About Our Lady’s Rosary Makers · Louisville, Kentucky
Our Lady’s Rosary Makers is a member-driven, non-profit Catholic lay apostolate founded in 1949 by Xaverian Brother Sylvan Mattingly, C.F.X., to teach people how to make rosaries for free distribution to missionaries. Operating within the Archdiocese of Louisville, it provides low-cost materials and support to rosary makers worldwide, spreading devotion through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The organization runs an International Rosary Center in Louisville, KY, which serves as a hub for rosary-making guilds, missionary contacts, and prayer, including daily rosary prayers and monthly Masses.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Join to make and share rosaries with the world’s spiritually needy, participate in missions, guilds, and membership activities, and be part of a global apostolate rooted in devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Members receive support, low-cost materials, and community through prayer and fellowship.
Mass times at Our Lady’s Rosary Makers
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Friday 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Our History
Founded in 1949 by Brother Sylvan Mattingly, C.F.X., the organization began teaching children to make rosaries for missionaries. It started in a basement at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, KY, and grew to 2,500 members by 1954. Brother Sylvan died in 1951; Father Bertrand Rapp succeeded him as chaplain. The organization expanded with the 1968 construction of the International Rosary Center, which now houses operations, a showroom, and Our Lady’s Chapel. The center has doubled in size since 1990, and the group remains the world’s leading mission rosary apostolate.
Our Mission
To provide rosaries to those in need, in the spirit of Brother Sylvan’s vision: a world where all God’s children, possessing an instrument of peace and comfort, fulfill Our Lady’s requests at Fatima to pray the Rosary daily. OLRM provides low-cost materials, resources, and support to rosary makers worldwide.
Ministries & Activities
Members participate in rosary-making guilds, mission outreach, and community prayer. The center offers daily rosary prayers, monthly Masses, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Rosary parts are sold to support mission work and cover operational costs.
- Rosary-making guilds
- Mission outreach
- Community prayer
- Rosary distribution
- Catalog sales of rosary parts
Facilities & Services
The International Rosary Center houses operations, a showroom, and Our Lady’s Chapel. The chapel is open for prayer and reflection daily from 8:00am to 4:30pm. Mass is held on the First Saturday (8:00am) and First Friday (8:30am) of each month. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is held Friday from 1:00pm to 4:30pm.
- Our Lady’s Chapel (daily rosary, prayer)
- Monthly Mass (First Saturday 8:00am, First Friday 8:30am)
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (Friday 1:00pm–4:30pm)
- Showroom for rosary parts
- Tours available daily