By Zoebelle Bean, Catholic editor
Collection of various rosaries – Photo by Zoebelle Bean
A make your own rosary event was hosted at the Moose as an after Mass social on Sunday, April 6. Students were given an opportunity to create their own rosaries using three choices of beads, wax string, crucifixes and centerpieces. Provided by Campus Ministry, this event hosted 26 people in total.
“I thought it was a great way to build my faith,” sophomore Maria Hillary said. “[Both] physically, while making the rosary that I would use later to help my prayer life, and growing as a way of building up my community.”
Rosaries are an important Marian devotion in the Catholic tradition as a way to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus Christ. There are a total of twenty mysteries based on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary, his mother, which are split into four sets of five: the joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. Each of these mysteries are prayed on specific days of the week to encourage the faithful to pray and stay centered around Jesus and His mother.
The glorious mysteries are the resurrection, ascension, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the assumption of Mary and the Coronation of Mary in Heaven. These mysteries point to the hope in the resurrection and one day, humanity’s salvation.
The sorrowful mysteries are the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning of thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion. These mysteries are a summation of the passion of Jesus and point the prayerful to His suffering and His death.
The luminous mysteries are the baptism in the Jordan, the wedding at Cana, the proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, the transfiguration and the institution of the Eucharist. These mysteries point those praying toward Jesus’ life and his acts during His ministry on earth.
Finally, the joyful mysteries are the annunciation, the visitation, the nativity of Jesus Christ, the presentation at the temple and the finding in the temple. These mysteries point those who pray them to Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit and birth by the Immaculate Mary.
A decade-long rosary – Photo by Logan Licence
Pamphlets teaching participants how to make the rosaries were laid at each table in the Moose along with the supplies. Some participants chose to make decade long rosaries as well as keychain rosaries. Rosaries are typically segmented into ten Hail Mary prayers, with a Glory Be, a Fatima and an Our Father prayer in between each ten. However, one may choose to construct or use a rosary with only one decade, with only ten Hail Mary beads on it, for something easier to carry around or shorter to pray. “I thought it was a really cool event,” sophomore Logan Licence said. “While it was different and difficult, it was fun. I made a decade [long] rosary because it’s easy to pray and carry around and special because I created it.”
Priests also attended the event so every newly made rosary could have the opportunity to also be blessed.
The Saint 