Roman Catholic Prayer Beads (Rosary)

 
 

  • Catholic Rosaries
    "Since the Middle Ages, rosaries have represented an integral component of the act of praying within the Roman Catholic Church, after becoming a widely accepted and useful means of counting and remembering complex cycles of devotional prayers written in liturgical languages. In the 12th century, Christianity became the last major religion to adopt the use of prayer beads, a decision possibly influenced […] "

    Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads and Sacred Words
    Gray Henry and Susannah Marriott (2008) Fons Vitae Publishing

  • Roman Catholic Rosaries
    "Different theories exist about the origin of the Christian rosary. Seventh-century graves have disclosed strings of beads twisted around the deceased's hands, a custom still followed in parts of Italy and Japan. Saint Rosalia (742–814), a relative of Emperor Charlemagne's, was reported to have been found buried with a string of little beads that ended in a cross. These beads were probably amuletic […] "

    History of Prayer Beads » The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present
    Lois Sherr Dubin (2009) Abrams Publishers, Inc.

  • Christianity
    "Christian prayer beads, most recognizable as the Catholic rosary, are usually made of colored glass or plastic beads, or sometimes beads crafted of olive wood. Although, as noted earlier, there are roots to the prayer practices of the Desert Mothers and Fathers in the third century, prayer bead use was more widely developed in the sixth century. Then, Saint Benedict of Nursia asked […] "

    Religious Use of Beads » Prayer Bead Traditions » A String & A Prayer: How to Make & Use Prayer Beads
    Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon (2007) Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

  • Roman Catholic Rosary
    "Within a circle of 54 beads—five sets of 10 small beads, each set separated by a distinctively larger bead—a devotee prays to the blessed Virgin and to God the Father. A Hail Mary is recited at each small bead, and a Lord's Prayer at the bigger interval bead. Devotees often make three tours around the rosary, meditating on specific New Testament events […] "

    Dharma Beads: Making and Using Your Own Buddhist Malas
    Joanna Arettam (2000) Journey Editions; Tuttle Publishing