The Story of Rosary | Full Film

The tradition of counting repeated prayers using beads or knots existed long before Saint Dominic. Monks in the 9th century recited 150 psalms, using pebbles to keep count. Laypeople, who couldn't memorize the psalms, began praying 50 or 150 'Our Fathers' (Paternoster) using knotted strings, which later evolved into beads. By the 12th century, 'Hail Marys' were being recited and counted on beads. This 150-bead rosary was sometimes called the 'Psalter of Our Lady'.

In 12th and 13th century France, Saint Dominic struggled against the Albigensian heresy, which claimed all material creation was evil. After little success, Mary appeared to Dominic, revealing the Rosary as a spiritual weapon. She explained that meditating on the life, death, and glory of Jesus while reciting Hail Marys would overcome the enemies of Christ. Mary instructed Dominic to divide the 150 beads into 15 decades, each representing a 'mystery' from her son's life, and encouraged the faithful to reflect on these events.

The first five mysteries are the 'Joyful Mysteries,' symbolizing the joyful beginnings of God's redemptive love. These include: the Annunciation (Gabriel informing Mary she would be the mother of God's Son), the Visitation (Mary visiting Elizabeth), the Nativity (the birth of Jesus), the Presentation (Mary offering Jesus in the Temple), and the Finding in the Temple (Mary and Joseph finding Jesus teaching).

The next five are the 'Sorrowful Mysteries,' representing God's love through Christ's suffering and death. These are: the Agony in the Garden (Jesus's suffering before His crucifixion), the Scourging at the Pillar (Jesus being lashed), the Crowning with Thorns (Jesus's head covered in thorns), the Carrying of the Cross (Jesus struggling to Calvary), and the Crucifixion (Jesus shedding His blood for humanity).

The final five are the 'Glorious Mysteries,' recalling the triumph of God's love. These include: the Resurrection (Christ conquering death), the Ascension (Jesus ascending to heaven), the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Christ sending the Holy Spirit to His apostles), the Assumption (Mary's body and soul taken into heaven), and the Coronation (God crowning Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth). These 15 mysteries are meant to remind the faithful of God's love and plan for salvation.

After its initial fervor, devotion to the Rosary declined. In the 15th century, during a period of widespread plague, a Dominican priest named Alan de la Roche was instructed by Jesus and Mary to revive the Rosary devotion. Jesus reproached Alan for not preaching the Rosary, and Mary emphasized its power. Saint Dominic also appeared to Alan, urging him to spread the devotion. Blessed Alan made it his mission to renew the Rosary, recognizing its potential to transform both the Dominican Order and the world.

In 1570, Christian Europe faced a threat from the Ottoman Turks. Pope Pius V, recognizing the danger, urged for a Holy League to be formed. On October 7th, 1571, the Holy League's fleet under Don Juan met the Turks near Lepanto. Pope Pius V encouraged prayers, particularly the Rosary, for victory. The Christian fleet, dedicated to Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, prayed the Rosary before combat. Despite being outnumbered, the Holy League achieved a decisive victory. Pope Pius V attributed this triumph to the intercession of the Blessed Mother through the Rosary, establishing the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, later renamed the Feast of the Holy Rosary by his successor, Gregory XIII. This event solidified the Rosary's place in Catholic memory.