Hi Marissa, thanks for agreeing to this interview.

When did you start making rosaries, and what got you into it in the first place?

I started making rosaries some time in my early 20s. I made my first rosary as a gift to my then boyfriend, who is now my husband. I don’t remember the exact occasion; it may have been for his birthday. I remember buying jewelry making materials at Joann’s with my Nana. Unfortunately, that rosary didn’t last very long. The chain tarnished very quickly. I ended up taking it back from him and buying better chain and eye pins to redo it. I kept the original beads. He still has that rosary today; it has only needed minor repairs.

I didn’t consistently make rosaries after that. I would only make them as gifts here and there. I also made variations like single decade rosaries, rosary bracelets, and some saints chaplets.

What influence does making Rosaries have on your relationship with Christ?

When I make a rosary, I do it with the idea that I am honoring Our Lady and so I think of Christ and how He would want me to honor His Mother. I’m like a child trying to give her my best creation! I’m not the best, but I try the best I can with the materials I have. I try to pay attention to little details, like trying to keep the eye pins facing the same direction, straightening the rosary out before connecting the finishing chains, and keeping the centerpiece and crucifix facing the same direction when suspended. In a way, making rosaries builds my familial relationship with Christ. It’s a little different from praying, but in a way it’s like a physical type of praying.

Do you ever find yourself thinking about or wondering about the people that might use the Rosaries you make in their own life of prayer?

While I am making a rosary, I will think about that with the hope that the rosary I am making will be used. But, in case the rosary I make isn’t used, I usually include a centerpiece with specific saint’s medal or Miraculous Medal. That way the recipient of the rosary will at least have an extra benefit of having an added sacramental along with a rosary near him or her. I also get the rosaries I make blessed before giving them away.

What impact does praying the Rosary have on your relationship with Christ?

I find that it refocuses me. There are so many distractions throughout the day that I frequently forget what is important. Praying the rosary is a daily reminder of Christ’s life, His mission on earth and His promise of things to come if we follow Him. I love Eucharistic Adoration for that reason too. I find the combination of the two to be very nourishing to my faith.

What is your favorite mystery of the Rosary to meditate on, and why?

That is a good question. I think it depends on my current state. So, I jump from different mysteries. Right now, I feel that I can relate more to the Joyful Mysteries. Even though they are called Joyful Mysteries, there’s a lot of sad things that go on! Lately, I’ve been quite attached to the Fourth Joyful Mystery, The Presentation. Simeon tells Mother Mary that a sword will pierce her heart. Even though Our Mother had so much more to go through during her motherhood, I feel like that prophecy applies to the vocation of motherhood. There are so many occasions even in the 5+ years of my motherhood that I experience how difficult it is to be a mother. From late nights of being sick to the most stubborn tantrums, it’s not easy, but this mystery reminds me that Mother Mary suffered much during her Holy Motherhood. I feel like she is compassionate to my daily struggles and teaches me to bear them patiently. Through this mystery, I feel like she reminds me to offer up these things to God. He doesn’t give us more than we can handle and everything He gives it to us for our own good.

With three little ones of your own, what advice would you give to families who find it difficult to pray the Rosary with young children?

I wish I had good advice to share. We have not found it to be easy to pray rosary with the kids. Our rosary usually lasts 45 minutes to an hour long. We let them play quietly but they usually forget the quietly part, so we remind them a lot. My husband has the children take turns leading the 3^rd Mystery, that doesn’t always go smoothly but I think including them is important. I will say that making it a habit pays off though. My kids don’t pray a whole rosary with us, but they know the prayers and every once in a while, they will surprise us. Like when we had our house blessed, Father included a rosary at the end. He asked our oldest, who was 3 at the time, to lead a Hail Mary and to our surprise she did!

So, I guess like a lot of other parenting things, just being consistent, persistent and patient with your kids is the key. Since all my kids are little right now, I don’t know if what we are doing will pay off but I’m hopeful!

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Marissa, and thank you for sharing your gift of Rosary making with FRESHImage!

Marissa Lesinski

Marissa Lesinski is wife and mother of (currently) 3 beautiful blessings, and is sister to Vanessa Crescio. She and her family currently reside in Southern California and attend a diocesan Latin Mass. Her days consist of lots of cooking, cleaning, and more recently homeschooling. While she hopes to eventually grow a garden and tend some chickens, she still needs to remember to water her 2 potted plants and keep the kids clean before adding to her plate. She is very happy to help with the FRESHImage apostolate by putting together rosaries with the “help” of her little ones. She hopes that in this way she can help the promotion of the rosary to bring others closer to God through Mother Mary.