ABSTRACT
The rosary is a Christian way of praying, ultimately inspired by the 150 Psalms from the Hebrew Scriptures. Medieval Irish monks organized the psalms into three groups of fifty, establishing a form of prayer that gained popularity in Europe, especially among townspeople who had no access to prayer books. The rosary evolved into its recognizable form only in the 16th century. It is usually prayed on a series of beads strung together, also called a rosary, after the Latin rosarium or rose garden, which was associated with the Virgin Mary. Among the most ardent promoters of the praying of the rosary are the members of the Order of Friars Preachers (O.P.). They are more popularly known as the Dominicans, after their founder St. Dominic, or Santo Domingo. One of the most common scenes in Dominican art depicts the legend where Our Lady appeared to St. Dominic, urging him to use the rosary in the conversion of heretics. 1
