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For Anyone Interested in Any Aspect of the Catholic Rosary and Chaplets, Especially Rosary Making Volume I, Issue 2, December 1, 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTENTION: You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed. We apologize if this email has been sent to you in error. If the email reached you in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the end of the e-zine for instructions). Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. Wevalue every subscriber and respect your privacy. =========================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We spent a lot of time planning this first issue of the Rosary Makers E-zine and incorporating suggestions from those who subscribed. This planning process and listening to your needs is an ongoing process. We welcome comments and suggestions. And, if you have a writing talent or special skills that you would like to share with us, we welcome them as well. We would like to clarify at least one item. This e-zine (newsletter) will cover the traditional Dominican Rosary (15 decade rosary) as well as chaplets. We will use the definition that the rosary is the 5, 10, or 15 decade Dominican Rosary. All other forms will be considered chaplets or coronas. The terms chaplet and rosary are used by many interchangeably. Recently published books (see below in the History of the Rosary section) have made the distinction between the rosary and chaplets. In the past two weeks I was involved in teaching 65 children about the rosary and instructing them in making a mission rosary. Each went home with a rosary and a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary. We said one decade before the children went back to class. (A photo was posted on my website under "Events") I have taught other children (my wife and I teach a CCD class), but the experience two weeks ago reinforced a desire to reach out to children and teach them the rosary. That is one reason we have included a special book with instructions in the supplier section below. Irene Alderman sent me a copy of this book during the summer. She is now having it professionally printed. I plan to order some. I would strongly suggest that others get copies. Irene has put her heart and soul into this and all I can say is that I’m sure the Blessed Mother is pleased with her efforts. Now, we have to pick up the ball and carry it into our parishes and neighborhoods. This issue has a special feature that we hope to offer from time to time. We have published an e-book especially for this issue. These e-books will focus on hard to find or lost devotions. The introduction to meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary of one such "lost devotion" is below. It was written by then Monsignor Fulton Sheen in 1951. You can download the entire e-book for FREE (URL listed at the end of the Introduction). This special feature is in the next section. Please note that the URL given does not have links from anywhere else. Our next issue will be published on January 1, 2000. Have a Blessed Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Without further "editorializing", WELCOME. We hope you enjoy this our first issue. Mike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Meditations on The Fifteen
Mysteries of the Rosary Originally Published as
Three articles from You have sometimes heard a radio program in which a voice spoke, while at the same time music was playing in the background. When we say the Rosary, something like that occurs. Our lips say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father, but our mind, thinking about the life of our Lord, creates a soundless background symphony of thoughts. The Rosary is psychologically one of the greatest prayers, because it draws all our scattered human energies, mind, lips, and fingertips, into a single, unifying purpose. To those who find prayer difficult, the rhythmic movement of the fingers induces spiritual thoughts. To those who are used to mental prayer, the spiritual gains a new dimension when it spills over into the body and comes out on the tips of the fingers. Ours in not an age in which the heavenly therapy of prayer-by-beads is generally used. One of the reasons why people today are so frequently worried and fearful is that they keep their minds too busy and their fingers too idle, or else tap a jerking syncopation to the noises of a nervous world. The Rosary, by contrast, gathers together our dispersed forces and fixes our minds on holy, simple thoughts, while the fingers, too, are drawn into the magnetic field of worship. Because it focuses the whole man towards a single, uplifting purpose, the Rosary can be the greatest of all therapies for troubled modern men. A faint suspicion of this fact has begun to penetrate into some hospitals. Nervous and combat-fatigued patients are taught to knit or weave, to relax their nervous tension. the disadvantage of this treatment is that it is only partial; the patient's mind is not involved. But in the Rosary, all faculties, mind, will, imagination, memory, desires, hopes and muscles, are directed to the Divine. There is seemingly much repetition in the Rosary; but actually this is no more wearying or monotonous than a man's telling a woman "I love you" for the 20th time. since there is a new moment in time to be redeemed by love, his words may be the same, but the meaning of each avowal is slightly different. So, in the Rosary, we say over and over to God, "I love you. I love you. And I love you." The beads carry the burden of the prayers, while the decades record the 15 scenes played out in the great drama of our Redemption. Bead by bead, decade by decade, the soul climbs from one Mystery to the next, to that "Love we fall short of in all love, that Beauty that leaves all other beauty pain." We need these Mysteries to engage our thoughts. We are not sufficiently spiritual to apprehend God as He is Himself. Our natures are too weak to stand the shock of such sublimity. The sun is so rich in varied brightness that it must be shot through a prism before our weak eyes can see the glory of its seven colors. So, too, the life of our divine Saviour abounds in beauties that our frail human hearts cannot see unless filtered first through the prism of a prayer such as the Rosary, which breaks them up into the 15 separate Mysteries. The Mysteries fall naturally into three groups, which are also the three divisions of every ideal Christian life: joy, suffering, and glory. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The above is only the introduction to the meditations. The full e-book version can be downloaded for FREE from the following URL: http://www.seeds-of-faith.com/e-zine/freeware.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- History of the Rosary I have been reading all that I can get my hands on about the history of the rosary. There are two books that belong on the Christmas Lists of anyone interested in the history of the rosary. Both are excellent resources. I plan to review these books in upcoming issues. I wanted to mention them in this issue so the you can tell "Santa" exactly what you want him to put in your stocking! The History and Devotion of the Rosary. By Richard Gribble, C.S.C. 1992. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Huntington, IN 46750. 196 pages. Softcover. The foreword is by Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. Stories of the Rose: The Making of the Rosary in the Middle Ages. By AnneWinston-Allen. 1997. The Pennsylvania State University Press; University Park, PA. 210 pages. Hardcover. In upcoming issues we will start looking at the fascinating history of the rosary. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rev. Harry Prestwood By way of introduction I would like to tell you a little about myself. I was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Louisville, KY on August 29, 1981. I have worn many hats in my career. One I enjoyed very much as President and CEO of Our Lady's Rosary Makers. I held this post for seven years. The last year of my tenure Our Lady’s Rosary Makers (OLRM) made and sent eight million five hundred thousand FREE rosaries around the world. (editor’s note: OLRM has approximately 65,000 members worldwide. Their address is in Section 8 below) Our Holy Father Paul VI said that the rosary is a complete course in scripture as it pertains to the history of God's plan of salvation for His people. It is also a short catechism of the Faith. Many of the saints have said that the rosary is the most powerful prayer we have apart from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Our Lady herself has appeared many times throughout history but especially in the twentieth century asking for prayer and penance. What prayer has she asked for? The Mass of course, but always the rosary. When we pray the rosary we are praying to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit through the intercession of the Blessed Mother . There is nothing Jesus would refuse His Mother. Mary always takes us to her Son and the Son always takes us to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Holy Father John Paul II is very hopeful for the new millennium. But he is relying on us to help by our prayers. The Holy Father prays at least fifteen decades of the rosary each day. Each timeyou see him he has a rosary in his hands. John Paul is our leader. If he can pray as if he thinks the rosary is so powerful, who are we to think we know more than he does. This is the last month of 1999. We have been called to become saints; as Mother Angelica says so often: "Don't miss the opportunity." Pray the rosary! I will try to write in more depth concerning what the rosary is and what it means in the life of the Church as the New Year unfolds. Deacon Harry Prestwood, S.F.O. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rosary for Young People The following is a very interesting approach to teaching children about the rosary AND how to make a rosary. Here’s some correspondence from Irene Alderman from late in the summer. Please contact her direct. If you have a website, consider offering these packages for sale to help spread the devotion to our children. I have written a book that teaches children (ages 6-12) how to MEDITATE on the Rosary, rather than simply recite the prayers. The Rosary for Young People is in coloring book format and contains a kit for a simple, sturdy and attractive Rosary (requires no special tools - just scissors and nail polish). A Rosary case and parent guide are also included. The book and kit have been tested on 6 of my 7 children- even the just-turned-three year old strung most of his own beads. I originally wrote The Rosary for Young People for my 4th grade PSR class. I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have requested copies for a child, grandchild- or themselves!………………. Thank you, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Supplier List Early in 2000, we plan to publish a listing of suppliers. If you are a supplier, please send information about what you supply and your address. We will compile this information into a special issue. There will be no charge for the listing. We also plan a series on suppliers. This will involve a subscriber survey and a rating system. It will be impossible for this list to be comprehensive, but it will serve as a starting point. Please send information to mikew@seeds-of-faith.com. Thank you. If you are new to rosary making or are looking for alternate suppliers, please send an email. We are not aware of all suppliers but can probably point you in the right direction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PVC Rosary Prep Stand Have you ever wanted tools to help you make rosaries but
couldn’t find them? PVC is very versatile and can be used for many things. It can be
cut easily with a saw and there are many accessories such as end caps, etc. I made a PVC
stand so that decades and Our Father beads could be hung side-by-side to match pairs. One great feature is that the stand doesn’t need to be glued together until you have it just right. I’ve been using the stand for nearly two years already and haven’t glued it yet. And, PVC is cheap!!! The photo does not show clearly how the decades are hung. A heavy guage wire from a discarded clock pendulum wire holds the items. Any sturdy wire could be used.
Spacers - Chain, bows, or Other? There are as many rosary making techniques as there are rosary makers. Many use chain between the decades and Our Father beads. I prefer handmade bows. But, are there other materials that can be used? One idea I looked into is the use of "figure 8’s" that are available from many companies that supply findings. Another idea is to use small sterling beads or precut lengths of tubing. These would then require wire and loops. Plastic tubing spacers are used commonly for cord rosaries, why not something similar for wire rosaries? After the holidays when there’s more time, I will put together a few of these ideas and post photos. If you have ideas that work for you, share them. Even "off the wall" ideas sometimes are the stimuli for an idea that someone else might then develop.
Wire Guage - What Do You Use? Recently I made a habit rosary with 19 guage wire. The customer wanted to know why it took so long. It’s hard to explain that working with wire takes time, not to mention how much work it is. For most rosaries I use 20 ga wire for the beads and 21 ga for the bows. I’m getting ready to rewire a wall rosary with 19 ga wire. What do you use? Do you have guide-lines? preferences? I’m sure many use eye pins. I’ve never used them. Please send us your preferences. I’m sure many would like to hear your tips for making wire or mission rosaries. Speaking of wire, we could use tips on where to find wire of all types. I get concerned when I see the prices of sterling and gold filled wire. For anyone making wire rosaries, finding the right wire can be frustrating and expensive to conduct a "trial and error" search. Several subscribers mentioned that they are just beginning. I’m calling on your expertise to help those just starting out. Thank you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Virtual Rosary The rosary has a presence on the web. It is growing by leaps and bounds. When I first started searching the web two years ago for rosary related topics, there was little information ….. a lot of frustration. And, when I first started selling rosaries on eBay, a search would turn up maybe 25 rosaries. Now, a search on the web results in a wide variety of "hits" and a search of eBay (not to mention the other auctions) results in nearly 600 "hits" on any given day. This category will include many diverse subjects. The
first one chosen is a program. Yes, software. It’s called the Virtual Rosary or
vRosary for short. It truly is a marvel in its own rite. The amazing thing is that its
free. Features of Windows version! All the prayers of the Rosary This past spring when I was in contact with the author (programmer), he said it had been downloaded 50,000 times (the newest count is on their homepage and is at 64,000). The newest version is even heftier than the last. There are so many features that there could be a newsletter just for this software. Visit the vRosary site at Visit the Virtual Rosary Homepage, download it, and pass it on to others!
Online Auctions and the Rosary Are you looking for a way to sell your creations? If you’re like me, you can make more rosaries than you have family to give them to. I’ve been selling rosaries and chaplets online for nearly two years. If subscribers are interested in this topic, I’d like to pass on some tips that I’ve learned the hard way. Share your tips as well. Not everyone is interested in this marketing venue. But, it can be a means of evangelization. Many buyers of items over the past two years have expressed their gratitude for rosaries and chaplets being made available to them. We who live in large metropolitan areas don’t have a problem finding a religious gifts store. But, for those in remote areas, their computer is their means of shopping for such items. My first tip is to conduct searches at the various auctions. The following are the auctions that I frequently sell at: Search for items similar to what you make. See what people are making. It is fascinating just to browse sometimes - and can be addicting. There are so many clever people out there. Once you get an idea of what’s out there and the prices, take a photo of the item(s) you plan to sell. I use a digital camera and a scanner. But, when I started out, I used a regular camera and asked that the photo lab put them on diskette for me. That’s not the cheapest way to go, but it does work. You can also ask the local copy center to scan your rosaries (I’ll tell you sometime about the embarrassed young lady at Office Max when I asked her to scan a rosary for me). Post a picture on the auction. There are sites that will host the files for you for free. We’ll get into that more in future issues. It costs so little to list an item on an auction. It’s a great way to show off what you do. It can also be a means of generating a little income so that you can buy more supplies. Let me know your thoughts on this aspect of rosary making. It’s not for everyone, but there are some of us out there heavily involved with online auctions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please submit your regional events to our calendar. October, 2000 Eucharistic Congress in Washington, DC For
more information: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your classified ads to us via email in the categories below. We welcome your suggestions for new categories. We reserve the right to edit ads and the right to refuse to publish ads that do not fit the intent of this e-zine, are unfit to publish, or are contrary to the Magisterium of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Items Wanted No Listings Supplies Wanted No Listings Rosary Making Supplies Our Lady's Rosary Makers Rosaries For Sale No Listings Equipment Wanted Someone has asked for a posting. They are looking for an engraver that can be used to engrave on jewelry. If you have one, please send information and asking price to mikew@seeds-of-faith.com and he will forward the information. Thank you. Equipment for Sale Tired of making wire loops? A rosary makers "best
friend" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To SUBSCRIBE or join this Newsletter List:
To UNSUBSCRIBE or be removed from this Newsletter List: Send an email to mikew@seeds-of-faith.com. In the subject line place: "un-subscribe e-zine". In the body of the email, you may include your name and mailing address to verify. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEEDS OF FAITH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seeds of Faith believes that the information in this e-zine is accurate and reliable, but does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information. Some of this information may represent opinion and judgment. SEEDS OF FAITH MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS INFORMATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE! Seeds of Faith is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this information, or for the results obtained from the use of any of this information, and under no circumstances is Seeds of Faith liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on this information. The business names that appear in this service are trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners. Seeds of Faith is not an agent for, nor in any other way affiliated with, any of the businesses appearing in this e-zine. Seeds of Faith can be reached at the address given above in section 10. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 SEEDS OF FAITH
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