History of the Rosary

Origins of the Rosary

The origin of the rosary, especially St Dominics connection with it, has been the subject of uch debate. According to pious tradition, Mary appeared to St Dominic when he was working amongst the Albigenses(who beleived in dual natures, that everything spiritual is good, and everything physical is bad) and Our Lady gave St Dominic the rosary na dinstructed him to preach it. She promised much success would attend hius apostolate should he do so. This tradition can be traced to the end of the 15th Century and it is traceable to Alan de la Roche. It gained general acceptance owing to the widespread propagation fo the Rosary Confraternity nad its insertaion into papal bulls granting various indulgences for saying the rosary.

The most satisfying explanation of the Rosaries origin is that it developed gradually as various christological and marian devotions(devotions to Mary Mother of God) increased. The origins are traceable to the tender devotion to Jesus and Mary that arose in the 12tyh centuery, and to the desire to give the unlettered faithful closer participation in the luiturgy. Thus the recitiation of the 150 Our fathers as a substitiute for the psalsm becaue the poor mans breivery(or divine office) these our fathers were set into 3 50's and strings of beads were used to count theres prayers. Marian devotion also followed a similar trend. they celebrated Mary's joys especailly with Gabriels Ave beeleiving that when they did, so she relived the joy of the annuncitaion, hence they mutliplied their "hail mary's" espeuclla in the chpalets of 50, 50 mystical crowns placed on marys brow. groups of 100or psalters of 150.

A carthusian visitor, in the 14th century, broke up the 150 psalters, into decades broken by inserting 15 our fathers.,