Rosary Altar Society

CONTACT: Ada Dougherty♦ (908) 647-7262♦ comptonct@aol.com

Founded at Saint James in 1948, the Confraternity of the Rosary (The Rosary Altar Society) is grounded in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and has as its purpose to secure her patronage by the recitation of the Rosary for the spiritual benefit of members worldwide. Members gather each Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel to pray the Rosary, asking Mary’s intercession for peace throughout the world. All parishioners are welcome. Devotion to the Blessed Mother is promoted throughout the parish by the distribution of Rosary prayer pamphlets each October, the annual May Crowning and an outreach program: praying the Rosary with assisted living residents.

The Rosary Altar Society is also a service organization, devoted to the care of the Lord’s sacred altars. As Mary lovingly tended the Holy Family’s home in Nazareth, members also regularly undertake the care and cleaning of Mass linens (The Holy Wash), the altar linens, the priests’ and altar servers’ albs, and the church and the chapel before Christmas and Easter. The Society is also responsible for ordering weekly flower arrangements and for the beautiful decorations enjoyed by all at Christmas, Easter and other Holy Days. Baptismal bibs are lovingly handmade for all babies baptized at Saint James.

 

Members enjoy fellowship with each other at monthly gatherings on the first Monday following the first Sunday of each month in the chapel auditorium. The Society welcomes guest speakers, celebrates an annual Mass and hosts a card party open to all. New members are inducted into the Society each October with a beautiful candle and blessing of roses ceremony.

 

Membership in the Rosary Altar Society is open to all adult women of the parish.

 

Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the foundation of your joy? --Our Lady of Guadalupe