Rosary devotions are a foundational element of Catholicism. The practice dates back to the early 1400s and is still widely used today. The 150-bead chain usually adorned with a cross or statuette of the Virgin Mary is intended to help laypeople replicate the meditation practices of monks. Believers recite the same prayer, which includes a mixture of spiritual mantras and contemplation of religious stories known as mysteries, while holding the Rosary in their hands.
The 15 promises of the Rosary originate from the visions of Alain de la Roche, a preacher from the Dominican Order who lived in the 15th century. In his vision, the Virgin Mary revealed to St. Dominic that faithful recitations of the Rosary prayer will result in a number of blessings, including entrance into heaven, a blessed existence on Earth, and protection against sin.
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