There is insufficient evidence to establish the existence of any Rosary Confraternity before the last quarter of the fifteenth century. There were Dominican guilds or fraternities, but it is not known if they were connected with the Rosary. Through the preaching of Alanus de Rupe such associations began to be erected shortly before 1475. One of the first was erected at Cologne in 1474 by Fr. James Sprenger. The Perpetual Rosary is an organization for securing the continuous recitation of the Rosary by day and night among a number of associates who perform their allotted share at stated times. This is a development of the Rosary Confraternity, and dates from the seventeenth century. The Confraternity was last reorganized by Pope Leo XIII in 1898 with the Apostolic Constitution, Ubi Primum.
Organisation
This archconfraternity is under the administration of the Dominican order, as is the Confraternity of the Holy Name and The Confraternity of Angelic Warfare. Thus no new confraternity may be erected without the sanction of the Dominican Master General. In the "patent of erection", which is issued for each new confraternity by the General of the Dominicans, a clause is added granting to all members enrolled therein "a participation in all the good works which by the grace of God are performed throughout the world by the brethren and sisters of the said Order." Throughout the world, the Archconfraternity is administered by the different Provinces of the Dominican order. In the United States, the Eastern Dominican Province has its Confraternity based in Columbus, Ohio. The Rosary Confraternity of the Western Dominican Province is based in Portland, Oregon at their Rosary Center. The Rosary Confraternity is probably the largest organization of this type within the Catholic Church.
Benefits and obligations
Members of the Rosary Confraternity promise the recitation of a weekly Rosary as their sole obligation. This does not bind under pain of sin. Along with several plenary and partial indulgences that are granted to members of the Confraternity, members also believe they are benefited from the countless Rosaries that are offered for their intentions by the other members throughout the world. In addition, enrolled members also participate in all the prayers and good works performed by the friars, nuns, sisters, and laity of the Dominican Order. The Rosary Confraternity of the Dominican Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus publishes Light and Life, a bi-monthly newsletter of the Rosary Confraternity of the Western Province.
Indulgences
For members of the Rosary Confraternity, a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, is granted:
For those who pray the Rosary, a plenary indulgence is granted under the usual conditions, when the Rosary is prayed in Church, or in a Public Oratory, in a family, Religious Community, or Pious Association. Otherwise a partial indulgence is granted.
Obligations
As a requirement of membership, each member of the Confraternity promises to pray fifteen decades of the Rosary each week and to include the other members of the Confraternity in their intentions. This is sole obligation of membership in Rosary Confraternity. It does not bind under pain of sin. Pope John Paul II, in his 2002 Apostolic Letter, added five optional mysteries to the rosary, which he gave the name, "Luminous Mysteries." Since the new group of mysteries are in fact optional, they are, properly speaking, not an integral part of the Rosary of St. Dominic. The Rosary Confraternity does not require its members to recite the new Luminous Mysteries, and Rosarians who continue to recite the 15 mystery Dominican Rosary as received from the ecclesiastical tradition do fulfill their confraternity obligations. The 15 mystery rosary consists of the Joyful, Sorrowful & Glorious Mysteries.
Activities of the confraternity
The "Perpetual Rosary" is an organization for securing the continuous recitation of the Rosary by day and night among a number of associates who perform their allotted share at stated times. This is a development of the Rosary Confraternity, and dates from the seventeenth century. It is continues in various convents which exist for the purpose as well as in lay society The "Living Rosary" or "Association of the Living Rosary" was begun in 1826 by Pauline Marie Jaricot. While it is independent of the confraternity it is also under the administration of the Dominican Order and its goals coincide. It consists in a number of circles of fifteen members who each agree to recite a single decade every day and who thus complete the whole Rosary between them. In the year 1877, the popePius IX subjected all Associations of the Living Rosary to the general of the Dominican Order. However recently the care of the association has given to the local Bishops. Because of the close relation of the Rosary to the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Our Lady of Fatima, Rosary confraternities are often closely tied to the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular and the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima whose goals are linked. In some parishes in the United States, the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary is also known as the Altar Rosary Society.
The Principal Rules Of The Confraternity of the Holy Rosary
Members should:
Have their names written in the register of the confraternity and, if possible, go to Confession and Communion and say the Rosary on the day they are enrolled.
