Radio rosary a Milwaukee tradition for almost 35 years

So, as an old altar boy, I was intrigued to learn that WTKM-FM (104.9) in Hartford broadcasts the rosary every day.

And not just before the cock crows or after the cows go to bed: The 15-minute, prerecorded broadcast airs at 4:15 p.m. - drive time for commercial stations - seven days a week.

"It started out as an experiment, and it's been part of our programming for almost 35 years," said WTKM owner Scott Lopas, who is, ironically, a Lutheran.

The rosary is a Roman Catholic devotional in honor of the Virgin Mary and consists of the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. The name comes from the Latin for "garland of roses," and worshipers move their fingers along a garland-like set of beads as they pray.

The rosary "started in the Middle Ages," said Bishop Donald Hying, when "monks would pray the 150 Psalms of the Bible."

A shorter version was developed to allow lay people to participate, said Hying, the West Allis native recently named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Pope Benedict XVI.

The rosary was de-emphasized by the Catholic Church after the second Vatican Council in the 1960s, but today it's "more popular than ever," Hying said. "People are discovering it as a form of meditation."

And although "many young people pray it fervently," said Hying, the worship is associated with older church members like Ron Weber, the sole member of the Holy Name Society of St. Kilian Parish in Hartford, who single-handedly keeps the rosary alive on WTKM.

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