Q: What is the Mission Rosary?

A: The Mission Rosary links two major concerns of our church: prayer and apostolate. The rosary is a traditional form of prayer which combines remembrance, praise and petition. It remembers the events of Salvation History and is, in fact, the memorial of Christ’s mission. The Hail Mary as essential part of the Rosary combines praise and intercession. It praises God for the wonderful things he has done for Mary and through her. But its second half also reminds us that we are in need of God’s help and protection, which we seek with Mary as intercessor.

If the rosary already by itself points to apostolate and mission, this idea has been reinforced by Mary’s urging to convert and evangelize expressed in numerous apparitions. The missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word consider themselves mandated to bring this message to the whole world, especially in view of promoting peace. One of the tools they use is the mission rosary. It encourages prayers for their mission. The colored beads symbolize the missionary efforts of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in each of the five continents. The beads of each decade of the rosary then has a distinct color:

– Red for the Americas (North, Central, and South)

– Green for Africa

– White for Europe

– Blue for Oceania

– Yellow for Asia

The missionary rosary follows the normal pattern of Creed, Our Father, three Hail Marys, Glory and the five decades (each for the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries). For each of these decades the ten Hail Marys are preceded by the Our Father and conclude with the Glory.