1,025 Rosaries. One Bead at a Time.
Today was a very special day for the Rosary Makers of Rye.
We shipped 1,025 World Mission Rosaries to the Convent of St. Jude in Illinois, where they will join thousands of others being collected in preparation for the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. In total, 75,000 World Mission Rosaries will be brought together, blessed and distributed to those attending the Beatification events.
Our goal was 1,000. We made 1,025. And we did it in one month.
When we first committed to making 1,000 Rosaries, the number felt huge. We thought it would take us much longer. Instead, more than 30 people became part of this effort... from the Rosary Makers who joined us consistently to friends, family and members of our community who helped whenever they could.
And together, we did it.
Why the World Mission Rosary?
There is something particularly meaningful about making the World Mission Rosary for Archbishop Fulton Sheen's Beatification: he created it himself.
In 1951, while serving as National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Archbishop Sheen created the World Mission Rosary as an invitation to Catholics to pray not only for themselves, but for people throughout the entire world.
Unlike a traditional Rosary made in one color, the five decades of the World Mission Rosary are represented by five different colors, each reminding us to pray for a different part of the world: green for Africa, red for the Americas, white for Europe, blue for Oceania and yellow for Asia.
So as we made these colorful Rosaries, bead by bead, we weren't simply working toward a number. Each Rosary was being made as an instrument of prayer for the world.
More Than 1,025 Rosaries
I'm incredibly proud of what we accomplished together. But as I looked at those boxes leaving Rye today, I realized that what we gained from this experience goes far beyond the 1,025 Rosaries inside them.
We built community and experienced what can happen when people come together around a shared mission. We inspired others to join us, deepened friendships with beloved Rosary Makers and made new ones. We prayed together and somehow found time in very busy schedules because this mattered to us.
I also witnessed generosity in so many forms. People gave their time, shared their talents and opened their homes so we could gather. Others picked up supplies and made Rosaries from home. Everyone contributed differently, and every contribution mattered.
There is something else that making more than 1,000 Rosaries taught me: you cannot rush a Rosary.
You make it one bead at a time. There are steps to follow, and you cannot skip one because you're in a hurry. You make a knot, place the next bead and keep going. And with practice, you get better.
I couldn't help thinking about how similar that is to the Mater Rosae Mission of One Million Rosaries in One Million Hands.
One Million is an enormous number. But we don't have to make One Million today. We have to make the next Rosary, and then the next one, and then the next.
One bead at a time. One Rosary at a time. One pair of hands at a time.
Another Lesson in Trust
Perhaps the biggest lesson continues to be the same one God has been teaching me since the beginning of Mater Rosae: Trust.
When we committed to 1,000 Rosaries, we didn't have 30 people ready to make them. We didn't know exactly how quickly we could do it, and we certainly didn't have every detail figured out. We simply said yes, and then God showed us the way.
He brought the people, provided the materials, gave us places to gather and helped us find the time. Somehow, what initially felt difficult became possible.
This has been the story of One Million Rosaries in One Million Hands from the beginning. I don't know every step that will take us there, and I'm learning that I don't need to. I need to trust, keep moving and make the next Rosary.
And We Are Not Stopping
The best part is that we finished ahead of schedule.
So instead of stopping at 1,025, the Rosary Makers of Rye will keep making World Mission Rosaries until the collection deadline. We now know what we can accomplish together, and there are always more hands waiting for a Rosary.
Today, 1,025 more Rosaries are on their way.
And somehow, there is one more beautiful detail in this story. Today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady's birthday.
After a month of making Rosaries one bead at a time, we completed this first commitment and shipped them on her birthday. I can't think of a more beautiful gift to offer Our Lady: 1,025 Rosaries that will soon be blessed and placed into 1,025 pairs of hands, inviting each person to pray the Rosary and, we hope, bringing more hearts closer to Jesus, through His Mom.
I like to think that this gift makes her happy and puts a smile on her face.
And as we continue, I keep coming back to these words:
We are not just making Rosaries.
We are making instruments of prayer.
We are building a bridge between hearts and God.
And we are placing our work into Mary's hands.
One Million Rosaries in One Million Hands.