From the 19th century to now, the rosary has remained a powerful symbol of the importance and relevance of the lives of Christ and Mary to modern Catholic life. Beginning in the 16th century and continuing to the present day, many Popes have strongly supported the institution of the rosary. It was Pope St. Pious V, a Dominical, who wrote the first Encyclical Letter on the Rosary, establishing its essential format and values and recommending it to the faithful.

Later Popes in the 19th and 20th centuries endorsed the use of the rosary as a devotional practice. Pope Pius XII spoke of using the rosary in a family setting, while Popes John XXIII and Paul VI introduced new teachings on the Rosary. Pope John believed that the rosary was a universal prayer for all humankind. Pope John Paul II took a bold step and in 2002 added a fourth Mystery, the “Luminous Mysteries”. The Luminous Mysteries fill the gap between the last Joyful Mystery, when Christ was a child, and the Sorrowful Mystery, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gesthemene. In focusing on Jesus’ public life, we are to reflect on our own public lives.

Yet with many people leading busy lives, often there is not enough time to pray a standard rosary. One alternative is to pray what is known as a “short rosary”, where the prayers are shortened. With practice, the mysteries can be combined with this abbreviated prayer. What is important is taking time, however short, to reflect and re-connect with God through prayer—and the rosary is a time-honored tradition for doing so.