A Protestant and A Rosary

Some say that Friends are not protestants. That said, they are not Catholic, and they are not Orthodox. They certainly do not acknowledge the sacraments. To be blunt, I know nothing about the Rosary apart from where it has crossed my path in my nursing career. That amounts to hearing people bringing communion to patients or residents, saying the Hail Mary, and whatever else they say, and seeing Rosary beads pinned on bulletin boards or stashed under pillows. Occasionally I will witness someone handling their beads in some meaningful way and reciting things that rhyme or sound like an ancient chant under their breath. 

My good friend has asked me to take a Rosary with me on the All Souls Day walk in Tucson, and say a Hail Mary for her. 

First I looked up the Rosary. Then I looked up Hail Mary. It looks a lot more complicated than she made it sound. I've read a lot of the Bible. I understand Quakerism and Quaker history pretty thoroughly - enough to converse meaningfully with Quaker scholars. Catholicism has me stumped, but we seem to cross paths with social justice missions.

Today, I thought I'd run down to the local Christian bookstore in Martins Ferry and pick up an inexpensive Rosary. All the other local Christian bookstores have gone out of business. I looked through the entire store, homeschooled child with me, and did not find anything resembling a Rosary. So I asked the lady at the desk. She stated that they did not carry Rosary's. I guess it is a protestant Christian book store, or something that is not protestant, but is also not Catholic. They did have a 99 cent compass, however, that my daughter liked, and I bought.

The homeschool group we belong to has some Catholics in it, and is a Christian group. After returning to my car, I found that I had only put one member's phone number in my phone, and I knew she was not Catholic (or protestant) either. But I tried to call anyway, to see if she might have an idea of where I could by a Rosary. She has read a lot more about other religions than I have, although I think I've read more than most people. Since she homeschools, her answering machine took my call. I have to work 3 nights in a row beginning tonight, then have a day off, then fly to Phoenix the following day. There are probably Rosary's at the airport, but this was important. I wanted to have it taken care of. 

My sister-in-law has been education coordinator of the Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery, and is involved in a lot of nondenominational activities. So she was the second person I called from my car. She happened to be at lunch with some Catholic friends, and after a bit of phone-along-with-people in the background conversation, she told me that St. Mary's chapel had a small shop with Rosary's. I confirmed that it was the St. Mary's in St. Clairsville, and not Martins Ferry, and headed over there. The door was locked. I called her back, to make sure I had indeed gotten the correct place. They were finished eating, and she and one of her Catholic friends were heading there, because her friend had parked there. So my daughter and I waited, and ate our Burger King drive-through meals in the car. We all walked up to the door together. It was still locked. She also pointed to a sign I had not noticed, that indicated the office closed at noon on Fridays. It was Friday, and it was 1:30. If only I had gone there first. Nancy's friend had a key and could get one and take the money for it, but then she remembered, hand in purse, that she did not know how to turn the alarm off. 

Nancy had an idea. Her friend, Amy Brooks, made jewelry, and she knew she had seen Rosary's in her jewelry for sale. Indeed, I have a few of Amy's beautiful creations in my jewelry box, given to me by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law on holidays or birthdays. Nancy called her, and yes, she had four. I could not drive over to her house with my sister-in-law, because I had to work this afternoon. Her house was too far to get there and back, and pack my car in time to leave. But Nancy wanted to go right then, and her friend was willing to go with her. Amy's jewelry is, indeed beautiful, and is also popular locally. I gave Nancy some money, and came home. 

Meanwhile, in looking for, and trying to understand the Rosary, and why it was I would be taking it with me, when I was a Quaker, I had conversations with the clerk of the Christian bookstore, with Nancy and her friend, and with Amy. Also, Amy grew up in San Antonio, and I think she is of Mexican descent. It made perfect sense to the Catholics involved in discussing why a friend would want me to do this. They were touched. I still don't entirely understand it myself though.

While most of this seems trivial, it is not. The preparation for this trip is part of the process. I am not sure what the outcome will be. A lot of Mexicans are dying in the desert, or are being incarcerated, or are being deported and torn apart from their families, and there is nothing right about any of it. I'm not sure what I'm doing to help the situation. I am going to write about the process though. Later it will mean more, I think.