The Seven Joys Of Our Lady – The Franciscan Crown

The month of December is a preparation time in Advent when we, as Catholics, prepare for the Birth of Our Savior. One way we prepare is through focused prayer and routine prayer daily. The Franciscan Crown is a traditional prayer routine, a version of the Holy Rosary which focuses on seven events, also known as the Seven Joys of Mary.

The practice of praying this type of Holy Rosary requires a different set of rosary beads, which have seven decades instead of the more traditional set with five decades. The Catholic heritage behind the Franciscan Crown goes back to the 1422 when a young novice had a vision of Our Lady after placing a wreath of flowers around her statue.

The traditional story goes that Our Lady instructed him to pray a seven decade rosary that formed a crown more pleasing to Her than the wreath of flowers. The routine grew throughout the Franciscan Order and became a universal way for Catholics to pray the Holy Rosary in the centuries to follow.

The Franciscan Crown Rosary focuses in on The Seven Joys of Mary which are recognized as the following events in Our Blessed Lady’s life as recorded in Biblical and Catholic tradition:

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
2. The Visitation (Luke 1:39–56)
3. The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1)
4. The Adoration of the Magi (Matthew 2:11)
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)
6. The Appearance of Christ to Mary after the Resurrection (John 20, 21)
7. The Assumption and Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven (Revelation 12:1)

The beads used to pray this devotion are also different, with seven decades of beads, and with the instruction to pray two extra Hail Mary prayers after the Seventh Joy is completed to bring the total to 72 Hail Mary prayers in commemoration for the 72 years it is believed Our Lady lived on Earth.

The history of the devotion is summarized in so many well written and well researched materials out there both in print media and online. I wanted to share with you my own experiences while praying this powerful version of the Rosary.

The first time that I prayed the Franciscan Crown Rosary was on a train bound for New York City. I was surrounded by people who were all being very loud either talking on the phone, listening to music, or playing videos on a device. I needed some peace, calm, and to focus on something for part of the trip so I decided to pray for a while.

I recall at the time that I had recently found some information on The Franciscan Crown when I was doing research for a different project on an aspect of Catholic rituals of prayer. I also recall being struck by the dedication I imagined it would require to complete that particular devotion.

That day on the train I had nothing, but time and I like to look out the windows when I ride the train and see the changes of landscape up the New Jersey coast. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to make my first attempt at the Franciscan Crown Rosary, but I had only a rosary ring with me in my pocket. I decided it would be easy because I would just rotate around the rosary ring seven times and then add the two other Hail Mary prayers at the conclusion.

I can “zone out” noise around me and concentrate under adverse conditions on the task in front of me. I have always been able to do so, and I do not know where that level of focus comes from, if not from God Our Father. I remember old home videos of me doing some sort of task with all kinds of mayhem going on around me. It is certainly a blessing, especially now in such a chaotic, social media-driven world to have that level of focus.

During another point in my career I worked in New York City and would commute by train to the office. I did not enjoy some aspects of that “rat race” type blitz to and from Manhattan every day, but what I did enjoy was the stretch of time on the train. It allowed me to decompress from the day and provided me with time to reflect, read, pray and listen to music. I would very often pray the Holy Rosary on the train and meditate on some reflections in a prayer book I brought with me.

That day, many years later, when I found myself on the train praying the Franciscan Crown Rosary, it allowed me to filter out the noise of the world. It allowed me to reflect upon the joy that Our Lady must have felt in Her Immaculate Heart during those events. It allowed me to reflect on the joy of Our Lord and how I could bring that light into my own little world.

The entire devotion went by quickly and in the other times in my life when I have prayed the Franciscan Crown I have felt tremendous peace. I wish for you especially during the Advent and Christmas season to benefit in the same way. I pray that you will consider adding the Franciscan Crown Rosary to your prayer routine once or twice per week.

I pray that The Blessed Mother be with you all and your families and that through this devotion you will all be brought to Jesus through Mary. May God Bless you all with a Blessed Christmas.