Mission Statement: The guild works to place rosaries into the hands of those longing for prayer, peace, and hope—both locally and throughout the world.
Our Mission
Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild exists to place rosaries into the hands of those who do not yet have one and who may be taking their first steps toward Christ and His Church. Through the ministry of priests, religious, and other consecrated individuals serving throughout the world, our rosaries are intended for fallen-away Catholics, those discerning or preparing for conversion, and those who are new to the Catholic faith. Our hope is that each rosary becomes an invitation to prayer, drawing souls into a deeper relationship with Jesus through meditation on the mysteries surrounding His life and the intercession of Our Blessed Mother.
How We Operate
Community Contribution: Our guild operates on the spirit of stewardship. Through modest, voluntary monthly donations from our members, we collectively fund the purchase of mission rosary parts. This ensures that supplies are available to all participants without personal out-of-pocket expense.
Monthly Gatherings: We meet monthly to conduct essential guild business, finalize decisions, submit completed rosaries, and distribute new materials. While meetings are a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and hands-on assembly, we understand that life is busy; members are welcome to attend as their schedule allows, or simply coordinate a drop-off and pick-up of supplies.
Empowering Outreach: We do not track individual quotas. We simply ask that each member contribute according to their own time and capacity. Beyond our global mission, we encourage members to distribute rosaries locally where they see a need. We also pride ourselves on our craft, with select members available to create commissioned, commercial-grade rosaries for those seeking unique, heirloom-quality pieces.
Resource Access: Members may request specific mission rosary components—sourced from Our Lady’s Rosary Makers—by communicating their needs to our designated buyer. We prioritize these requests to ensure you have the materials necessary for your work.
Bylaws of Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild
Article I: Name and Affiliation
Section 1: Name. The name of this organization shall be Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild (hereinafter referred to as the "Guild").
Section 2: Affiliation. The Guild operates within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, and is a registered affiliate of Our Lady's Rosary Makers, a lay apostolate in the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Article II: Mission and Purpose
Section 1: Mission Statement. The Guild works to place rosaries into the hands of those longing for prayer, peace, and hope—both locally and throughout the world.
Section 2: Core Purpose. The Guild is dedicated to the faithful creation and distribution of high-quality, durable, knotted-cord mission rosaries. It serves as a collaborative community committed to ensuring these prayer tools are readily available for those in need, both within the local community and through missionaries serving across the globe.
Article III: Membership and Dues
Section 1: Eligibility. Membership is open to anyone who shares the Guild’s mission and wishes to contribute to the creation or distribution of rosaries.
Section 2: Stewardship & Dues. The Guild operates on a spirit of stewardship. Members are encouraged to make modest, voluntary monthly donations to collectively fund the purchase of mission rosary parts and shipping costs. No member shall ever be required to bear the burden of material costs individually.
Section 3: Expectations. There are no individual production quotas. Members are asked to contribute according to their own time, capacity, and talents.
Article IV: Leadership and Officers
The leadership of the Guild shall consist of an Executive Committee filling the following roles:
Section 1: Guild Coordinator. Coordinates monthly meetings, prepares agendas, manages shipment and distribution logistics, oversees the newsletter and website, appoints leadership positions.
Section 2: Treasurer. Maintains accurate records of all Guild funds, manages income (including voluntary donations), and oversees expenditures through the dedicated Guild bank account.
Section 3: Buyer/Distributor. Manages the procurement, storage, and inventory of all supplies (primarily sourced from Our Lady’s Rosary Makers), ensuring parts are available for members.
Section 4: Secretary. Records meeting minutes and prepares formal documentation to ensure all members remain informed of decisions and Guild business.
Section 5: Guild Rosary Making Instructors. Experienced members dedicated to providing instruction, training, and support to new or existing members as needed.
Section 6: Term of Office. All Executive Committee roles and leadership positions shall be held for an indefinite term. Officers shall remain in their positions until they choose to step down, or until a replacement is appointed by the Guild Coordinator in consultation with executive leadership and/or active membership.
Article V: Meetings
Section 1: Monthly Gatherings. The Guild shall meet monthly to conduct essential business, finalize decisions, submit completed rosaries, and distribute new materials.
Section 2: Attendance. While meetings provide fellowship and hands-on assembly, attendance is flexible. Members may attend as their schedules allow or coordinate a drop-off and pick-up of supplies independently.
Article VI: Operations and Material Access
Section 1: Resource Requests. Members may request specific mission rosary components by communicating their needs to the designated Buyer/Distributor. The Guild prioritizes these requests to ensure members have necessary materials.
Section 2: Local and Global Outreach. Members are encouraged to distribute completed rosaries globally through Guild-managed shipments, as well as locally wherever they identify a need.
Section 3: Commissioned Works. Select members may create commissioned, commercial-grade rosaries for individuals seeking unique, heirloom-quality pieces. Care should be taken that no mission rosary parts are used in the construction of these commercial-grade rosaries. Members are prohibited from selling any mission rosary parts purchased from Our Lady's Rosary Makers.
Article VII: Decision Making and Voting
Section 1: General Decisions. Most day-to-day operations and material requests shall be handled by consensus. For matters requiring a formal decision (such as large Guild expenditures or changes to meeting structures), decisions will be made by a simple majority vote of the active members present at a monthly gathering.
Section 2: Quorum. Because attendance is flexible, a quorum shall consist of any number of active members who attend a regularly scheduled monthly meeting, provided at least two members of the Executive Committee are present.
Section 3: Voting Methods. Voting may be conducted via a show of hands or a verbal "aye" or "nay." If a sensitive issue arises, any member may request a secret written ballot.
Section 4: Bylaw Amendments. To change or amend these bylaws, a proposal must be presented at one monthly meeting, allowing members time to review it, and then voted on at the following monthly meeting. An amendment requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present to pass.
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20