Does anyone know the origin of the rosary, or when it came into use? I know that Tibetan Buddhists use a type of prayer beads, but I'm referring to the Roman Catholic rosary.

Also, one of the nuns at my boarding school once told us that there were other kinds of rosaries besides the "standard" one. I think she said these rosaries had medals of various saints in the place where the crucifx usually is, and different numbers of beads, etc. Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks very much!

The historical development of the Rosary begins with the desert fathers and their need to find a system to ease their laborious and repetitive prayer life. It is generally agreed by scholars that a system for counting repetitive prayers began with the Hindus some nine centuries before Christ. Prayer counters such as rocks, sticks or notches in wood were employed to ensure that the proper number of prayers were recited. Over time, counters and psalms were united into a "three groups of fifty" format (Na tri coicat) so that "fifties" could be used for personal and/or penitential prayer.

The fifteenth century provided the development period for the many facets of today's Rosary. During this period the Dominican influence with the Rosary grew and was fostered through both fact and legend. Although the Dominicans were not the sole originators of the Rosary, their influence in the growth, devotion and spread of this prayer cannot be denied. It would not be inaccurate to call them the principal promoters and defenders of the Rosary through history.

The fifteenth century saw the Rosary begin its development into the familiar prayer form we know today. The Our Father came intact from the Gospel of Matthew. The Hail Mary developed from the scriptural greetings of Gabriel and Elizabeth to Mary in Luke's Gospel, plus a popular exhortation in use by the laity of that period. The Glory Be was used as a common doxology from the earliest of Christian times when praying the psalms. The Salve Regina, a later addition to the Rosary, states all relevant medieval themes about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its affiliation with the Rosary came about through popular practice although its precise origin within the devotion is not known. The Apostles' Creed along with the rosary pendant were also later developments, being added to the Rosary only in the early seventeenth century.

The voices of those who have promoted the Rosary have continued to speak. Probably the most significant comment which has come forward is the emphasis on the family as the principal body around which the Rosary can be most effectively utilized. Pope Pius XII spoke of the use of the Rosary in the family setting. The Pope's words were in keeping with the trend initiated in 1942 by Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, who became internationally known as "The Rosary Priest." Through his Family Theater productions and international rosary crusades, the Rosary and family prayer became common practices in the typical Roman Catholic household. Father Peyton's expression, "The family that prays together stays together," became a rallying cry for many of the faithful.

Popes John XXIII and Paul VI introduced new teachings on the Rosary while continuing the teachings of their predecessors. For Pope John, the Rosary was the universal prayer for all the redeemed. Additionally, he taught that the mysteries of the Rosary must have a three-fold purpose: mystical contemplation, intimate reflection and pious intention. Both popes continued to foster the family rosary through writings and support of Father Peyton's Rosary crusade. The views of the pontiffs show that rosary recitation and teaching continues to be important in our contemporary prayer devotion.

Excellent illimination, Fr_Chuck.

For more details, here's the Catholic Encyclopedia entry for it:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm

And there are different types, the Anglican have one type, the Orthodox have them but also normally use prayer rope or braclets that have knots tied in them instead of the rosary.

In the East it was often illegal to own or have any religious emblem, so they often came up with their own ideas of what to use.

The different types that Sister R was talking about were definitely Roman Catholic though... if I'm remembering correctly they were to pray to certain saints, and used different prayers than the traditional one uses. She showed us one too, and like I said before it had a medal of some saint in place of the crucifix on the end of the rosary.

Yes there are 1000's of medals of various Saints. I personally collect relics of Saints, I have an entire wall in my office

Oh that's cool Fr Chuck... what kind of relics do you have? Cloth or actual pieces of saints' bodies or something else? I have a relic myself too, that one of the nuns gave me while I was in school. I believe it's a small piece of cloth that used to be a part of the saint's clothing. I don't remember the saint though, haha. I guess I should take it out and look again. I have it in storage.

Btw, do Catholics still place a relic inside the altar when it's consecrated?

I only have one 1st class relic, I received it from my old Bishop years ago, but it does not have the official church seals and documents, so I can't prove it is. The remainder are either 2nd or 3rd class, a variety of pieces of their personal clothing, to items that touched either the 1st or 2nd class relic.

I have taken the relic, got a picture or photo of that person, a written article about them and placed it all in a picture frame. I have all of them on the one wall.

Yes Catholics always have a piece either in or on the alter. Many Anglicans also do the same practice