Saint Thérèse group makes rosaries for Archbishop Sheen's Beatification

As a member of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary, the Saint Thérèse Rosary Group in Sanford was ready to answer the call to make World Mission Rosaries for the celebration of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, which will take place September 24 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Saint Thérèse Rosary Group made 200 rosaries, led by Debbie Jones, who made 100 herself.

The World Mission Rosary will be prayed prior to his beatification Mass, and with 75,000 people expected to attend, the Pontifical Misson Societies asked groups around the country to help out by making the distinctive rosaries, in which each decade is in a different color, representing different areas of the world. Archbishop Sheen, known as one of the Church's great evangelists, designed the World Mission Rosary 75 years ago to remind the faithful to pray for the Church's missionary efforts. He introduced the rosary during one of his famous radio addresses in 1951.

Then-Monsignor Sheen served as the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, for 16 years.  The societies, which also include the Missionary Childhood Association, the Society of Saint Peter Apostle, and the Mission Union, are the official missionary arm of the Catholic Church.

This year will include another milestone for the Pontifical Mission Societies. It is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of World Mission Sunday by Pope Pius XI. World Mission Sunday is a day for Catholics to pray for and contribute to the Church's missionary efforts. World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on October 18, 2026.