For Lent this year, I gave up social media—I deleted the apps from my cellphone, so I had no temptations and I picked up a book instead: Rediscover the Rosary by Matthew Kelly, Founder of DynamicCatholic.com. It was my Christmas gift to myself, and it sat on my bedside table until now. In it, he reveals his rosary journey as well as, presenting a historical and scriptural context for these ancient beads on a string. I loved the book and all the new knowledge I gained but it got me thinking… What is my rosary journey?

That question stayed with me.

As a cradle Catholic, I grew up surrounded by the rosary. I remember my Italian grandmother with rosary beads always pinned inside her purse and devotionals around her neck. I received my first rosary during the sacrament of Holy Eucharist and learned the prayers from my parents—but if I’m honest, I didn’t fully understand it. I knew the words to the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, but not the depth. I didn’t yet see that the power of these prayers and the mysteries representing the gospels on a string, lead us to Jesus through Mary. It’s like Mary’s lasso taking us to her son Jesus.

In high school, I even resisted it. My siblings and I carpooled with another family to school several days a week and our friend’s father would lead us in the rosary prayers…we dreaded those car rides. Even snickered in the backseat as the prayers were recited. We didn’t understand the significance and thought it was unnecessary.

Looking back now, I wish I and my siblings, had embraced those moments and realized the seeds of faith that were being planted in all of us, especially during such a formative time in our lives.

Years later, as a mother of three boys, I kept the faith present in our home—teaching my sons the rosary prayers, surrounding us with reminders of Jesus and Mary—but I still wasn’t deeply committed to the practice. I was still going through the motions.

That began to change in 2015, during a work trip to Rome. Standing inside St. Peter’s Basilica before a life-sized statute of The Pietà, in that moment—seeing Mary cradle the lifeless body of her son, Jesus—I was overwhelmed with emotion. I began to cry. I saw not just sorrow, but incredible strength, love, and surrender.

It was then I realized: I need to know her more deeply.

Who is this woman who has always been part of my life, yet remains so deeply silent? Why is she so central to our faith? Why is she called the Queen of Heaven?

Scripture itself gives us a glimpse of her unique role. In the Gospel of Luke, we read:

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” (Luke 1:38)

In that simple “yes,” Mary changed the course of human history. Her humility, trust, and obedience continue to inspire me today.

Since then, my journey has deepened. Through study especially the Women of Grace, Moments with Mary study program, prayer, and travel, I’ve come to understand Mary’s significant role in my catholic faith, a mother to us all—one who gently leads us closer to Jesus. As Matthew Kelly states in his book Rediscover the Rosary, “Devotion to Mary is a legitimate part of Christian spirituality. It is also an authentic path to God and heroic virtue”

I’ve started collecting rosaries from places like St. Peter’s Basilica and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and I find myself drawn to her wherever I go. I have a rosary wall where I hang my rosaries and use them daily.

But I’ve also learned this: you don’t have to travel far to find her.

You can meet her in the quiet of your own home, in prayer, in the stillness of the rosary.

She is always there—ready to intercede, to comfort, and to guide.

And my rosary journey?
It’s still unfolding… one bead at a time.