Paracord Rosary: Why We Knot Rosaries from Parachute Cord

On a paracord rosary the beads sit between thick knots on a cord that is in fact parachute line. The number 550 that you read alongside it corresponds to a value from an American military specification. Why knot an instrument of prayer from a material intended for parachutes? This guide explains what paracord is, what the number 550 means, how our workshop knots a rosary from it and what the material changes about prayer: nothing at all.

What is a paracord rosary?

A paracord rosary is an ordinary rosary of five decades whose beads are knotted onto braided parachute cord. Knots keep each bead at a set distance. It is made for daily use and accompanies its owner in a trouser pocket, a rucksack and the car.

It is prayed like any other rosary: on the cross the sign of the cross and the Apostles' Creed, on the first bead the Glory Be and the Our Father, then three Hail Marys and a Glory Be, after that five decades of ten Hail Marys each, while meditating on a mystery from the life of Our Lord and of the Blessed Virgin. A decade is a group of ten Hail Marys with an Our Father before it and the Glory Be after it. All the prayers in full and the fifteen mysteries in three sets are found in our guide to the Rosary with prayer companion.

What sets the paracord rosary apart is the cord alone. It carries heavy beads of stainless steel, metal or stone. You will find our range among the paracord rosaries from our workshop.

What is paracord?

Paracord is short for parachute cord. It is a light, braided cord, usually of nylon: a woven sheath encloses several separate core strands. It was intended for the suspension lines of parachutes and is also used for all kinds of equipment.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes paracord as a lightweight braided rope, usually of nylon or polyester, that “consists of a woven outer sheath enclosing several strands of fibers”. The American military specification MIL-C-5040H of 17 March 1994 describes this cord under the title Cord, Fibrous, Nylon. As its intended use it names the suspension lines of personnel parachutes and other equipment. Since 1997 it has been inactive for new design. It prescribes the material precisely: a tear-resistant, light- and heat-resistant polyamide made from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, that is, nylon, with a melting point of at least 244 °C.

For a rosary that runs through the fingers every day, this means the cord was designed for a task in which it had to carry people.

What does paracord 550 mean?

Paracord 550 means parachute cord with a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds, roughly 249 kilograms. This is exactly the value the military specification MIL-C-5040H requires for Type III: with 7 to 9 core strands of three yarns each and a sheath of 32 or 36 strands.

The specification distinguishes six types. Its table of minimum breaking strengths gives 95 pounds for Type I, 100 for Type IA, 400 for Type II, 225 for Type IIA, 550 for Type III and 750 for Type IV. Type III must also stretch by at least 30 per cent before it breaks. After a test under light and heat the cord may lose no more than 15 per cent of its breaking strength. Core strands may be neither spliced nor knotted during manufacture. Whether a cord on sale has actually been made and tested to this specification is not revealed by the designation 550 alone.

The designation “275 paracord”, which is also found on the market, does not appear in this specification. In the trade it stands for thinner cord; with us it means 2 mm.

Why knot a rosary from parachute cord?

A rosary is knotted from parachute cord because it is meant to be used every day and must withstand a great deal. Paracord is built to bear loads, carries heavy beads of metal or stone and can be tied into firm knots that hold each bead in its place.

The Rosary is not a piece of jewellery for special occasions. In 1883 Pope Leo XIII exhorted all Christians to pray the Rosary publicly or privately, in their own homes and in their families, and to do so unceasingly. In the same encyclical he writes that St Dominic, in the struggle against heresy, trusted not in the force of arms but in the prayer of the Rosary.

“He foresaw that this devotion, like a most powerful warlike weapon, would be the means of putting the enemy to flight.”

Leo XIII, Encyclical Supremi apostolatus officio of 1 September 1883, no. 3 (English version of the Vatican)

Each of our paracord series has its own theme: DEUS VULT for the crusading tradition, Soldier of Christ and Defensor Ecclesiae for the spiritual combat, Memento mori for meditation on the Four Last Things, as well as St Benedict of Nursia and St Michael the Archangel. If you need something smaller still, choose the paracord finger rosaries.

How is a paracord rosary knotted?

A paracord rosary is knotted by hand: the beads are threaded onto the cord and kept apart by knots. In our workshop the spacing is measured so that the thumb fits comfortably between two beads. On request we knot the spacing closer or wider.

For our full-size models we use 4 mm 550 paracord. The Hail Mary beads usually measure 10 mm. On some models the Our Father beads are larger, about 12 mm, or bear a cross pattern. Including the cross, the rosaries are 51 to 56 cm long depending on the model. The loop fits over most heads.

One model we knot from thinner 2 mm 275 paracord with 8 mm beads. It is 40 cm long and is not large enough to be worn round the neck. Centrepieces and crosses can be combined freely on our rosaries.

May a paracord rosary be blessed?

A paracord rosary may and should be blessed like any other rosary. The material plays no part in the blessing. Only the blessing by a priest makes it a sacramental, and its fruit depends on prayer, not on the breaking strength of the cord.

According to the 1917 Code, sacramentals are things by which the Church obtains ex sua impetratione, through her intercession, effects that are chiefly spiritual (can. 1144). Any priest may bless, except for reserved blessings (can. 1147 § 2). For rosaries the Rituale Romanum contains a proper blessing of the Dominican Order, reserved to priests with a special apostolic faculty. Ask the priest after Holy Mass how he blesses.

Military colours or an archangel on the centrepiece do not turn the rosary into a talisman. Whoever carries it carries a prayer, and a prayer is meant to be said.

How do you care for a paracord rosary?

You care for a paracord rosary above all by inspecting it regularly: the knots, the beads and the connection to the cross should be secure. If the cord is damaged, the rosary should no longer be used. For carrying there are dedicated pouches, so it does not lie loose in your pocket.

A blessed rosary remains a blessed object. The 1917 Code requires that blessed things be treated with reverence and not put to profane use, even when they are private property (can. 1150). If indulgences are attached to a rosary through a special blessing, they cease according to can. 924 § 2 only when it is entirely destroyed or sold. Whether a repaired rosary should be blessed again is something to settle with your priest.

For carrying there are pouches for paracord rosaries with MOLLE attachment and a hook-and-loop panel.

Mentioned in this article Soldier of Christ Paracord Rosary Black 550 paracord, 10 mm metal beads, Miraculous Medal and Pardon Crucifix, about 51 cm long. View the rosary For your pocket Paracord Finger Rosary, silver/red Red 550 paracord, 10 mm stainless steel beads, Trinity cross with St Benedict medal. View the finger rosary

Frequently asked questions about the paracord rosary