Praying the Rosary

[journeyman]

One of the issues in our parish is the extent of "gathering" behavior in our "multipurpose" room sanctuary. We are in the midst of construction of a new sanctuary, which will leave the existing space for gathering and socializing.

I had suggested that we could emphasize the sanctuary was not for chatting before Mass by using the new space before Mass to pray the Rosary. The pastoral coordinator said the Rosary was a personal devotion, and not a public one. The Daily Mass or Reservation chapel would be the place for that, not the main sanctuary.

I skimmed half a dozen articles in the reference section, and will continue to check others, but I also thought I would take a short cut and ask.

I have attended Mass at parishes which do pray the Rosary as a community before Mass.

Is there a definitive answer to this question?

Thanks

[Ellenita]

It is a public devotion I think - I read somewhere that there is particular blessing (?) when it is prayed together and I then wondered for a while if it should be used as private devotion, but since it is a prayer that very much helps me to centre my mind on God, I continue to pray it on my own aswell as with others.

It is prayed by the community everyday in my church before Mass and also by groups in people's homes - a different home every week.

[Neal4Christ]

[quote][b]The pastoral coordinator said the Rosary was a personal devotion, and not a public one.[/b][/quote]

Our church prays the Rosary at 5:00 on Saturdays, before the 5:30 vigil mass. I would say it is both a private and public prayer. I actually find it very beautiful when prayed publically.

[homeschoolmom]

We pray the rosary at 6:00 before the Tuesday evening mass...

[Sojourner]

Yeah, I've done it privately and publicly.

[PedroX]

The rosary is essentially a private devotion, which can be done publically. However, the gathering space may not be appropriate. Is it prayerful? Is it free from distraction? etc.

peace...

[journeyman]

Sorry, I must have run my spaces together . . . our present space serves as sanctuary/gathering space/classroom . . . it is multipurpose . . . we are building a new sanctuary . . . I was thinking that scheduling public prayer in the new sanctuary for the half hour before Mass would emphasize that social activity belonged in the old space - so our multipurpose habits didn't wander into the new space.

It does appear that where the Rosary is prayed communally, it is not done on Sunday, but before a weekday Mass.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='journeyman' date='Jan 27 2005, 10:01 PM'] Sorry, I must have run my spaces together . . . our present space serves as sanctuary/gathering space/classroom . . . it is multipurpose . . . we are building a new sanctuary . . . I was thinking that scheduling public prayer in the new sanctuary for the half hour before Mass would emphasize that social activity belonged in the old space - so our multipurpose habits didn't wander into the new space.

It does appear that where the Rosary is prayed communally, it is not done on Sunday, but before a weekday Mass. [/quote]
The pastoral coordinator is wrong, as she usually is. The Rosary can and should be said by a group of people gathered for worship. That includes on Sundays! A cursory glance at the net shows that most parishes who advertise only do the rosary before weekday Mass, but that doesn't exclude the possibility. If we only have weekday Mass once or twice a week, maybe that would be more reason to have rosaries on a Sunday. Stick to your guns and don't let that woman inject her fuzzy wuzzy inoffensive garbage.

People, I used to go to this parish, I'm actually journeyman's son. The talking that goes on at this place is absolutely disgraceful. You simply can NOT pray, or even concentrate on anything. Even if you go into the 'chapel' where they keep the tabernacle, the noise is so great that you cannot pray.
Saying the rosary before Mass would do wonders for the spiritual life and the reverence of that parish. It would be a remedy.

[AfroNova No Limit Soldier]

We had the same problem at my parish

1. It is a PLENARY INDULGENCE to pray the Rosary as a group or family OUT LOUD in a church (there are other conditions, but this pious practice is definitely important). Yes, the Rosary can & should be prayed publicly outloud in a church.

2. In the Pope's encyclical Redemptoris Sacramentum, the Pope affirms that the Rosary is NOT part of the liturgy but he goes on to say that it is probably the MOST important prayer or devotion that is not a part of the liturgy.

If you read the lives of all the Saints, you will see they were all devoted to 2 things:
1. Eucharist
2. Our Blessed Mother

AND - Let me take a wild guess - y'all don't have perpetual adoration??

Keep praying that the good Lord will send us priests who love Mary and JESUS.

Sancte Maria ora pro nobis