The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-10-09
THE DEVOTION or THE HOLY.
@ ROSARY.

With the advent of the month of Oc-
tober the thoughts of many go back
to their native home, where in their
younger days they joined the family
circles in the daily recital of the
Rosary, says the Irish Messenger of
the Sacred Heart. Other occasions
we have which viyidly recall the
most hallowed customs of our land
and awaken emotions and longings
for home in all but the most callous
of hearts. OF the popular devotions few
are more fruitful in their results than
the devout recital of the Holy Rosary
by the entire family. Christ, Our
Lord, once declared: Where two or
three are gathered together in My
name, there am in the midst of
them" The Rosary, in. a particular
manner, gathers together the members
of a Christian family, and, with Christ
in their midst, unites them heart and
soul in pouring forth their supplica-
tons to the throne of Heaven.
The use of beads for saying prayers
was known among the Jews; but the
first Christian, as far as we know,
who utilised beads on a string for
purposes of prayer was st. Bridget.
That her nuns might more con-
veniently recite their daily Office she
strung together as many beads as
there we're Paters to be recited. For a
long time the beads we're known by
the name of Paters. The custom in
troduced by the great Irish saint
gradually found its way into the con-
vents of the British Isles, and later
on was adopted by the religious on
the Continent. We read that Peter
the Hermit, the great apostle of the
Crusades, carried a string of Paters
attached to his girdle, and that the
nuns of st. Clare recited their pray
ers on beads. But none of these were
the beads of the Rosary. God re-
served this beautiful devotion for ia
time of sore trial for His Church.
The heresy of the Albigenses had per-
verified whole nations. Kings, en-
perors, and even those who ministered
at the altar of God, were infected by
its poison, Jesus Christ in the
Blessed Sacrament was insulted,
statues of the Blessed Virgin were
trodden under foot by those who de-
MED her glorious title of Mother of
God and her spotless virginity. But
God, looking down with pity on His
afflicted Church, raised up the glorious
st. Dominic, whom He inspired to
preach the devotion of the Holy
Rosary. ! His followers went forth
through Europe 7spfead ding tie Rosary
everywhere; they instructed the peo-
pie how to practise this salutary de-
votion, and the Church began to
triumph. It was no uncommon sight
to see thousands casting themselves
at the feet of the saint, asking to be
reinstated as Catholics and to be
restored to all the privileges they had
lost by adopting the heresy of the
Albigenses. = The illustrious Pontiff,
Pope Leo XIII, in his Encyclical of
1883, wrote: Our merciful God raised
up against these fierce enemies (the
Albigenses) most holy man, the
parent and founder of the Dominican
Order. Great in the soundness of his
doctrine, in the example of his virtue
and in his apostolic labors, he r.
dauntedly proceeded to attack the
enemies of the Catholic Chruch, not
by force of arms, but by that devotion,
which he was the first to institute,
under the name of the Holy Rosary.
Thanks to this new prayer, adopted
and carried out, as instituted by the
holy father, st. Dominic, piety, faith
and unity began to return. The prof
ects and devices of the heretics came
to naught; many wanderers returned
to the way of salvation, and the wrath
of the impi0us was checked by the
arms of those who rose in defence OF
Catholic teaching"
The age of st. Dominic passed away,
but. devotion to the Holy Rosary re.
manned. In 1871 the holy Pope, Plus
", prayed fervently that the enemies
of God might be scattered, and, even
while he held the beads in his hand
the infidel was defeated at Lepanto
Nearly two centuries later, Clement
XII caused the festival of the Holy
Rosary to be celebrated in all parts
of the world, as It is at the present
day, to commemorate a victory gained
by comparatively small army under
Prince Eugene of Savoy over a host
of Mohammedans.
Our holy mother the Church has al
ways proclaimed, through the voice
of her Supreme .Pontiffs, the wonder
full power and efficacy of this simple
devotion. Pope Leo XIII, in his
EncyclicaI on the Rosary already re
ferred to. gives quotations from the
writings of several Popes. Here are
just few: Julius II called the Rosary
THE glory of the Church ST. Plus
v, surnamed the Pope of the Rosary
proclaims that with the spread OF
this devotion the faithful Commenced
to be ardent in their holy medita
tons, the darkness of feresy was
tiissipated and the light Of Catholic
faith shone forth IN all its splendor. :
Adrian vi called the Rosary 'The
scourging of the demon" and Nicholas
v cried with admiration, 'sThe Rosary
is the tree Of life. which raises the
dead, heals the diseased. and preserves
those who are in health"
Whence has the Rosary this re
markable power, attributed to it by Sc
many Pontiffs? 1t is from the prayers
said on those beads and the faith Of