History

It all began some years ago with Mrs. Mary Gill as a member of the Rosary Contrafternity(now a member of the Dominican Family as well) and Fr Benedict Hensley, a Dominican involved in teaching Theology. We started a fresh approach in the promotion of the rosary, having been entrusted with that work throughout the areas of the Dominican Province (Australia, New Zealand and the Western Solomon Islands and PNG) by the provincial at the time. Our main focus has been on the mysteries, and we are always looking at them in their relationship to daily life.

We formed a small group of men and women from St. Dominic's parish in East Camberwell Melbourne, all of whom did our basic rosary mysteries course of sixteen hours, and understood well our fresh approach to the rosary. Interest has grown slowly but surely, and others are being brought in or are ready to be brought in to join the original group so that the work may go forward soundly and steadily throughout the lands of our Province.

In 1981 we gave a week's mission on the Joyful Mysteries in St Francis' Church, Melbourne. "THE ROSARY MYSTERIES ARE YOUR LIFE!" was our catch phrase. This was followed by a sort of wandering mission a couple of years later involving four parishes, but centred at West Essendon. Moonee Ponds, Essendon, and Ascot Vale saw us with evening or afternoon sessions during the preaching phase of the mission. A most successful feature was a Rosary Mime written by Mary Gill and performed by the whole parish primary school at West Essendon in the church of Our Lady of the Nativity. It was an event that drew parents and families.

In 1986 we moved from temporary premises in Surrey Hills to a spot in Fordham Avenue, Hartwell, where we had a three year lease of the premises. Our work had to be put on hold when I was sent to Dunedin in the South Is. of N.Z. to run our parish in North East Valley for three years. A lovely part of the world and welcoming warm hearted people, but the appointment made progress in our ongoing joint exploration work very difficult. Br James Threadgold, a tireless worker for the Rosary Confraternity in Canberra, was appointed Promoter and held that position for a number of years in our Dominican Province.

Much has happened since then! After a lot of study of St Thomas' writings, including some of his Scripture Commentaries (Matthew, Romans, John) as well as his Summa Theologica, together with ongoing lectio divina, Council and post conciliar documents as well as modern theological, biblical and liturgical works, we wrote a book which was self-published in 1993. We called it The Rosary: Our Lady's School. It expressed something of the work we had done together in exploring the 15 traditional mysteries.

When Br James died in August 1998 I was re-appointed Promoter and we resumed the publication of THE STAR Rosary Newsletter. Our first issue had been in 1986.

Further challenges came with my posting to our parish in Brisbane at Carina. But we were able to continue with THE STAR with the wonderful expert help of the Parish Office and of Reg who was both patient and indefatigable in printing each issue. As you see, we have kept the administrative side of our work with the generous parish office at Carina.