Working at a Jewish facility means respect for many faiths as the Jewish faith, after all the hardships and persecution, has a spirit of acceptance for the pursuit of one’s faith without discrimination. 

Oftentimes, the rosary fascinates me, as saying the prayers over and over lulls a person into a trance-like state.  My little rosary group has many varied participants.  Many Catholics attend and obviously remember, from childhood and times past, the rote memory recitation of the prayers.  They can recite and repeat the prayers and follow along on the correct beads.   Many non-Catholics attend and grasp the rosary beads in prayerful thought, no doubt remembering the prayers of their own faith.  Some individuals are unable to repeat the words but listen and search with wondering eyes where they may have heard these prayers before.  As dementia inhibits the thoughts, the feeling of familiarity calms and soothes their fears.  Some come to rosary group to be a part of a social group with other individuals to have a feeling of closeness, necessarily not to pray the rosary prayers but to be a part of a powerful togetherness.   They may try to follow along unable to read the prayers but trying to remember.  Many with mental illness come as their hyper-religious thoughts compel them to participate.   They follow along sometimes, and oftentimes leave before the rosary is completed—the monotony, the rampant thoughts, unable to soothe their active minds. 

Some, one, crochets during the recitation.  Crocheting according to the cadence of my voice reciting the Hail Mary, the Lord’s prayer.    The crocheting increasing as my recitation speed increases, slowed crocheting as my voice slows.  Fascinating, this prayerful social worker as different minds, different levels benefit from the rosary.  An unusual way to make a connection and find comfort through faith.