Moderns Don’t Believe Mary Gave St Dominic the Rosary
I have to relay some bad news.
Some people question whether Our Blessed Mother gave the Rosary to St Dominic, as is traditionally believed. In fact, some modern day theologians are attempting to re-interpret and reconstruct the story of St Dominic and the Rosary.
In fact, a certain priest had this to say about the origin of the Rosary:
“The origins of the rosary are “sketchy” at best. The use of “prayer beads” and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation stem from the earliest days of the Church and has roots in pre-Christian times. Evidence exists from the Middle Ages that strings of beads were used to count Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Actually, these strings of beads became known as “Paternosters,” the Latin for “Our Father.”
Source.
But, wait for it.
Even some DOMINICANS no longer believe the traditional story.
Taylor Marshall, a wonderful theologian of our time, says in his article, “Did Mary Give the Rosary to St Dominic“?
“These moderns observe that the practice of praying Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s on beads is a practice that predates Saint Dominic, and that this “Rosary” gradually evolved. This fact, they claim, further substantiates the conclusion that the Holy Rosary is not a revealed gift given directly to Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. While it is certain that many (East and West) prayed on beads prior to Saint Dominic, the original claim is that the Holy Rosary as a collection of 150 Hail Mary’s with the 15 Mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious) was literally and historically given to Saint Dominic by the Immaculate Mother herself.”
Why do you suppose people no longer believe? I offer some reasons:
- They are afraid of being ridiculed for these pious beliefs.
- They feel they are too educated to believe such a story.
- They are ready for the Catholic Church to “get with the times.”
If we are too educated to believe the story of how St Dominic received the Rosary, then maybe we are too educated to imagine that 2,000 years ago, the Son of God entered human flesh, was killed, rose again and ascended into heaven.
We might be too educated to believe that the great mystics, like St Catherine of Siena and St Teresa of Avila had true experiences. Maybe it was their imaginations.
Where does it end?
Crown of the Virgin: An Ancient Meditation on Mary’s Beauty, Virtue, and Sanctity
THE STORY
According to tradition, our Mother Mary appeared to St Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans.
At this point in his life, he was getting discouraged that he was not doing enough to convert the Albigenses.
He complained to our Lady and she appeared to him and offered him a solution to his problem.
“Wonder not that you have obtained so little fruit by your labors, you have spent them on barren soil, not yet watered with the dew of Divine Grace. When God willed to renew the face of the earth, He began by sending down on it the fertilizing rain of the Angelic Salutation. Therefore preach my Psalter composed of 150 Angelic Salutations and 15 Our Fathers, and you will obtain an abundant harvest.”
There is also a great account in St Louis de Montfort’s Secret of the Rosary
“Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?”
“Oh, my Lady,” answered Saint Dominic, “you know far better than I do because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation.”
Then Our Lady replied:
“I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.”
So he arose, comforted, and burning with zeal, for the conversion of the people in that district he made straight for the Cathedral. At once unseen angels rang the bells to gather the people together and Saint Dominic began to preach.
At the very beginning of his sermon an appalling storm broke, out, the earth shook, the sun was darkened, and there was so much thunder and lightning that all were very much afraid. Even greater was their fear when looking at a picture of Our Lady exposed in a prominent place they saw her raise her arms to heaven three times to call down God’s vengeance upon them if they failed to be converted, to amend their lives, and seek the protection of the Holy Mother of God.
God wished, by means of these supernatural phenomena, to spread the new devotion of the Holy Rosary and to make it more widely known.”
The Secret of the Rosary
So we can determine here that Mary told St Dominic to pray and also propagate the rosary. the rosary. In fact, this was affirmed by Pope Leo the Great and 13 other Popes!
The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics
Use coupon code BSA for 15% off
Did Mary’s Psalter Exist Before St Dominic?
The Rosary, also called Mary’s Psalter, existed before St Dominic.
In the book, “Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon, Fr Calloway states:
“Saint Dominic was not the founder of the monastic Marian Psalter; that already existed before his vision. Rather, he was chosen to be the founder and the father of a new way of praying the Marian Psalter, an evangelical way, infused with meditation on the sacred mysteries… The Church has always stated that when Mary exhorted St Dominic to preach her Psalter, she also revealed to him specific mysteries that were to be associated with it.” “Accordingly, when she gave him the mysteries, the Queen of Heaven instructed St Dominic to divide the 150 Hail Marys of the Marian Psalter into 10 Hail Marys with each decade to a particularly mystery. Source: Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon
Pope Leo XIII Believed Mary Gave St Dominic the Rosary
As stated above, Pope Leo XIII also believed the Rosary was given to St Dominic. In his encyclical, on the Rosary, “Octobri Mense “, he refers to the “great mysteries of Jesus and Mary united in joys, sorrows and triumphs.
He goes on to say:
“Moreover, we may well believe that the Queen of Heaven herself has granted an especial efficacy to this mode of supplication, for it was by her command and counsel that the devotion was begun and spread abroad by the holy Patriarch Dominic as a most potent weapon against the enemies of the faith…”
There are countless other orthodox Catholics who continue to believe that the 15 decades of the Rosary were given to St Dominic by our Lady herself.
On this Feast of St Dominic, let us remember that the world does not change the Church. The Church changes the world.
Do you believe the Rosary was given to St Dominic by our Lady, Mary?
I also coach on digital marketing, personal development & courtship & marriage.
***Disclaimer: All my views are my own and not that of the Order of Preachers.***
- Church Militant Founder Michael Voris Resigns - November 22, 2023
- 10 St. Albert the Great Quotes to Inspire Lukewarm Souls - November 15, 2023
- 42: Late Have I Loved You by St. Augustine – God Doesn't Give Up On Us! - August 28, 2023
Absolutely yes.
What is the title and who is the artist of the second painting shown on this site – the one that shows both St. Benedict & St. Catherine of Sienna?
Giovanni Batista Salvi’s “Madonna of the Rosary”.
One thing worth pointing out is that the ‘traditional’ account of St Dominic receiving the Rosary originates from about 200 years since St Dominic lived. None of St Dominic’s first biographers record or mention the account, and the earliest mention of it comes from Blessed Alan de la Roche (d. 1475). Even St Louis de Montfort in his Secret of the Rosary admits this, and Blessed Alan received the account via special revelation through a series of visions of the Blessed Virgin and St Dominic, rather than historical evidence, which is lacking from St Dominic’s successors and biographers.
Is this an anonymous Dominican commenting here? 🙂
It’s not the fact if Mary truly gave the Rosary or not..think about of this simple logic; Why would Mary let the people do the things that are prohibited by God?
Matthew 6 : 7-8
(King James Version)
7 But when ye pray, use not VAIN REPETITIONS, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Wake up people!! God is not stupid nor deaf for us to repeat our prayers many times??!! so what I’m trying to say? am I saying Dominic is a liar?..No, I believe someone appears before Dominic yes.. but its not Mary..who else then? Its the devil!! or even worst maybe satan himself..How can I say so?..Of course to deceive you people!!..
2 Corinthians 11 : 14-15
(King James Version)
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is TRANSFORMED into an ANGEL OF LIGHT.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his MINISTERS also be TRANSFORMED as the MINISTERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; whose end shall be according to their works.
Take note “TRANSFORMED” satan and his ministers can transform themselves as the ministers of righteousness or even an angel of light..To make you commit sin against God people!! To make you do things that are prohibited by God, to divert your faith to Mary a human just like us..to worship a creature not the creator..
Romans 1 : 25
(King James Version)
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the CREATURE more than the CREATOR, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
..Go recite “Hail Mary” there is a part of it says “Blessed are you among women”..contrary to what bible says, because Jesus himself said you can be more blessed than Mary just hear and obey the Word of God..did you know that??..read this..
Luke 11 : 27-28
27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”
28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
And Jesus even treats Mary equal to us..
Luke 8 : 19-21
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.
20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.”
21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
To those who didn’t know Jesus has siblings too. Yes its a fact, contrary again to what Catholic Church proposes of Mary’s Eternal Virginity..Yes, Mary is a virgin but not eternal..and it’s only before giving birth to Lord Jesus and not anymore after that, even giving birth itself can remove a woman’s virginity and people forgot about that fact, more to the fact of having children with Joseph her husband?..Don’t get me wrong, i’m not against Mary, just the fact of propose Eternal Virginity of the Catholic Churches makes the people more diverted faith..Yes, Mary had children with Joseph and to prove that please read this bible verses..
(English Standard Version)
Mark 6 : 3
John 7 : 1 – 6
Luke 8 : 19
These Bible verses are too much for you to understand what im trying to say..Even the term “Rosary” cannot be find in the Old and New Testament yet prohibited by God in the bible; Again wake up people!! satan is the father of lies, and a true deceiver!! he deceives the world since the beginning of human race until today’s generation for us to join him burn in hell on the coming judgment day..And hell is nothing but a worst place you can ever imagine to live with forever and ever..not anyone will be special or in favored place once you’re already in hell burning alive at the lake of fire even if you’re a rich or a famous person here on earth, and it will be forever and ever..
want more proof of satan’s lies??..
Go research and read the story of Lucia de Jesus Rosa, A Catholic sister claiming a “luminous lady” that she believes to be an apparition of Mary Mother of Christ appears before her many times and according to her the lady stressed the importance of saying the rosary everyday to bring “Peace to the World”. Really?? the Mother would say that?? But the bible says God hates people praying in REPETITIONS?? as what they do in praying with rosary??..Don’t get me wrong again people..I believe her on her accounts of some “luminous lady” appearing before her but I don’t think its Mary the Mother of Christ, again its the devil and it deceives her too; First of all its a contrary again on what the bible says and this time its the prophecies on the Book of Revelation..The book tells us that in the coming future,..our generation though, the “Peace on Earth” will only be attain when satan will be finally thrown at the lake of fire or what they call the “Second Death” on the Judgment Day..to stop him from deceiving people and the evilness on humanity will end..there was a preferred time for it and its not yet happening, just look around and observe people how they try to kill or corrupt each other..Clearly its not the Rosary could bring peace to the world; And before I forget, remember what Lucia said about a “luminous lady” appears before her?..hmm, makes me wonder of what bible says in
2 Corinthians 11 : 14 ?
-And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
satan can transform people..yep, satan can transform..
“Angel of light”?? “luminous lady”?? you decide people..but for me I will only believe on what Jesus had said he is the only truth, and the only way to God our Father, Amen.
You have no idea what you are talking about. The Rosary is not vain repetition it is a meditation on the Life of Christ as seen through the eyes of Mary.
You know what else isn’t in the Bible that the Catholic Church compiled for you?? The word Bible. Do you know what else is not in the Bible? Sola Scriptura. We are a Church of Scripture AND Tradition. Stop typing up your nonsense-you’ll find no ignorant, easy to poach Catholics here to fill your constantly needing to be refilled Prot pews.
One night I was praying the Rosary in the waiting room at the hospital where I worked. I was meditating on the communion of saints, and imagined it as a gigantic ball of brilliant love. As I contemplated this image, a smaller globe left the large one and I heard a woman say, “St. Dominic is doing you a favour.” I had never heard of St. Dominic so I went to the library the next day to read about him and learned he had instituted the Rosary. On the basis of that personal revelation (if I can call it that), believe St. Dominic was the one who picked up the Rosary from Mary on our behalf.
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing. St. Dominic, pray for us. Blessed Virgin, pray for us.