The Official Rosary of the National Eucharistic Congress, a wonderful creative experience that I would like to share with you

When Dino Piccinini, who with his wife Julie for years has been a core part of the "Ghirelli family" and our key person in the United States for special projects, mentioned to me the great event of the National Eucharistic Congress, I immediately saw in my mind the Eucharist at the center of a Rosary. A wonderful collaboration began between our factory here in Italy, Dino and the organizing team for the Congress, people of faith with whom there was an immediate connection that went far beyond material goals.

I remember that one of the first things I said to Timothy Glemkowski in a meeting in 2022...hoping I would not be taken for a fool was : " Tim, let me introduce you to Ghirelli's board of directors, the Immaculata Owner & President, St. Joseph CEO, Padre Pio National Sales manager!", it was beautiful how this truth, said in a joking way, united our teams and made us understand the spirit with which we were going to start our journey together.

One of the strongest motivations for us to do something that was not to be just a simple commemorative Rosary was the sadness of reading the statistics that said that most Catholics did not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. We wanted to make a small and humble contribution to the National Eucharistic Congress by creating a Rosary that would lead to Jesus through Mary who with Her body was the first "living" Tabernacle.

The rosary celebrating the historic National Eucharistic Congress came about in a simple, intuitive, quick way. When ideas take shape quickly, we recognize the presence of a special Grace, and with this Rosary it was just so.

A similar experience that we are having these days is the presentation of the Official Ghirelli® Rosary that will celebrate the historic reopening of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris on December 8, 2024, this too is a gift of the Immaculata, which I would like to share with you, but I will tell you about that shortly.

Back to the Official Rosary of the Eucharistic Congress, a particularly important moment was when decisions had to be made that were aesthetic but above all representative of the message contained in the Rosary. While for the color white, the color of purity and of the Holy Eucharist, there were no doubts, on some details we changed multiple times until ...the last moment.

The choice of the cross, for example, was a very important moment, it could not be a crucifix that was confused among so many, it had to be a crucifix that united: the Eucharistic symbols, the Gospel message of the daily presence of Jesus in our lives and the Crucifixion as a depiction not only of the Holy Sacrifice of Golgotha but of the Holy Mass in which Jesus makes himself present in the Holy Eucharist through the hands of the Priest. I particularly love a phrase from Card. Comastri that is of great inspiration: "The Holy Mass is the Calvary that crosses the centuries".

The decision was Jesus Crucified on Grape Vines, a perfect synthesis of the messages we wanted to portray. There remained only a few details that we did not want to overlook, because it is precisely the care of these small and seemingly insignificant things that draw the line between an object made only to be sold and something that desires to be an aid to faith..

The first samples were ready, and as in all Rosaries with silver wire and chain , the cross and monstrance were in antique silver finish.

Everything looked okay but something did not convince us....

As always, we did not decide right away but left the rosary visible to everyone on my desk. Matteo, one day looking at it said, "nice harmony of the finish, but.... the original Monstrance , it is golden, we have to give more importance to that detail, it has to be the first thing people notice."

So, the second modified sample was ready .... had the Monstrance in antique gold finish, which with its dark tones enhances the details of the beautiful and exact reproduction of the original made by Michele. The finish of the Crucifix, also in antique gold gave harmony and balance in the look.

Everything seemed to be okay but, talking among us we felt that something was missing right in the Monstrance. It was not an aesthetic problem, it was a miniature masterpiece, but it was not enough because the main protagonist had to be the representation of the Host that contained Jesus.

We had to insert a dot of white enamel into the tiny seat of the Monstrance. A seemingly simple operation but instead it was a precision detail done with skill and passion by the best of our decorators, Lisa, who has been with us for more than 20 years.

Now it was ready, the Rosary was perfect, with the silver finish contrasting between the beads and antique gold in the details that characterized it. A combination that may seem strange but instead was intended to give a tribute to the Holy Eucharist, the heart and essence of this Rosary.

I am happy to have shared with you these aspects that I think you did not imagine..., but which I hope will give an even greater emotion when you look at and especially pray with the official Rosary of the National Eucharistic Congress.

— Alessandro Ghirelli 

President of Ghirelli®

Discover the NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS OFFICIAL ROSARY