Join a Spiritual POWERHOUSE
The National Catholic Register recently ran a wonderful article on the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary, which is affiliated with the Dominican Order.
Read the whole article here: https://www.ncregister.com/features/marian-prayers-for-good-intentions-the-spiritual-powerhouse-of-the-confraternity-of-the-most-holy-rosary
The article describes the immense spiritual benefits of the Confraternity as well as its support by popes and saints.
If you learned of a society or spiritual association with no dues and no meetings that had millions of members worldwide praying for each member, would you consider joining?
There is such a society. It has been hailed by the Holy Fathers and rooted in the Rosary: the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.
The confraternity was founded almost 750 years ago, and those interested easily enroll in one of the Dominican provinces throughout the country or through a local parish if there is a group established there.
The members of the confraternity share in the prayers and Masses of not only their fellow Confraternity members, but of the entire Dominican Order. What a privilege! And the only obligation? To pray three rosaries per week offered for the intentions of the confraternity - an obligation which does not bind under sin.
So why not join? It is a way to commit yourself to a deeper prayer life if you do not already pray the rosary, and if you do, the daily rosary which you already pray (even if you offer it for another intention) counts to fulfill your Confraternity obligation. You would simply add the Confraternity intention as an additional intention.
Want to hear what saints had to say about the confraternity? From the National Catholic Register article:
In February 1491, in the papal bull Splendor Paternae Gloriae, Innocent VIII called this Rosary organization “a most devout confraternity.” So highly did St. Charles Borromeo regard the confraternity, he had every parish in his diocese establish one.
St. John Vianney said, “If anyone has the happiness of being in the confraternity of the Holy Rosary, they have, in all corners of the globe, brethren who pray for them.” Moreover, he believed, “For a member of the confraternity of the Holy Rosary to succeed in losing their soul, they would have to do as much violence to themselves as the other faithful do to save their souls, so abundant are the graces of this confraternity.”
Wow! Now that’s a sales pitch! But maybe you want to hear a “normal” person’s perspective. Well, the Register has that for you as well.
Mary Leathley joined the confraternity four years ago. Looking back, she said, “When I learned about it, I was absolutely inspired. When you think of the beautiful meditation of the Rosary, and then doing that as a member of the confraternity, with all those spiritual benefits of the countless numbers of Rosaries said as you’re all in community saying it together, it’s pretty powerful.”
So what are you waiting for? Grow in your own faith life and devotion to Our Lady, share in the prayers not only of your fellow Confraternity members but of the entire Dominican Order (including ours!). As the article points out, signing up is easy:
Joining is simple. “Anyone can sign up in the geographic province they reside in,” explained Father Shonk. There are four Dominican provinces covering the country. The Dominican Province of St. Joseph (RosaryConfraternity.org) is the Eastern one. The Western is the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (RosaryCenter.org). The Central is the Province of St. Albert the Great (MarysCrown.org).The Southern is the Province of St. Martin de Porres (DominicanConfraternity.org).
Here in New Jersey, we fall under the Province of St. Joseph along with the rest of the Eastern United States. However, if you aren’t sure what province you fall under, you can find a helpful map with links here: http://rosaryconfraternity.org/documents-and-resources/rosary-confraternity-links/
