Masterclass in Rosary manufacture

16 May 2013

By Matthew Biddle

Catholics in Bateman practise their newfound art of Rosary making. PHOTO: Matthew Biddle

Bateman parishioners are among a growing number of Perth Catholics who are generously making Rosaries to be sent to overseas missions.

The parish has recently started hosting Rosary-making classes where parishioners are taught from scratch how to turn 59 beads, a small crucifix, a medal and a piece of string into a Rosary.

Felicia Krasinski made her first Rosary last year and is now sharing her knowledge with fellow parishioners.

“One day I was just reading a magazine and saw that there was someone requesting Rosaries, and then I thought maybe I should start to learn,” she said.

“I went on the internet and learnt the instructions and then went from there.”

In October, in honour of the month of the Rosary, Mrs Krasinski made a number of Rosaries that she donated to her parish.

She then decided to pursue the initiative after parishioners expressed an interest in learning to make Rosaries.

Materials are generally sourced from the internet and purchased from any donations received.

“From there we do the classes … we start off with a decade of the Rosary and we say a prayer, and then we all just start making the Rosaries,” Mrs Krasinski explained.

The completed Rosaries are then blessed and sent overseas to any places that request them.

“We sent off 100 to Thailand … and then we sent 100 to St Bede’s orphanage in India. Since March, we have made 663 Rosaries,” Mrs Krasinski said.

The website of Our Lady’s Rosary Makers International frequently lists overseas missions that require Rosaries for their work.

Destinations include missions in Kenya, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

While for beginners it can take up to an hour to make a Rosary, it usually takes about 15 minutes for those more experienced.