This issue always shows up, No matter how many times it has been explained it never seems to sink in. So once again, I will repeat for the umpteenth time what I know about it.
Yes there were those who prayed the Rosary during Mass. There still are.
Yes it was allowed and in certain situations encouraged
**
NOT DURING THE ENTIRE MASS**
There are certain parts of the Mass in which the prayers being said are those principally those of the Priest. It was during
those times that praying the Rosary was seen as a valid alternative to praying along with the Priest.
**
NOT DURING THE WHOLE MASS**
Not mandatory in the least, not the best way, but one way to pray along with the Priest. At all other times, you were to pary along with him whatever he was praying. As was written in many missals of the day
** Pray the Mass.**
Now I know that flies smack in the face of the misconception that many have that everyone, especially old women, sat there oblivious to the Mass and prayed rosary after rosary as they had no idea what was going on. Now while it is undoubtedly true that some people did that and others did other private devotions, stations of the cross etc, **it was not **everyone or even a majority. Nothing could be further from the truth. My mom and her oldest sister were prime examples of this. Both would pray parts of the rosary during certain parts of the Mass. The rest of the time they were right there with the Priest. And remember these were two woman who only went to about 3rd grade and yet they both knew the Mass backward and forward and knew it in Latin as well as the vernacular.
Amazing huh?