Significant People Involved in the Development of the Rosary

The word rosary is derived from the Latin word rosarium which means rose garden or a bunch of rose flowers. The rosary is primarily devoted to the meditation of the significant events in the lives of Jesus Christ and his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is believed that the rosary is in Marian description. Mary is believed to have miraculously symbolized for rose petals. When she was assumed into heaven, rose petals were found on her sickbed.

In the development of the present-day holy rosary, there were people who have contributed in its development that have worked hard and dedicated their efforts to the propagation of rosary as a great tool for Marian devotion. The following notable rosary people are the following:

1.) Desert Fathers
The Desert Fathers were Ascetics who lived in the deserts of Egypt around 3rd century. They were the first Christians recorded to use prayer ropes to take account of repetitive prayers of Jesus Prayer.

2.) St. Eligius
St. Eligius of Loye proposed of making a chair adorned with 150 gold and silver nails to be used as a guide in praying the Psalms of the Blessed Mary. St. Eligius is the patron saints of horses and horsemen.

3.) Venerable Bede
Venerable Bede, the Father of English History, believed that churches and public places in England and France should have available beads for the faithful.  Pope Leo XIII, known as the Rosary Pope, appointed Bede as a Doctor of the Church, a very important and glorious position.

4.) Saint Aibert of Crespin
-was recorded to have recited 150 Hail Marys daily with 100 genuflexions and 50 prostrations.  St. Aibert is a Benedictine monk known for his rosary prayer life and asceticism.

5.) Saint Rosalia
-also known as La Zantuzza (Little Saint) was buried with a string of prayer beads in 1160.

6.) Saint Dominic
-was believed to have accepted the Rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, creating the origin of the holy rosary. St. Dominic is the founding father of the Preacher Friars called the Dominicans.

7.) St. Louis de Monfort
-had proposed five different methods of saying the rosary that are much holier and more personal. 

8.) Dominic of Prussia
-introduced in 15th century the 50 mysteries one for each Ave Maria.

9.) Pope Pius V
- is the pope who established the current form of the original fifteen (15) mysteries in 1569.

10.) Venerable Luis de Granada,
In 1587, he published in Italy a book entitled Rosario della Sacratissima Vergine Maria which also proposes methods of praying the rosary similar to the methods of St. Louis de Montfort.

11.) Pope Paul VI
In 1974 he issued the Apostolic Letter entitled Marialis Cultis which dedicated fourteen sections of the rosary to be used by the Roman Catholic Church.

12.) Pope Leo XIII
-He was known as the Rosary Pope. He is very well known to publish five Apostolic Letters and fourteen encyclicals about the importance of Marian and Rosary devotion. He also stressed the role of the Virgin Mary as the Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix of the humanity.

13.) Pope John Paul II,
-in 2002 published the Apostolic Letter entitled, Rosarium Virginis Mariae which adds another five mysteries in praying the rosary – the Mysteries of the Light or the Luminous Mysteries.