Confraternities and archconfraternities
Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena
Living Rosary · Living Rosary of St Philomena · ULRA
Venerable Pauline Jaricot founded the Living Rosary in 1826
Lay 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, historically linked to the Shrine of St Philomena at Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy, whose rector visited the Melvins in 1987The organization's own page claims 'over 11 million members' worldwide. This is self-reported and unaudited.
At a shrineBelongs to Lay 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, historically linked to the Shrine of St Philomena at Mugnano del Cardinale, Italy, whose rector visited the Melvins in 1987.
Open to anyone, today
Free online form. Donations are invited but optional. A 100 US dollar donation triggers a Triduum of Masses, 50 dollars covers the flat-rate postage on a mission parcel, and the mission box itself is listed at 77.95 dollars.
Enroll nowThe form on the page is the quickest route. The same enrollment is accepted by email, by fax or by post if you would rather not use a web form.
There is a real form on the page (first name, last name, phone, email, street, city, country, state, zip, and a free-text box) that posts to philomena.org/sendform.asp; no account and no payment are needed.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
Pauline Jaricot's idea was that fifteen people each take one decade of the Rosary, so that between them a complete Rosary is prayed every single day without any one person carrying the whole thing. This association keeps that model going: you are assigned one specific decade, you pray it daily, and you are joined to a worldwide group praying the rest. It is distinct from the Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena, which is the shrine-based body at Mugnano del Cardinale in Italy; this one is a Texas-based lay corporation reviving Jaricot's Living Rosary under St Philomena's patronage, and most of its members are in developing countries supported by donated literature and sacramentals.
Where it comes from
The Living Rosary was founded in 1826 in Lyon, France by Venerable Pauline Jaricot. This body is its revival, begun on 8 December 1986 by Richard and Patricia Joann Melvin.
What you promise
Pray your one assigned decade of the Rosary every day. If you enroll someone else you must first secure that person's permission and make their obligation clear to them.
What the Church attaches
Union with the daily prayers of the whole membership. Donors of 100 US dollars or more have a Triduum of Masses arranged for themselves and their family. The association does not publish a list of indulgences for membership, so none should be assumed.
Something physical is involved
An assigned Rosary decade is sent to you, with English decades provided by default. No object is required in order to join. The association separately distributes rosaries, scapulars, Miraculous Medals, the cord and the oil of St Philomena to its missions.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.