Origin, History
Priestly Order of Franciscan
The use of this rosary was begun in the Order of St. Francis in 1422. It is said that a certain novice, before joining the Order, was accustomed to place a crown on a statue of the Blessed Virgin. When he was not allowed to continue this practice he resolved to leave the Order. Then Mary appeared to him and dissuaded him, telling him he could offer a much more pleasing crown by reciting a rosary of 7 decades in honor of her Seven Joys. This is the most highly indulgenced of all the types of rosaries.