October is the month of the Rosary. A reminder that we will be praying a rosary 30 minutes before each Sunday Mass during this month for the month of the rosary. Thus, in honor of this month, I wanted to tell you the story behind two “rosary businesses” that I think are a bit inspiring.
1) William Henry: A 15-year old teenager in North Carolina who started making and selling rosaries. He says he didn’t used to have much a devotion to the rosary; but that changed a few years ago, when a friend of his started making rosaries, and gave William an Irish penal rosary – a type of one-decade rosary used when Catholicism was illegal in Ireland. “He showed it to me and my family, and I thought it was awesome,” William said. “The day after I got it, I think I carried it around all day, just praying the rosary every now and then. I really gravitated toward it.” William said that what struck him about that first Irish penal rosary from his friend was that it was beautiful without being fragile. “You could tell there was a lot of care put into it just by holding it. The beads are brass, so it felt really nice just to hold it in your hands. It looked pretty at the same time. You didn’t think it was going to break on you, and you wouldn’t have to order four rosaries a year. I think that’s what really stuck out to me, that you could have one rosary that’s both durable and beautiful at the same time.”
He was so enthralled with the rosary that his friend jokingly suggested starting a business. So he did. This combination of beauty and durability became the central concept behind William Henry’s business.
He said he’s seen many rosaries that are beautiful but delicate. He wanted to create a rosary that could handle years of wear-and-tear, but without sacrificing beauty. And so, William created his own company to make and sell such rosaries: Rings of the Lord, visit www.ringsofthelord.com. William designed almost the entirety of the current website himself, experimenting and watching online videos to learn as he went.
2) Rugged Rosaries: Another rosary-making business that was inspired to make rosaries that were both durable and beautiful is Rugged Rosaries. The 1916 World War I service combat rosaries issued by the U.S. and French governments to soldiers, sailors, and flying aces in WWI inspired this group. These rosaries were made from “pull chain” ball chain beading, made to be durable, sturdy, and not knot up or easily break, in extreme conditions that soldiers would face. Thus, Rugged Rosaries was inspired to make such durable replica WWI “combat rosaries.” This style of rosary is made to, “serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers in World War I and the importance of faith during the times of conflict. Thus, this rosary is designed to both pay tribute to the past while inspiring one’s own faith.” In the same spirit, Rugged Rosaries also makes rosaries out of modern sturdy military-grade paracord.
Peace,
– Fr. Kevin
