The Six-Decade Carmelite / Brigittine Rosary

The Six-Decade Carmelite / Brigittine Rosary

The place of the Dominican Rosary is so secure in the affections of Catholics that is is difficult to appreciate that other groupings of beads have vied for that position. The six-decade Brigittine devotion actually presented a serious rivalry to the five decade rosary through the Middle Ages. It remains an important devotion today and has interesting overlaps with the five-decade Dominican devotion.

CARMEL AND THE SIX DECADES

Saint Teresa of Jesus prayed the Rosary each day, and whilst travelling throughout Spain stayed in at least one Brigittine Monastery. From these nuns she learned the six-decade Rosary, which was later adopted as the Rosary to be worn as part of the Discalced Carmelite habit, with a large medal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in addition to, (or even in place of,) the Crucifix found on the Dominican Rosary. With the Carmelites only six of the eighteen decades are worn, as opposed to the entire fifteen decades of the Dominican Rosary, worn with the Religious habits of some other Orders.

The Brigittine Rosary consists of six decades. Seven Pater Noster beads honour the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and sixty-three Ave Maria beads commemorate the sixty-three years it is believed she lived on earth before her Assumption. When the whole devotion is offered here are a total of eighteen decades:

Six Joyful Mysteries; the first in honour of the Immaculate Conception.
Six Sorrowful Mysteries; the sixth commemorating the moment when the Body of the Lord was placed in the Arms of His Sorrowful Mother.
Six Glorious Mysteries; the sixth mystery recited in honour of the Patronage of Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace and, for Mary, Queen and Beauty of Carmel.

The other mysteries are the same as in the Dominican Rosary. A significant variant is found at the end of each decade, where the Apostles Creed, rather than the Gloria Patri, is recited. Due to the length of the Apostles creed said six times and the extra mysteries this devotion requires more time to perform than the Dominican Rosary. Perhaps for this reason that the latter has proved to be universally popular.

LOURDES AND THE SIX DECADES

Our Lady of Lourdes holding a six-decade rosary

On the 25th of March 1858 Mary revealed herself to fourteen year old Bernadette and in describing herself as the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, confirmed her status as the New Eve. The Book of Genesis records that the first Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day. Significantly during the first apparition Bernadette began praying her simple five decade rosary but Mary held and prayed the six decade "Brigidine Rosary". The Faithful in that region of France had a long tradition of praying a six- decade Rosary in place of the usual five-decade and Our Lady's reference to this practice is confirmed by the fact that she is depicted as holding a six decade Rosary in the large 'Crowned Virgin' statue in Lourdes. In devotional terms the extra decade is to be recited on behalf of the Souls in Purgatory or in honour of the Immaculate Conception.

From: Newman Chaplets