The Catholic Diocese of Beaumont is hosting a rosary making afternoon event at the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center from 2-5 p.m. Sunday.

All supplies are provided as well as refreshments.

Father Sinclair Oubre, diocesan director of the Apostleship of the Sea for the area and pastor at Saint Francis Church in Orange, who will be co-hosting the event, said the tradition began a couple years ago.

“We participate in what is called Encounter Catholic and we have a booth at Mardi Gras every year,” he said. “We give people the opportunity to have a rosary, pray and bless the rosary.

“This event is a means to encourage the praying of the rosary and teach how to make the rosary, while at the same time preparing some of the supplies we need at Mardi Gras.”

The different components of the rosary represent the individual steps of the traditional rosary prayers. The beads help to keep count of prayers.

“It goes back to a time where the monks would recite every 150 psalms by memory, but the average person couldn’t remember all that,” Oubre said. “So people would come together to use the rosary woven together in a tradition that was similar to the original prayer.”

To make a rosary, Oubre said it includes several styles and sizes of beads, a chain, a metal connector, a crucifix and jump rings. At the Sunday event, members of the dioceses will be teaching how to make hand-knotted rosaries and simple plastic bead rosaries.

“You have five beads in a row and some type of metal that is a three-ply piece that holds together the string,” he said. “The metal could have any kind of symbol. Then you go into 10 rosary beads, one large bead and do that five times as you go around. You start by praying the ‘Our Father’ and then 10 ‘Hail Marys’ and then do a ‘Glory Be.’ The beads are all tied together with some type of string or chain.”

Oubre said the event is open to everyone.

“All the people have to do is show up and have a desire for cookies and soda,” he said. “Anyone is welcome.”

For more information, visit the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont on Facebook or at dioceseofbmt.org.