The propagation of the Rosary prayer has primarily been carried out by members of the Order of the Dominicans. They taught believers a method of meditation, during which secrets (mysteries) are contemplated by repeatedly reciting the Hail Mary. The Rosary then becomes a means to win a battle. Expressions of Marian devotion thus increase. The Dominicans use the Rosary as a weapon in the fight against the Albigensians in the southern part of France. The Rosary then aims to reform the world. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Albigensians, or Cathars, formed a large religious movement in the French Languedoc. They see the devil as the most powerful on earth, and only the Holy Spirit can lead to salvation. This does not align with the teachings of the Catholic Church, which accuses the Albigensians of heresy and believes they must be combated. This is done with bloody crusades.
Dominicus of Osna, also called Dominicus de Guzmán (1170-1221), became a canon of the cathedral of Osna (El Burgo de Osna) in Spanish Castile and León in 1195. In 1215, he founded the Order of the Dominicans (Order of Preachers) in France. He also preached about the rosary. On 13 July 1234, Dominicus was canonised by Gregory IX, who was Pope between 1227 and 1241 and born as Ugolino di Segni (1170-1241). In art, Dominicus is often depicted as receiving the rosary from Our Lady. Legend has it that in 1214, Dominicus received the rosary from Mary and she told him how to pray it. The way it is indicated then is still the way it is prayed today. The praying of the rosary and its meaning fell into disuse. This changed with Alanus de Rupe, also called Alain de la Roche (1428-1475) from Brittany. In 1459, he joined the Dominicans in Dinan, France. This Dominican recorded the method of praying the rosary. In 1470, Alanus de Rupe founded the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary in Douai. He frequently preached about the rosary and about Saint Dominicus in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Alanus de Rupe died in Zwolle, Netherlands.
