Pray The Rosary: The Broken Mary Project

Pray The Rosary: The Broken Mary Project is a Rosary app built around a particular story. The app prays the Rosary with you, and it carries with it the story of a statue of Mary that was found broken next to a dumpster, rescued, and kept broken rather than restored — as a reminder that all of us are broken and in need of repair.

The app picks the appropriate set of mysteries based on the day of the week — Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous — and prays them with you. You can also pick the mysteries yourself if you'd rather pray a particular set. The full Broken Mary story is included in the app so you can read through it when you have time.

The story angle is what sets this one apart from the dozen other Rosary apps. The image of the broken statue stays with you. I found myself thinking about it the next time I prayed the Rosary in a different app. There's something steadying about praying with a reminder that the saints and the rest of us are walking around chipped and patched, not polished.

It's a fine fit for anyone who prays the Rosary daily and wants a simple guided version on the phone. Also useful if you've drifted away from the Rosary and want a low-friction way back to it.

It's not as polished or feature-rich as the larger Rosary apps. There's no Latin option, no audio choir, no sharing across devices. The story is the draw, not the production values.

Free, by Edward Silha. Available on the App Store: Pray The Rosary: The Broken Mary Project. Worth installing for the story alone, and the daily Rosary is a bonus.