Join the Confraternity !

I’ve just been reading one of shadowlands’ posts, about saying her Rosary; and it reminded of something.

A while ago now she contacted me to ask about joining the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary; which is the original Rosary Confraternity set up many years ago by the Dominicans, and to which, over the years, many Popes have given great privileges and indulgences – indeed, most Popes have been Members of it, and recommended it highly.

It’s not exactly burdensome : joining costs nothing, and there are no meetings to go to . . . you just have to say your Rosary daily; and even that does not bind under pain of sin. The original theory was that you said all fifteen decades every day; but that has been altered, and once a week is fine nowadays – you still qualify, and you still get lots of indulgences, so the Holy Souls will be immensely grateful, quite apart from whatever good you do for yourself.

In fact, all you have to do is to be enrolled . . . and that’s the interesting bit : because, guess what, there’s a website for the Confraternity. What’s not so obvious is that it’s for the American branch; and whilst that won’t in theory make any difference to your enrolment, you will probably never hear anything to confirm that you’ve been enrolled, and I suppose it’s at least possible that they might conclude that it was simply someone being silly, and not enrol you anyway.

There is, of course, a Promoter of the Rosary in the English Dominican Province; but he doesn’t have a posh website.

However, he is fr Neil Ferguson OP, and you can email by clicking on his name, and ask to be enrolled in the Confraternity. (If you’re not in England, then he might be able to tell you who to contact in your own country, or your own Dominican Province should be able to tell you who your Promoter is.)

Oh : and you get a Plenary Indulgence for saying the Rosary on the day of your enrolment, on the usual conditions . . . so what are you waiting for ?