Telling the rosary, the bible on beads

Recently we had five evenings in the parish, that gave us space and time to reflect a little on The Rosary. The idea came from a number of Parish Pastoral Council meetings where we looked for ways to engage with the parish on a shared journey of faith. The discussion led us to exploring the possibility of taking the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and assigning one evening, Monday to Friday, to each of them. The idea became reality and we looked for people who might help us share the story.

The looking led us to Eileen King, Fr John Carroll, Louise McGuinness, Gerry Farrell and Bishop Donal Roche. Thankfully, all five accepted our invitation to be involved and were open to the direction and shape our gathering might take. The Pastoral Council decided we would not locate the evenings or the telling in the setting of Mass since there is morning Mass in the parish each day. Rather, we felt the evening could be tailored to our own view of how best the faith gatherings might be presented, enjoyed and meaningful.

Members of the Parish Pastoral Council were very committed to this project and took on various areas of responsibility – from seeking speakers, to arranging refreshments, and their serving, and promoting the event in the parish and beyond. Neighbouring parishes and our parish and diocesan websites and social media helped share the word. Posters were designed and a booklet to accompany the week was prepared which included prayers, words of welcome and brief bios on the speakers.

The format for the night ran through the five: opening hymn, words of welcome, sharing of the Scripture Passage linked with each of the Joyful Mysteries, followed by a very short reflection on the passage before the guest speaker addressed the gathered. This time was followed by a hymn or reflective music leading to silence before the Decade of the Evening was prayed, followed by closing prayer and offer of hospitality. The intention was that each of the church gatherings would run for around forty-five to fifty minutes.

The waiting on the first evening was a little uncertain. It is always difficult to know how many people will hear and accept the invitation to attend. The waiting became ‘joyful’ as many people arrived in the church, took their seats and brought life and hope in their gathering. Each of the five gatherings told a similar story with the numbers increasing each evening. It was a truly special parish event and took on the form of a ‘Mini-Mission’ and we even had the traditional Mission Stall for the last two evenings.

The phrase “Telling the Rosary” is borrowed from Dick Farrelly’s emigrant song ‘The Isle of Innisfree’, where the emigrant, in his mind’s eye and heart’s longing, can see his family gathered around the fire where “A Rosary is told”. Over the five evenings we told the story, thanks to the input of our speakers and the openness of our congregations.

During the week someone made the comment that the Rosary is “The Bible on beads” and that is such a wonderful description. For the Rosary tells the Story of Jesus from Annunciation to Ascension.

Already people are asking “When will we do the other mysteries?” There remains a Rosary to be told. Maybe this could be an idea for other parishes or for each of us to pick up that “Bible on Beads” and allow the story of Christ be told as the beads slip through our fingers.

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Glory, daddah, glory

In the poem ‘The Trimming’s On The Rosary’, from Around the Boree Log, Fr Patrick Joseph Hartigan (who wrote under the pseudonym John O’Brien) recalls the family Rosary and his father leading the decade without beads. Counting on his fingers, he would sometimes go astray … he describes such a moment and his mother’s rescuing the decade in these powerful and witty words: “And, bedad, he wasn’t certain if he’d counted five or ten,/Yet he’d face the crisis bravely, and would start around again;/ But she tallied all the decades, and she’d block him on the spot,/ With a “Glory, Daddah, Glory!” and he’d “Glory” like a shot.”