What is the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary?
What is the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary?
Also known as the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows or the Servite Rosary, this chaplet includes seven sets of seven beads, as well as seven medals that depict the Sorrows of Mary. In 1239, the newly formed Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary decided to devote their order to the Sorrows of Mary, meditating especially on her seven sorrows, a number that indicates fullness. The Servites particularly promoted this chaplet during the Black Death in the 14th-century.
During the Rwandan genocide of the 1980s, Our Lady of Kibeho, in an apparition recognized by the Church, greatly recommended the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows during her appearances to three teenage girls. This practice could be a model for ourselves in times of personal and corporate trial.