Most of us have that time in the evening when we settle into our favorite chair to read or watch television. Cathy Duling has turned it into a time of prayer and productivity, as she crafts beautiful rosaries. Cathy is a Companion, a lay associate of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.
Using a rosary tool kit that she keeps close at hand, Cathy usually makes one rosary per night, sometimes two.
Some of the rosaries are meant for the Dulings’ nine grandchildren and their future spouses—Cathy plans to present a rosary to each couple on their wedding day, 18 special rosaries in all. The rest she will donate to the Missionaries’ ministry sites in Latin America.
Cathy, who purchases chain by the foot, custom-cuts the chain links that hold the beads together. She consults with grandchildren to find beads that they like, and crucifixes that are most meaningful to them.
She and her husband, Bob, who is also a Companion, have been married for 55 years. He knows that “I can’t just sit still,” Cathy said. She has many pastimes, including her flower beds, fishing, jigsaw puzzles and just being ready for any family member who walks in the door of the house Bob built for them.
But the rosaries are her particular passion. “I pray for people while I work on the rosaries,” she said.