Ever wonder about the history of the Rosary?

Not sure how to pray the Rosary?

Keep reading to find out!

The Rosary as we know it today has been around since the early 1200’s. That makes it about 800 years old. The idea of using beads, pebbles, or something similar to keep track of prayers; however, can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

In the early days of the church, people were encouraged to recite the 150 Psalms of David from the Bible. Printed copies of the Bible did not exist. The printing press had not been invented yet, so the Bible was actually on handwritten scrolls. Most people did not have their own copies of these scrolls, but they wanted to be able to pray the 150 Psalms.

Some people were able to memorize the 150 Psalms, but most people were not. They wanted to be able to make up for not being able to say the Psalms, so they said 150 Hail Mary’s instead.

The 150 Hail Mary’s were separated into decades (groups) of 10, which made for 15 decades. As people were praying, they would reflect on different parts of the life of Jesus, called the mysteries. People kept track of their prayers using pebbles or beads.

In the early 1200’s, The Blessed Mother appeared to St. Dominic and instructed him to pray the Rosary and teach others the importance of praying the Rosary for the good of people’s souls and the battle against evil.

While the Rosary is a repetitive prayer, it is not meant to be prayed without thought or reflection. In 1917, when Our Lady of Fatima appeared, she insisted that the Rosary be prayed while reflecting on the different mysteries; the most significant events that occurred in the life of Jesus.