Want to buy JFK’s Rosary beads?
The black onyx beads, and a sterling silver crucifix with Kennedy’s name engraved on it, were given by the president to his friend and special assistant, David Powers.
From the letter of provenance from Powers’ son:
“Many consider my father to have been President Kennedy’s best friend and confidant. They campaigned together from 1946 to 1963, and traveled the world together on presidential visits. During their travels, they frequently attended mass and would always make 3 wishes at each new Church per Roman Catholic tradition.”So I’m a waaaay post-Vatican II Catholic and the “three wishes” tradition is unfamiliar to me. But Kennedy wishing to win key electoral states rings true, from what we know of him.
“Kennedy would often relate that his wishes pertained to winning key states in the next election. The Rosary Beads and Silver Cross engraved ‘John F. Kennedy’ were gifted to my father by JFK and my father cherished them. My father was in the fateful motorcade in Dallas, right behind President Kennedy’s vehicle. I can imagine that reflecting with these rosary beads gave my father comfort in the years after the President’s death.”
More details from RR Auction of New Hampshire, which will handle the live bidding in Boston on Oct. 24:
Though one would not get his or her own rosary engraved, it was common for upper-class Catholics to do so when giving it as a gift; with Jackie’s known penchant for personalizing meaningful pieces that she gave her husband, and with her undeniable eye for the finest modern styles, it is likely that this was a gift to Kennedy from his wife.The auction house also notes, without irony:
Trying to balance family life with the pressures of political life, it is understandable that this rosary should show such wear, with the sterling heavily rubbed and the onyx beads slightly chipped.“This is by far one of the most remarkable, personal pieces of President Kennedy’s that has ever come to auction,” Bobby Livingston, VP at RR Auction, says in a press release. “Holding incredible significance in its signs of daily use and its representation of the faith that carried him through life.”
So is bidding on these beads ghoulish or akin to buying a relic? I mean, JFK was no saint, but we hope for his soul as much as our own. Then again, the jokes this could prompt about the effficacy, or lack thereof, of a traditional prayer may raise a warning flag.
Then again, a portion of the proceeds of the sale will be donated to the David Powers Foundation, a non-profit helping The Boys and Girls Club and Military Families.
David
Gibson | Oct 11, 2013
The reverse
side of the crucifix of John F. Kennedy's Rosary, which will be up for auction
this month, shortly before the 50th anniversary of his assassination.
The reverse
side of the crucifix of John F. Kennedy’s Rosary, which will be up for auction
this month, shortly before the 50th anniversary of his assassination.
They’re
coming up for auction later this month, just ahead of the 50th anniversary of
Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas.
The black
onyx beads, and a sterling silver crucifix with Kennedy’s name engraved on it,
were given by the president to his friend and special assistant, David Powers.
From the
letter of provenance from Powers’ son:
“Many consider my father to have been
President Kennedy’s best friend and confidant. They campaigned together from
1946 to 1963, and traveled the world together on presidential visits. During
their travels, they frequently attended mass and would always make 3 wishes at
each new Church per Roman Catholic tradition.”
“Kennedy would often relate that his wishes
pertained to winning key states in the next election. The Rosary Beads and
Silver Cross engraved ‘John F. Kennedy’ were gifted to my father by JFK and my
father cherished them. My father was in the fateful motorcade in Dallas, right
behind President Kennedy’s vehicle. I can imagine that reflecting with these
rosary beads gave my father comfort in the years after the President’s death.”
So I’m a
waaaay post-Vatican II Catholic and the “three wishes” tradition is unfamiliar
to me. But Kennedy wishing to win key electoral states rings true, from what we
know of him.
More
details from RR Auction of New Hampshire, which will handle the live bidding in
Boston on Oct. 24:
Though one would not get his or her
own rosary engraved, it was common for upper-class Catholics to do so when
giving it as a gift; with Jackie’s known penchant for personalizing meaningful
pieces that she gave her husband, and with her undeniable eye for the finest
modern styles, it is likely that this was a gift to Kennedy from his wife.
President Kennedy leaving the Cathedral of St. Matthew the
Apostle in Washington, DC, with his friend and assistant, David Powers, on May
31, 1962. Kennedy gave Powers the Rosary that will be auctioned this month
Show caption
President Kennedy leaving the Cathedral of St. Matthew the
Apostle in Washington, DC, with his friend and assistant, David Powers, on May
31, 1962. Kennedy gave Powers the Rosary that will be auctioned this month
Photo courtesy of RR Auction
The auction house also notes, without irony:
Trying to balance
family life with the pressures of political life, it is understandable that
this rosary should show such wear, with the sterling heavily rubbed and the
onyx beads slightly chipped.
“This is by far one of the most remarkable, personal pieces
of President Kennedy’s that has ever come to auction,” Bobby Livingston, VP at
RR Auction, says in a press release. “Holding incredible significance in its
signs of daily use and its representation of the faith that carried him through
life.”
So is bidding on these beads ghoulish or akin to buying a
relic? I mean, JFK was no saint, but we hope for his soul as much as our own.
Then again, the jokes this could prompt about the effficacy, or lack thereof,
of a traditional prayer may raise a warning flag.
Then again, a portion of the proceeds of the sale will be
donated to the David Powers Foundation, a non-profit helping The Boys and Girls
Club and Military Families.