How to Store, Care for and Properly Dispose of a Rosary

A rosary accompanies many people for years: in a coat pocket, on the bedside table, on journeys. Over time the cord frays, a bead comes loose, and at some point the question arises of what should happen to a blessed rosary that can no longer be used. This guide shows how to store a rosary, which rosary pouch suits which bead size, what our product information says about care and how to dispose of a broken blessed rosary with reverence.

How should you store a rosary properly?

A rosary is kept in a fixed, clean place: at home, for instance, by the cross or at the bedside, and on the move in a rosary pouch. If it is blessed, the 1917 Code of Canon Law requires that it be treated with reverence and not put to profane use (can. 1150).

The canon reads: Res consecratae, vel benedictae constitutiva benedictione, reverenter tractentur neque ad usum profanum vel non proprium adhibeantur, etiamsi in dominio privatorum sint. Things that are consecrated, or blessed with a constitutive blessing, are to be treated with reverence and not employed for profane or improper use, even if they are owned by private persons. The Rituale Romanum repeats this rule for blessed things almost word for word in its general provisions on blessings (Tit. VIII, cap. 1, nr. 4).

What this looks like in daily life the Church herself tells us in the Dominican blessing of rosaries. It prays for everyone who carries the rosary with him, keeps it reverently in his house and prays with it. A rosary therefore does not belong in a drawer among batteries and keys, but in a place that invites prayer.

“… ut, quicúmque horum quódlibet secum portáverit, atque in domo sua reverénter tenúerit, et in eis ad te, secúndum hujus sanctæ Societátis institúta, divína contemplándo mystéria devóte oráverit …” (that whoever carries any one of these with him, keeps it reverently in his house and, according to the statutes of this holy Confraternity, devoutly prays to thee with them while contemplating the divine mysteries …)

Rituale Romanum, Benedictio coronarum sacratissimi Rosarii, Propria Ordinis Praedicatorum (1925 edition, printed Regensburg 1937, pp. 555 f.)

Which rosary pouch suits which rosary?

Which rosary pouch fits depends on the size of the beads. Compact pouches of about 10.5 by 8.5 cm or 13 by 10 cm are designed for rosaries with 6 to 8 mm beads. Large paracord rosaries with 10 mm beads need a larger pouch.

A rosary pouch has a simple purpose. Our collection description puts it like this: “A rosary lying loose in your pocket gets tangled and wears out. A pouch protects it and keeps it ready to hand.” The overview shows our models with the details from the product descriptions.

You will find all models in our Pouches for rosaries collection. The leather pouch is understated enough for a First Holy Communion or Confirmation gift; the nylon pouches are made for rucksack, belt and kit.

How do you care for a rosary?

You care for a rosary above all by protecting it: in a pouch rather than loose in your trouser pocket, and checked regularly for damage. Our product descriptions contain no separate cleaning instructions; our workshop will answer any questions about the material of a rosary.

What the descriptions say is brief and practical. The safety notes for our knotted rosaries state: “Please check regularly for damage and do not continue to use if damaged.”

On individual materials the descriptions say the following. Sandalwood changes its colour depending on the light: in sunlight it takes on a greenish tinge, and when protected from light it returns to its original brown. Its scent comes from natural oils in the wood, above all santalol. Ebony has a smooth surface and a natural grain with a subtle, slightly sweet, woody scent. The copper beads of our Combat Rosary Compact have an electroplated coating.

What should you do if a blessed rosary breaks?

If a blessed rosary breaks, have it repaired or keep the pieces reverently until you dispose of them worthily. If indulgences are attached to it, they cease under can. 924 § 2 only when it entirely ceases to exist. According to this wording, a broken cord alone does not cancel them.

The Latin text speaks of rosaries that prorsus desinant esse, that “entirely cease to exist”. A rosary whose cord has snapped but whose beads, cross and medal are all intact can be restrung or reknotted. How many parts may be replaced before it counts as a new rosary, the Code does not say. For the blessing itself there is only an analogy: under can. 1305 § 1, blessed church furnishings lose their blessing when they have lost their original form and are no longer fit for their use. After a major repair, if in doubt, have the rosary blessed again by a priest.

Until it is repaired, the pieces belong together in a bag or pouch, not loose in a bowl of odds and ends. And since our descriptions advise against continuing to use a damaged rosary, it is better to pray with another one in the meantime.

How do you dispose of a blessed rosary?

A blessed rosary is not disposed of in the household rubbish. By widespread custom, whatever is made of wood or natural fibre is burnt, and metal, glass or stone is buried in a worthy place. The 1917 Code prescribes nothing on this; you can also hand it to your parish priest.

The 1917 Code does not expressly regulate the disposal of a privately owned rosary. Burning, however, follows the example the Church gives with her own blessed things. Our advice: do not burn cords of synthetic fibre, including paracord, indoors; if in doubt, give the rosary to your parish priest.

As soon as he has received the new oils, the parish priest is to burn the old chrism and the old oil of catechumens in the church (Rituale Romanum, Tit. II, cap. 1, nr. 47 and 48). The cotton wool used at Extreme Unction to wipe the anointed places is taken to the church and burnt, and the ashes are put into the sacrarium, the church's own drain for such remains (Tit. V, cap. 2, nr. 9). The water of the first washing of purificators, palls and corporals goes into the sacrarium or, if there is none, into the fire (can. 1306 § 2).

The best-known example comes from the liturgical year: according to the 1962 Roman Missal, the ashes for Ash Wednesday are obtained from branches of olive or other trees blessed the year before. Here blessed things are not thrown away, but burnt and used again as ashes on Ash Wednesday. If you are unsure, ask your parish priest.

Mentioned in this article Genuine Leather Rosary Pouch, Light Brown Cowhide with zip, about 13 by 10 cm, for rosaries with 6 to 8 mm beads. View the pouch

Mentioned in this article Paracord Rosary Pouch, Sand, MOLLE and Hook-and-Loop 1000d nylon, 6 by 13 by 3 cm, with carabiner and MOLLE loop for large paracord rosaries. View the pouch

Frequently asked questions about storing a rosary