THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 43, NO. 7 | SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Larry Day shows off his radial arm saw, a tool that plays a crucial role in his rosary-making process. Larry makes each of his rosaries by hand and out of the wood from a variety of sources — from church kneelers to dead trees.
A CUT ABOVE
Elbow grease, TLC transform scrap wood into rosaries
B ry.
UCYRUS — Diana Day’s favorite rosary is more than an instrument for prayer. Its beads contain a connection to her family histo-
The beads were crafted by Diana’s husband Larry out of old kneelers from Queen of the Holy Rosary Church, Bucyrus, where Diana’s family has belonged since its founding. “I know that my great-great-grandfather and grandmother knelt on the kneelers,” said Diana, “and right on down the line — from my parents clear down to us.” Larry has made countless rosaries, crucifixes and other household items from scratch, using all sorts of wood — from church kneelers to dead trees. The results are a sentimental — and spiritual — keepsake that recipients of his work cherish for a lifetime.
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By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
“ EVERYTHING LARRY DOES IS A GIFT OF LOVE. HE TAKES PRIDE IN HIS BEAUTIFUL HOBBY AND SHARES WITH EVERYONE. ROSIE GUETTERMAN MEMBER OF QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY PARISH, BUCYRUS
Something out of nothing In 2006, Queen of the Holy Rosary’s church building turned 100 years old. The wear and tear it had undergone prompted the need for new kneelers, and Larry discovered the old ones were being thrown away. “I thought, ‘I want some of the kneelers,’” he said. “‘Maybe I can make
something out of them.’ “So, I kept them for a while.” Larry mulled over what to do with the 23 kneelers he obtained until he came up with the idea to make rosaries. “He was trying to think of something to make that I would like,” said Diana, “and he knew that rosaries were something special.” At first, Larry was hesitant. “It sounded pretty tedious for a big old guy with big old hands like mine,” he said. Eventually, he decided to try it, and his first rosary was a success. But the beads were square because of how they were cut, and Larry wanted to take the process a step further. While visiting a woodcraft shop, where he spoke with an employee about his predicament, he learned of a technique to make traditional round beads. The employee knew of someone who had strapped a box to a belt sander to round out small pieces of wood.
“That sounded pretty good to me,” said Larry. “So, I came home and built [one].” And he’s never looked back. Larry’s rosary-making process is unmatched. After cutting a piece of wood into small squares, he places the pieces into an open box, attaches it to a belt sander and turns it on so the beads tumble up and down the belt, a process that slowly rounds them out. He then lines up about 60 at a time on a string of wire, varnishes them and carefully spreads them out to dry. The process of putting the actual rosary together takes him about two hours. The only elements of his rosaries that aren’t homemade are the wire, medal and crucifix. Larry also uses old wood to make large crucifixes, which Diana said was challenging for him in a different way. >> See “SELF-TAUGHT” on page 6