Why do people wear rosaries

Are you wearing it with no intention of actually praying the rosary or as an ornamental expression of your faith? If the answer to either of these is yes, you are wearing the rosary for the wrong reasons. Some people and religious orders have a special devotion to praying and meditating on the rosary. Because of this, some religious habits include wearing a rosary, often as a cincture.

In particular cases, some laypeople may have a specific devotion to the rosary and wear it so that they constantly have it on hand. The reason for wearing any religious habit is outwardly expressing an interior relationship to God, not to make a statement or appear a certain way to the world.

The thought of wearing a rosary should be met with the same careful consideration. Wearing a rosary inspires us to examine how and why we pray the rosary in the first place.

It is indeed a great gift, necessitating great respect. Thus, it is vital to keep a constant check on your intentions. Can you just as well keep the rosary in your pocket so you can have it on hand? Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. The purpose of these beads is to count prayers, and the prayers that are counted are collectively referred to as the Rosary. A Roman Catholic rosary is made up of a series of beads, medals, and a singular crucifix.

We start with the crucifix, followed by a large bead, three smaller beads, and another large bead, totaling five beads. These are typically followed by a medal. Then following around the rosary chain are five sets of ten small beads, each separated by one larger bead. The Rosary prayers are meant to keep memories of specific events and mysteries in history. A rosary is a useful tool because the Rosary prayers are extensive and repetitive. Having the beads to hold while reciting the prayers helps the user keep track of how many times prayer has been recited, thereby clearing the mind and allowing more focus on the prayer itself.

What follows is Our Father prayed on each larger bead, and Hail Mary prayed on each smaller bead. A more elaborate Hail Mary may be prayed on the medal if one is present. On the rosary, each set of ten beads represents a decade, with one mystery per decade. There are fifteen mysteries total, so to pray the entire Rosary requires praying three times around the rosary chain. Prayers and rosary designs may vary slightly, but the basis stays constant.

Some consider wearing the rosary as an act of vanity, others wear it as a respectful act of religious homage. If the reason for wearing a rosary is as a statement of faith, as a reminder to pray it, or some similar reason "to the glory of God," then there is nothing to object to.

It would not be respectful to wear it merely as jewelry. This latter point is something to bear in mind in the case of wearing a rosary around the neck. In the first place, while not unknown, it is not common Catholic practice.

Second, in relatively recent times, certain controversial public figures have popularized the fashion of wearing the rosary as a necklace, and not precisely in order to "do all to the glory of God. Hence, while a Catholic may wear a rosary around the neck for a good purpose, he or she should consider if the practice will be positively understood in the cultural context in which the person moves.

If any misunderstanding is likely, then it would be better to avoid the practice. At the same time, as Catholics we should presume the good intentions of the person wearing a rosary unless other external elements clearly indicate otherwise. Similar reasoning is observed in dealing with rosary bracelets and rings, although in this case there is far less danger of confusion as to meaning.

They are never mere jewelry but are worn as a sign of faith. According to some sources, small single-decade rosaries or chaplets were developed in times of persecution, as they were easily hidden and could be used without attracting undesired attention.

Far more important than the visible wearing of a rosary is actually using the rosary, including publicly, for prayer. Pachuco, goth, and punk all embraced wearing rosary beads as fashion.

All aspects of Catholicism were incorporated into her act, from her name to her album title Like a Virgin to her pursuit of icon status. It was a disruption, moving something from the religious world and putting it into a profane moment of fashion. Fashion photographer Shawn Griffin wrote his thesis, The Church of Fashion , on the intersection of religion and fashion. He studied the ways that fashion designers, marketers, and photographers have employed imagery in fashion that mirrors Enlightenment-era religious iconography.

With the popularity of fashion rosaries, believers were comfortable wearing them in public. The history of wearing rosary beads for fashion has often gone against convention. An item once thought of as transgressive by the Protestant Church is now a symbol that signifies transgressions in fashion. Cookie banner This site uses cookies. Filed under: Features.