Question about re-using parts from a broken rosary

  • Thread starter Thread starter powerlinemom
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

powerlinemom

Guest
Hello everyone,

My mother-in-law passed away recently, and we found a couple of her rosaries as the family was boxing up her things. They were obviously well-loved and used, but sadly both were broken and have missing beads and one is missing a crucifix.

My husband was raised in the Catholic church and I was baptized in the Catholic Church, but raised in the United Methodist Church. We’ve recently decided to come back to the Catholic Church. We have two boys, ages 7 and 9, who will be enrolling in Catholicism classes in the fall. I had thought it would be nice to take apart the broken rosaries and to use the parts to make new ones for my boys to have. Is this considered appropriate? I have made a few rosaries in the past, but only from new parts.

Any thoughts?
 
I think it would be very special for your boys to have a rosary from their Grandmother’s old rosaries. I see no problem in re-using parts - be sure to get the ‘new’ rosaries blessed though because I don’t think the blessing would transfer. I suggest you give each boy a prayer rope or more sturdy rosary for regular use though. Boys can be very hard on things - you don’t want to discourage use or sentimentality. Perhaps you could make and gift the rosaries to your boys and hang them from the wall over their beds. This can remind them to pray the Rosary, remind them of their grandmother, and remind them to pray for those in purgatory.
 
I have my great grandmother’s Rosary that came over with her on the ship when she left Hungary in 1880 (actually sailed from Bremerhoven, I believe) She was an ethnic Slovak that lived in Budapest and was married there to GGrandfather in September of 1873. They were Catholic, just not sure which species of Catholic as we don’t know the parish name.

I have repaired the Rosary several times over the years. I consider it to be a VERY Blessed Sacramental. It has helped several family members through serious trials.

I don’t mean that the Rosary itself is anything but what it is, but those who pray with it have been very blessed.
 
That’s a beautiful idea!

My wife has an old rosary that was her grandfather’s. That side of the family being Catholic, and she having always been drawn to the Church, she kept it, and now as a Catholic-in-training, she prays that same rosary. She also has a second crucifix of her grandfather’s that she attached to the jump ring of her grandfather’s rosary. Both bear the old patina of a well-used and loved sacramental.

I certainly would have no problem with using old parts in new rosaries; the rosary itself is an object - an object with a sacred attachment and use, but an object nonetheless. If need be, certainly parts can be used to fix rosaries or make new ones. As a rifle collector, I’ve had to do the same to rifles in my collection - it’s either use a part that once belonged to a different rifle or else the damaged rifle can’t be used. I have a beautiful hematite rosary that, if it were to break, I know I would immediately replace whatever parts it needed to get it back in service.
 
Dear powerlinemum,Congratulations to you and your husband who with your two boys have come home again into The Catholic Church.In a way the repairing of the special rosary beads is sort of symbolic of the repairing of your spiritual lives.Every now and then I remake a "new"pair from old beads ,as I have a rosary making kit which was given to me years ago by a friends widow ;as her husband used to make Rosaries for the missions.There are some Rosay making groups who do what you are doing and resell them and use the money to fund sending new ones to poor countries.I also have lost wonderful Rosaries of sedimental value, but as a friend says "if you loose your rosary beads, it means that someone was meant to find them!"The beads are a means to an end-their value is in praying the rosary and not having them on show! I personally to not get my remake rosaries re blessed,thought I do sprinkle them with holy water.
 
powerlinemom said:
Hello everyone,

My mother-in-law passed away recently, and we found a couple of her rosaries as the family was boxing up her things. They were obviously well-loved and used, but sadly both were broken and have missing beads and one is missing a crucifix.

I had thought it would be nice to take apart the broken rosaries and to use the parts to make new ones for my boys to have. Is this considered appropriate? I have made a few rosaries in the past, but only from new parts.
Click to expand...
Most certainly yes, it is appropriate. I hope you can find the right beads. 😃
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top