The Dominican tradition says that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic in the year 1214 in the church of Prouille. She is said to have presented him with the Rosary, both the beads and the prayers to be prayed. To learn more, click here. 

The idea of praying together as a family can seem daunting: getting the kids to settle down, working through the eye rolls and not to mention the initial awkwardness if you are not used to praying out loud or in a group setting. The effort is well worth it! As the classic saying goes, a family that prays together, stays together. Praying together as a family, even for 5-10 minutes a day, can strengthen your family bonds and help instill the habit of prayer in your children's lives. 
Pope St. John Paul II wrote that "The family prays in order to glorify and give thanks to God for the gift of life, and implores his light and strength in order to face times of difficulty and suffering without losing hope." Put simply- family prayer does not need to be difficult! 

Don't know where to start? There are many beauitful devotions and prayers to deepen your family's faith. We suggest you start with the classic Rosary. Can't get in a whole Rosary? Pray a decade and read about one mystery a day. 

"As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family... The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth: its members place Jesus at the center, they share his joys and sorrows, they place their needs and their plans in his hands, they draw from his the hope and the strength to go on." 
-Pope St. John Paul II in his apostolic letter: Rosarium Virginis Mariae #41.
Find his entire letter on the Rosary here
 

Adapted from the Diocese of Manchester, along with attending Mass every week, here are 4 other ways to pray as a family:

1. Pray at meal time
Before eating meals together, have a brief moment of silence and pray the classic "Bless us O Lord..." prayer. With older children, everyone can each say one thing they are grateful for that day. 

2. Bless each other
Parents can offer a blessing by tracing the sign og the cross on their children's foreheads, and children can return the favor. This simple practice welcomes God into your relationships and reminds all that "our" family belongs to God. 

3. Wonder at creation
Help your children to recognize and adore the glory of God in all things: in the ocean, the sky, the forest, the mountains etc. The awe experienced through His creation can point the family toward God and help to appreciate His power, goodness and love. 

4. Pray through joys and sorrows
Families can pray together in thanksgiving for a good day and for God's help in difficult times. Praying through both good and bad reminds the family of God's prescence.