The Rosary Confraternity is a spiritual association (of the Catholic Church), the members of which strive to pray the entire Rosary during each week. They form a union of countless hundreds of thousands of the faithful throughout the world who, along with their own intentions, include the intentions and needs of all its members, while they in turn pray for them.

Each member includes deceased fellow members as well; and thus, he knows that in turn he will be included in the prayers of hundreds of thousands both now and hereafter. This led the Cure of Ars to say: “If anyone has the happiness of being in the Confraternity of the Rosary, he has in all corners of the world brothers and sisters who pray for him.” The deceased cannot be enrolled in the Confraternity.

The Obligations, Benefits, Indulgences and Promises

OBLIGATIONS

Each member strives to pray the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary each week (this does not bind under sin) and must have his/her name inscribed in the register of the Confraternity. There are no meetings, no dues.

Since St. John Paul II added the five luminous mysteries, members of the Confraternity should strive to include that extra weekly Rosary. However, the Dominicans have yet received no official statement regarding this matter. Those who recite only the fifteen traditional mysteries will continue to share in the benefits of the Confraternity until some official source declares the contrary.

 

BENEFITS

The Special Protection of the Mother of God.

A share in the prayer of countless thousands of members the world over, and this even after death.

A share in the prayers, Masses and apostolic works of the entire Dominican Order.

The intercession of the entire heavenly court.

Various plenary and partial indulgences.

INDULGENCES IN GENERAL

An indulgence is the cancellation of temporal punishment due for sin, when the sin’s guilt has already been pardoned.

An indulgence is partial if it frees the Christian partially from the temporal punishment due for his sins, plenary if it frees him wholly.

Both partial and plenary indulgences can always be applied to the dead, but only by way of suffrage.

Since the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI on Indulgences, a partial indulgence is no longer expressed in reference to time, i.e., days or years.

A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day, except by those on the threshold of death.

To gain a plenary indulgence the person must perform the indulgenced act, and satisfy these conditions: Sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, prayer for the Pope’s intention, and freedom from all attachment to sin, even venial sin. If this detachment is not present, or if any of the above conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence is partial.

ROSARY INDULGENCES

For members of the Rosary Confraternity, a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, is granted:

on the day of enrolment. (When application is made, a certificate of membership is sent, indicating the day of the enrolment.)

on the following feast days: Christmas, Easter, Annunciation, Purification, Assumption, Our Lady of the Rosary, and Immaculate Conception.

 For those who pray the Rosary, a plenary indulgence is granted under the usual conditions, when the Rosary is prayed in Church, or in a Public Oratory, in a family (family Rosary), Religious Community, or Pious Association. Otherwise, a partial indulgence is granted.