54-day Rosary to Our Lady

Origin, History and Method:

This devotion, which the author, has called the Rosary Novenas to Our Lady, is of comparatively recent origin. From The Rosary, My Treasure, (Benedictine Convent, Clyde, MO), we read:

“In an apparition of Our Lady of Pompeii, which occurred in 1884 at Naples, in the house of Commander Agrelli, the heavenly Mother deigned to make known the manner in which she desires to be invoked.

“In thirteen months Fortuna Agrelli, the daughter of the Commander, had endured dreadful sufferings and torturous cramps; she had been given up by the most celebrated physicians. On February, 16, 1884, the afflicted girl and her relatives commenced a novena of rosaries. The Queen of the Holy rosary favored her with an apparition on March 3rd. Mary, sitting high upon a throne, surrounded by luminous figures, held the divine child Jesus on her lap, and in her hand held a Rosary. The Virgin Mother and the Holy Infant were clad in gold embroidered garments. They were accompanied by St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. The throne was profusely decorated with flowers; the beauty of Our Lady was marvelous.

“Mary looked upon the sufferer with maternal tenderness, and the patient saluted her with the words 'Queen of the holy rosary, be gracious to me; restore me to health! I have already prayed to thee a novena, O Mary, but have not yet experienced thy aid. I am so anxious to be cured!'

“ 'Child,' responded the Blessed Virgin, 'thou hast invoked me by various titles and hast always obtained favors from me. Now, since thou hast called me by that title so pleasing to me “Queen of the Holy Rosary,” I can no longer refuse the favor thou dost petition; for thy name is most precious and dear to me. Make three novenas, and thou shall obtain all.'

“Once more the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to her and said ‘Whosoever desires to obtain favors from me should make three novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three novenas in thanksgiving.’

“This miracle of the Rosary made a very deep impression on Pope Leo XIII, and greatly contributed to the fact that in so many encyclicals he urged all Christians to love the Rosary and say it fervently.”

-- information courtesy Rosary Novenas to Our Lady

 

The Novena consists of five decades of the Rosary each day for twenty-seven days in petition; then immediately five decades each day for twenty seven days in thanksgiving, whether or not the request was granted.

The meditations vary from day to day. On the first day meditate on the Joyful Mysteries; on the second the Sorrowful Mysteries; on the third day, the Glorious Mysteries; on the fourth day meditate again on the Joyful Mysteries, and so on throughout the 54 days of the novena.

For those who pray the Rosary daily, it will be simply a matter of making a petitionary request and then an offering of thanksgiving. For those who do not, this is certainly a laborious novena, but a Novena of Love. The sincere will not find it too difficult at all.

Should your request not be granted, be assured that our Lord God, and His Queen of the Holy Rosary, know what each one of us stand most in need of and has heard your prayer. You will not have prayed in vain. No prayer ever went unheard, and Our blessed Lady has never been known to fail us, her spiritual children. Look at each “Hail, Mary!” as a rare and beautiful rose which you lay at Mary’s feet. These spiritual roses, bound in a wreath of Spiritual Communions, will be the most pleasing gift to her, and will bring down upon the faithful many graces.

If you would reach the innermost recesses of her heart, lavishly bedeck your wreath with spiritual “diamonds -- that is partaking in the Blessed Sacrament of her Son -- body, blood, soul, and divinity -- the her joy will be unbounded.