Our Lady's Rosary Makers
Encyclopedia
Our Lady's Rosary Makers is a non-profit apostolate in Louisville, Kentucky
, dedicated to spreading devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Rosary
. Its 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, make and distribute roughly 7 million cord and chain rosaries annually for mission
s around the world.
The organization traces its roots to Br. Sylvan Mattingly
of Xaverian Brothers
who in 1949 was inspired by the message of Our Lady of Fátima
. Br. Sylvan started making Rosaries and formed a Rosary making club at St. Xavier High School
which he originally named Our Lady of Fátima
Rosary Making Club. Over the years this effort grew to be Our Lady’s Rosary Makers.
The core of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers operation is the bimonthly newsletter called Our Lady’s Messenger which reaches approximately twenty thousand people. The bulk of the newsletter is a section called Request for Rosaries. This section lists names and addresses of missionaries
worldwide who are in need of Rosaries. The missionaries simply write to Our Lady’s Rosary Makers asking for their request to be published in the newsletter. The newsletter also includes news and feedback letters from missionaries. There are also requests for Rosaries from prison chaplain
s, hospitals chaplains, religious education instructors, etc. These missionaries are dispersed worldwide, some are in Washington DC while many others are in the most remote parts of Africa, India or Asia and of course, many are in South America
.
The members of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers are mostly in the U.S. The make up and characteristics of the members are truly diverse. Some are working adults, some are blind or otherwise disabled people, some are elementary school students, while others may be in retirement homes. When members receive the bimonthly newsletter, they look through the names and addresses of the missionaries who have requested Rosaries. The members make Rosaries and send packages of Rosaries to these missionaries. There is no central control over this activity in Louisville. The members just select which missionaries they are inspired to send Rosaries to by reading the newsletter. The missionaries simply wait until packages of Rosaries arrives in the mail from various members.
Over the years, the members Our Lady’s Rosary Makers have distributed hundreds of millions of free rosaries to Catholic missions worldwide.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, dedicated to spreading devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
and the Rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
. Its 17,000 members, in the U.S. and other countries, make and distribute roughly 7 million cord and chain rosaries annually for mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
s around the world.
The organization traces its roots to Br. Sylvan Mattingly
Sylvan Mattingly
Sylvan Mattingly was a Catholic teacher and missionary worker who in 1949 founded what grew to be the largest Catholic Rosary making group in the United States.He was a member of the Xaverian Brothers and taught at the St...
of Xaverian Brothers
Xaverian Brothers
The Xaverian Brothers or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier are a religious order founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier...
who in 1949 was inspired by the message of Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
. Br. Sylvan started making Rosaries and formed a Rosary making club at St. Xavier High School
St. Xavier High School, Louisville, Kentucky
St. Xavier High School is an all-male, Xaverian Brothers-sponsored school in Louisville, Kentucky. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. St. Xavier, also known as St. X, was founded in 1864 by Br. Paul Van Gerwen, C.F.X. The school currently resides on Poplar Level Road...
which he originally named Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
Rosary Making Club. Over the years this effort grew to be Our Lady’s Rosary Makers.
The core of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers operation is the bimonthly newsletter called Our Lady’s Messenger which reaches approximately twenty thousand people. The bulk of the newsletter is a section called Request for Rosaries. This section lists names and addresses of missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
worldwide who are in need of Rosaries. The missionaries simply write to Our Lady’s Rosary Makers asking for their request to be published in the newsletter. The newsletter also includes news and feedback letters from missionaries. There are also requests for Rosaries from prison chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
s, hospitals chaplains, religious education instructors, etc. These missionaries are dispersed worldwide, some are in Washington DC while many others are in the most remote parts of Africa, India or Asia and of course, many are in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The members of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers are mostly in the U.S. The make up and characteristics of the members are truly diverse. Some are working adults, some are blind or otherwise disabled people, some are elementary school students, while others may be in retirement homes. When members receive the bimonthly newsletter, they look through the names and addresses of the missionaries who have requested Rosaries. The members make Rosaries and send packages of Rosaries to these missionaries. There is no central control over this activity in Louisville. The members just select which missionaries they are inspired to send Rosaries to by reading the newsletter. The missionaries simply wait until packages of Rosaries arrives in the mail from various members.
Over the years, the members Our Lady’s Rosary Makers have distributed hundreds of millions of free rosaries to Catholic missions worldwide.