Chant the Rosary... in Latin!

Poe.com ^ | July 7, 2007 | Richard Lawrence Poe

[Richard Poe]

There are many ways to sing the Rosary. This is just one of them. No single approach is authorized or mandated by the Church. Still, the method set forth below carries a certain weight of tradition, for it draws, wherever possible, on the most venerable customs and practices of our Catholic ancestors.

Most of the prayers recited in the Rosary -- the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Salve Regina and so on -- have been sung for centuries in the form of Gregorian chants. I do not know if these chants were ever used for the specific purpose of singing the Rosary, but it seems likely.

Wherever I could find free audio files on the Internet featuring traditional chants corresponding to the Rosary prayers, I linked to them here. In several instances where I could not find traditional chants -- (or, in the case of Salve Regina, could not find a recorded version which included the necessary coda, "Prayer Concluding the Rosary") -- I commissioned composer David Yeagley to write new chants in the traditional style.

To the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, I dedicate this work. And to my readers, I commend the "Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" declared by Pope Pius XII on October 31, 1942, in which he prayed to the Blessed Mother, "Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully."

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For Latin text and MP3 audio links of Latin chants, go here.

A Work in Progress

As of this writing, I have not yet found or commissioned a chant for the Apostle's Creed, but will fill this gap when I can. For better or worse, I set a goal of posting this article on July 7, 2007 -- the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the new millennium -- and so I have, warts and all.

This is still a work in progress. If any readers know of free audio links of traditional chants which would help complete or enhance this page, please e-mail your suggestions to me.

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Chant the Rosary in 35 Simple Steps Step 1: Make and chant the Sign of the Cross Step 2: Kiss the Crucifix Step 3: Chant the Apostles' Creed Step 4: Chant the Our Father Step 5: Chant three Hail Marys Step 6: Chant the Glory Be Step 7: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 8: State the First Mystery and meditate on it through the next four steps. Step 9: Chant the Our Father Step 10: Chant Ten Hail Marys Step 11: Chant the Glory Be Step 12: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 13: State the Second Mystery and meditate on it through the next four steps. Step 14: Chant the Our Father Step 15: Chant Ten Hail Marys Step 16: Chant the Glory Be Step 17: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 18: State the Third Mystery and meditate on it through the next four steps. Step 19: Chant the Our Father Step 20: Chant Ten Hail Marys Step 21: Chant the Glory Be Step 22: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 23: State the Fourth Mystery and meditate on it through the next four steps. Step 24: Chant the Our Father Step 25: Chant Ten Hail Marys Step 26: Chant the Glory Be Step 27: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 28: State the Fifth Mystery and meditate on it through the next four steps. Step 29: Chant the Our Father Step 30: Chant Ten Hail Marys Step 31: Chant the Glory Be Step 32: Chant the Fatima Prayer Step 33: Chant the Hail Holy Queen and its coda, the Prayer Concluding the Rosary Step 34: Chant the Prayer to St. Michael Step 35: Make and chant the Sign of the Cross

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[Richard Poe]

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF of my Traditional Roman Catholic ping list.

[padre35]

add me to your ping list Mr.Poe, if you please

[massgopguy]

Check the Knights of Columbus web-site for results on The Rosary Bowl.

[netmilsmom]

Thank you so much for this!

How about a ping for the Catholics not on the list that need to learn Latin?

[Petronski]

Only thirty-five simple steps?

[expatguy]

bttt

[MarkBsnr]

Nice presentation. Thanks.

http://www.virtualrosary.org/dload.php for Windows, Mac and Palm platforms not only have the Luminous Mysteries, but there are many optional verses and prayers, including Latin.

[sneakers]

Please add me too. And make sure to go to

http://www.lumengentleman.com/motucontacts.asp

for the Summorum Pontificum Database!

[Richard Poe]

Nice presentation.

Thank you!

Unfortunately, the layout looks a little mixed-up when viewed through the Safari browser. I didn't notice this problem until it was too late -- I had already posted it to FreeRepublic.

The layout looks okay when viewed through Firefox, because I coded this post using Firefox. But I shudder to think how it looks in Internet Explorer.

[sigh]

[Salvation]

I’ve done a ‘sung’ one and it took forever. I’m sure this does too.

[Salvation]

Having one here in Oregon! Pray for us!

[pgkdan]

bump for later

[OpusatFR]

Wonderful!

Play all of them at once. They are all complementary. Not a discordant note, not one. I guess that is what all the billions of prayers sound like when they reach heaven; one incredible prayer.

Maybe Latin chant is more than just another noise in another language.

[MarkBsnr]

It looks fine in Micro$haft Exploder.

I like Firefox as well, but our IT department severely disapproves.

[fatima]

This is a wonderful work Richard.Add me to your ping list.

[LurkingSince'98]

On your ping list please