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The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, "Rose Garden"), is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church consisting of a set of prayer beads and a system of set prayers. more...

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The Rosary combines prayer and meditation centered around sequences of reciting the Lord's Prayer followed by ten recitations of the "Hail Mary" prayer; one such sequence is known as a decade. A complete Rosary involves the completion of fifteen decades, as well as other prefatory and final prayers. The Rosary being easier to memorize, came to replace the prior popular devotional practice that consisted of reciting the 150 Psalms of the Bible in thirds or 50 at a time. The Rosary is usually prayed in thirds in the same way, with the "Mysteries" (which are meditated or contemplated on during the prayers) being rotated daily. Roman Catholics may often wear rosaries as an outward symbol of their faith.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary has the liturgical rank of universal memorial. It is associated with Our Lady of Victory and is celebrated on October 7th on the Catholic liturgical calendar in commemoration of the "Victory of Our Lady" at the Battle of Lepanto.

The rosary is also sometimes used by some adherents of other Christian denominations, particularly in the Anglican Communion, the Old Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church. Other Protestants sometimes condemn it as idolatry.

John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter of October 16, 2002 Rosarium Virginis Mariae , presented five new Mysteries in addition to the traditional fifteen. The Luminous Mysteries however, are optional.

Key dates

The following table are key dates in the development of the rosary.

4th century prayer rope used by the Desert Fathers to count repetitions of the Jesus Prayer; c. 1075 Lady Godiva refers in her will to "the circlet of precious stones which she had threaded on a cord in order that by fingering them one after another she might count her prayers exactly" (Malmesbury, "Gesta Pont.", Rolls Series 311) ; Early to mid 12th century repetition of the Hail Mary prayer (in groups of 50) comes into use as a devotion ; 1160 St Rosalia is buried with a string of prayer beads ; 1214 traditional date of the legend of St Dominic's reception of the rosary from the Virgin; Mid-13th century word "Rosary" first used (by Thomas of Champitre, in De apibus, ii. 13), not referring to prayer beads but in a Marian context; 1268 Reference to guild of "paternosterers" in Paris in "Livre des métiers" of Stephen Boyleau; Early 15th century a Carthusian, Dominic of Prussia, introduces the meditations (mysteries) ; c. 1514 Hail Mary prayer attains its current form ; 1569 Pope Pius V established the current form of the original 15 mysteries; 1597 first recorded use of term "rosary" to refer to prayer beads ; 2002 Pope John Paul II introduces the Luminous Mysteries as an option for Catholics ;

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