I am the Secretary of our Altar and Rosary. Our Church is Holy Maternity in Audubon, NJ. I need to give a talk in two weeks about the Altar and Rosary and I wanted to get the history in the Catholic Church of the Altar and Rosary and I cannot seem to get the information I need. Can you give me any help.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 1998

Answers

Connie,

I don't know how easily you can get a hold of it, or how quickly you need the information, but there is a good book published by Our Sunday Visitor called "The History of the Rosary". I have it, and it's very well researched, etc. It also has a lot about the Rosary Confraternity and what the Popes have had to say about the Rosary over the years.

You should also visit the Rosary Center Online, which is the homepage of the Dominican Priest, Fr Duffner, current head of the Rosary Confraternity. There is a lot of information there on the Rosary.

They are at http://www.rosary-center.org/

God bless, Paul McLachlan Webmaster, The Catholic Pages

-- Anonymous, May 08, 1998

I find it very strange that you cannot get the information you are looking for...is it something more specific than a general history?

The altar we have in Church was not something invented suddenly by Catholics. If you want to really look at the history of the altar, try reading some of the Old Testament...altars galore in there! Even the pagans had altars. Building a altar in the places early Christians worshiped just seemed like a natural extenstion of what they had experienced through time and from the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. I have to wonder if what you are really asking about is how the altar is created or adorned. As for the Rosary....alas, I admit to greater ignorance. But...I also think that if you just dig deeper you will find this information. In fact, I have to wonder if there isn't some sort of Rosary site on the Internet! Now wouldn't that be interesting to share with your group?

-- Anonymous, May 04, 1998

Hi Connie,

Yes that is a BIG Question. Altars have been used for Sacrafice from Old Testament times. In the Catholic Church it is the One Sacrafice of Christ that the Priest in "persona Christi" re-presents to God the Father. Many today call our worship liturgy "The Mass" but really thats incorrect it is "The Sacrafice of The Mass" thats why we celibrate it on an Altar Not a table. If you are looking for information about the Altar itself Canon Law is a good place it states how it is to be constructed and placed etc.. If you are looking for information about parts and pieces the the "Altar Stone" or coverings etc. the Roman Missal is a good place even an old Missal has many good pictures.

As to the Rosary. The Monks prayed the 150 psalms everyday, and some used little stones others a string of beads to keep track . in the 1200 our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock and presented him with the Rosary and Scapular that we that has evolved into what we know today. The Rosary is a series of meditations on the events in the life of Chirst. There are several different "Rosaries" I as a Franciscan pray the Crown it has seven meditations. The traditional Marian rosary has three sets of five, fifteen in all. There are many different ways of praying a rosary some with additional prayers inserted some with short Scripture passages. Anyway The Rosay should be said slowly with much thought and reflection on the Mysteries. Also there are many different materials that rosaries are made of, Glass, Stone, Seeds or beans, wood, plastic to look at different ones and their beauty, but remember that one can also pray the Rosray on the equipment that God provided the fingers. I often wondered why we had ten?

God Bless

-- Anonymous, May 04, 1998

History of the Rosary

Take at look at the www.veritatis.org.au site (or www.gpnetwork.net.au/veritatis).

Visit the devotions page and then devotions on Mary. There you will find Maise Wards essay on the history of the Rosary. It is quite good and not too long.

David

-- Anonymous, May 10, 1998

Response to History of the Rosary

I have found a lot of good historical information on the Catholic Pages, but I've also done well using EWTN as a resource, at www.ewtn.com

-- Anonymous, July 01, 1998