Religious practice in the past

Rosary

The Rosary is a prayer of devotion to Mary, mother of Jesus. The prayer is divided into five decades. Each decade consists of the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and the Glory Be to the Father. In the past, there were three sets of five decades, called the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II intorduced another set of mysteries of the Rosary, called the Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light. In the past, people went to church for Rosary and Benediction each evening in October and May. The Family Rosary was a very popular religious practice in Ireland.

How to pray the Rosary http://www.pacifier.com/rosary-center.org/howto.htm

http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/joy.html (Rosary)

Bendiction

• In the past, people went to Benediction each evening during October and May. They also went on a Sunday evening. At Benediction, the priest places the Blessed Sacrament (Body of Christ) in a monstrance on the altar. The people kneel in front of the Blessed Sacrament and sing hymns of praise. Then the priest blesses the people with the Blessed Sacrament. After the blessing, the people say prayers of adoration.

Procession of Blessed Sacrament

• In the past, most parishes celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) with a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament. The priest carried a monstrance containg the Blessed Sacrament through the town or village. He blessed the people with the Blessed Sacrament at various points along the way. Most people took part in the procession. They honoured the Blessed sacrament by singing hymns and praying the Rosary.

Parish Missions

In the past,a Prish Mission was held in nearly every parish in Ireland. Visiting priests celebrated Mass and the sacrament of Reconciliation. They also celebrated the Rosary and Benediction. During the mission, the priests gave long ceremonies encouraging devotional practices such as Family Rosary, Benediction and the Stations of the Cross. The Prish Mission was usually well attended.

40 Hours Devotion, or "Quarant'Ore"

The 40 Hours Devotion is the collective adoration of the exposed Eucharist for a period of 40 hours, in honor of the time Our Lord spent in the tomb (no single person is expected to spend 40 hours in adoration).

Stations of the Cross

In the past, many people prayed Stations of the Cross. During the Stations of the Cross, a person reflects on 14 points along Jesus’ final journey to calvary. Images of these 14 points are displayed on the walls of roman Catholic churches. Usually, a person prayes the Stations of the Cross on their own. However, on Good Friday, Roman Catholics gather together to pray the Stations of the Cross.

Places of Pilgrimage

• In the past, pilgrimages (journeys to sacred places) were a popular religious practice. People went on pilgrimages to Croagh Patrick, Knock and to many other places, including holy wells.