History of the Tenner Rosary:
It is a long and tragic story, but during the period from about 1537 to 1714, persecution of Catholics in Ireland (and elsewhere in Great Britain) became government policy. Catholic clergy in Ireland were expelled, and those who did not leave were forced into hiding. If found, they were subject to instant execution. As a result, the priests had to be hidden in private homes (sometimes in a “priest hole”) and Mass had to be held in secret…sometimes in the countryside on “Mass Rocks” as well as privately in homes.
All Catholic items were forbidden including statues, stained glass windows and even possession of a rosary was illegal.
There were many martyrs during this period: 17 of whom were beatified in 1992, including Thomas Beckett.
The Tenner Rosary:
The faith was kept alive, of course, and many were able to practice private devotions without any penalties. For those wishing to have a rosary, a “tenner rosary” was the perfect choice: it was easy to hide so that if someone unknown to you were to approach, it could be quickly tucked away. Tenner rosaries have a crucifix, the Our Father and 10 rosary beads.
Of course, those times are in the past, but sometimes it is convenient to carry a small rosary rather than one with all five decades, especially when traveling. And in the time of the Corona Virus, the more rosaries you say the better, in our opinion.
You can find a great selection of Tenner Rosaries here in our store.
