Dominican Rosary Workshop Promotes Meditative Prayer in South Goa

BETALBATIM, Goa, October 4, 2026: About 160 parishioners gathered at Our Lady of Remedies Church, Betalbatim, for a Dominican Rosary Workshop that combined catechesis on the prayer with practical training in making a Rosary.

Organised by the Dominican Friars of St Thomas Aquinas Priory, Orlim, the workshop sought to help participants move beyond the routine recitation of the Rosary and discover it as a form of meditative prayer.

Parish priest Fr Adrian Furtado inaugurated the programme by tying the first knot of a Rosary. He commended the Dominican Friars for continuing their traditional role in promoting and safeguarding devotion to the Rosary in the Church.

Fr Amaresh D’Souza, OP, student master, explained the origins of the initiative and reflected on the symbolism of the knots used in making the Rosary.

“As the faithful tie each knot in prayer, the Blessed Mother helps them untie the knots in their own lives,” he said.

The programme featured three sessions: “The History and Evolution of the Rosary,” “The Rosary in Our Day-to-Day Life” and “The Rosary as a Mental Prayer.” The sessions explored the development of the devotion, its place in contemporary Christian life and its potential as a means of contemplative prayer.

Participants were subsequently divided into groups for practical instruction in making their own Rosaries. The hands-on activity enabled them to connect the physical making of the prayer beads with the spirituality and discipline of praying the Rosary.

The friars also used action songs and a flash mob to engage participants and add a lively dimension to the gathering. At the conclusion of the workshop, each participant took home a Rosary made during the session.

Reflecting on the experience, one parishioner said the workshop had helped her gain a deeper understanding of the Rosary and, in particular, how it can be prayed meditatively.

The Dominican Friars will conduct similar workshops at Our Lady of Succour Church, Carmona, on October 11; St Michael the Archangel Church, Orlim, on October 18; and Holy Cross Church, Cavelossim, on October 25.

The workshops begin at 3:30 p.m. Registration is free but compulsory, and parishioners from other communities are welcome to participate after registering.

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By Br. Gem Jacob George, OP

St. Thomas Priory

Orlim, Goa