any contemplative Orders, in the U.K. who definitely pray the Rosary together as a community?
• Do you know of any missionary Orders in the U.K, who, at their friaries or priories, pray the Rosary together as a community?
• Do you know of any Orders in Europe, where english-speaking people can join, if they don’t speak the language of the country in which the Order is situated, and that also prays the Rosary as a community - contemplative or missionary?

I hope you can help! Many thanks!

 

[friardchips]

The Rosary is a “private devotion”. There may be orders who incorporate it into their daily prayer, but I don’t think it can be made a “requirement”, per se.

The Liturgy of the Hours on the other hand, is the “official” prayer of the Church and is something that you will find that all priests/deacons/religious are required to do.

• Yes, all Orders will definitely pray the Divine Office or a version of it. The thing is though, that Franciscans wear rosaries around their waists, so surely this advocates the praying of the Rosary.
• Is it so private. Because the U.K is closer to Europe, maybe this comes through a bit clearer, but the apparitions of Holy Mary, in which she asked those present, to pray the Rosary, was to all of us too. So unless Orders think they weren’t included in those messages then I can’t see why they don’t act upon the instructions?
• If our Creator had revealed Our Lady in apparition and then Dogma to be the Immaculate Conception and her plea made for the Rosary to be prayed much earlier on in the time of St. Francis and St. Benedict, then maybe these saints, who no doubt were personally devoted to her, would have included the praying of the Rosary as part of their daily schedules? The Dominicans probably do already as St. Domonic was instructed to preach the Rosary (I think).

 

[friardchips]

I’m betting the Franciscans pray the Rosary in community.

Below is an excerpt from a website describing it:

The Franciscan Crown Rosary is a Rosary consisting of seven decades with each decade describing a particular joy from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Seven Joys are:

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Adoration of the Magi
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
6. The Appearance of Christ to Mary after the Resurrection
7. The Assumption and Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven

How to Pray the Crown Rosary

The Franciscan Crown Rosary begins quite simply by stating the first Mystery and then praying one Our Father and ten Hail Marys while meditating upon it. This same procedure is then followed for the other six Mysteries. Even though it is common practice nowadays to add the Glory Be at the end of each decade, and even the Fatima Prayer, these are not required. It is customary to finish by adding two Hail Marys in honor of the 72 years that Our Lady is said to have lived on earth, and one Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Pope.

Story of the Franciscan Crown

The story of the Rosary of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin dates back to the early 15th century. A pious young man named James had been accustomed to adorning a beautiful statue of Mary with a crown of flowers, which he had picked and woven himself. He later entered the Franciscan Order, but either because of a lack of time or permission, he was no longer able to continue this devotion. Distraught because of this, he decided to abandon the religious life and return to the world.
Our Lady then appeared to him and convinced him not to leave the order. She told him that he should not be downcast because he was no longer permitted to adorn her statue, for she would teach him a way to give her honor which was much more pleasing and meritorious. Instead of a crown of flowers, which quickly wither, he was to weave a crown of prayers, and these prayers could be offered at any moment. She then taught him the Rosary of the Seven Joys, adding that these prayers would not only form a more acceptable crown, but they would also yield innumerable graces for himself and others.

This simple but beautiful devotion of praying the Crown of the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin soon spread over the entire Franciscan Order and was officially established in 1422.

Franciscan Scripture Reading

Franciscan reading exhibits qualities of Franciscan spirituality; actions, spontaneity, love, praise, beauty, and delight in creation. This form of reading involves the mental process of entering personally into the text.
Read chapter 53 of Isaiah. The message in the chapter prompts a reflection of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. The Franciscan method invites you to take actions that would prompt obedience and compassion for humankind. You would also gain an appreciation for loving your fellow man. In connecting with the sacrifice of Cavalry, imagine as best you can the experience of dying on the cross. Using a cross with the crucified Savior, hold it in your hands, gazing at the details of the Lord’s crucified body. Imagine his pain and suffering.

You might look through today’s newspaper and identify places in the world where people are suffering and make a conscious effort to relieve that suffering. You may choose to write a poem expressing your feelings or paint a picture. Such a scene has been captured countless times on canvas.

The Franciscan method of action, love, spontaneity, love, praise, and delight in creation while reading scripture, is a personal connection with God causing the reader to saturate the entire experience with prayer, asking God to make you an instrument of peace in the lives of those who are suffering.

**Hope this helps.

Peace and all good!**

Neofight, this is a wonderful post!

In the U.S maybe, as those Orders in the U.S probably don’t do things by halves. This is a lovely story and just shows that we can’t expect to have everything the way we want it. I feel for this ‘James’ as I can see this scenario being quite upsetting for him initially. It would be a very personal obstruction to be denied one’s devotion. I think though, that in this day and age, many rely on the Rosary as a means to their salvation which is why, from the beginning, encouragement to keep praying the Rosary, I think for many, is paramount. I feel strongly that the Rosary should not be regarded as private devotion only.

I love the post where it speaks about the need for meditation on Joy. We can sometimes become consumed with faults and become fault-finders, which is not freeing, whereas ‘joy’ can free not just ourselves but others. It helps to take the strain. And it helps us to also.

If no Orders in the U.K pray the Rosary as a community then this could be likened to walking down a cliff without any climbing ropes. :sad_yes::crying:

 

[Gertabelle]

The Rosary is a “private devotion”. There may be orders who incorporate it into their daily prayer, but I don’t think it can be made a “requirement”, per se.

The Liturgy of the Hours on the other hand, is the “official” prayer of the Church and is something that you will find that all priests/deacons/religious are required to do.

Of course they can make it a requirement. When religious congregations are formed, they create their own constitutions (their rule of life) which are approved by the Church. They can require certain living situations, certain clothing, and certain prayer schedules, including the praying of the rosary in community. In the profession of vows, a man or woman binds him/herself to the rules of the congregation/order they have joined.

God bless you.

 

[OraLabora]

The Benedictine community I’m associated with prays the rosary in community on a regular basis. They pray it in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

If you’re a monk and the abbot says we’re having community rosary tonight, you’re going to be praying community rosary unless you’re out of the abbey or ill and tied up in the infirmary

 

[friardchips]

The Benedictine community I’m associated with prays the rosary in community on a regular basis. They pray it in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

If you’re a monk and the abbot says we’re having community rosary tonight, you’re going to be praying community rosary unless you’re out of the abbey or ill and tied up in the infirmary

I find it reassuring to hear that monks are praying the Rosary together, at least in one monastery. And it is rather a beautiful thing to hear it is prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The Abbot there is evidently a very wise man. Who’d want to be anywhere else?!