July 20, 2010

‘Pray as you go’ is slogan for Iowa inventor of steering-wheel rosary

National

By Anne Marie Amacher
Catholic News Service

RICHLAND, Iowa (CNS) — “Pray as you go.” That’s the slogan for Wayne Kneeskern’s custom-made, handcrafted steering-wheel cover with the rosary embedded in it.

Now drivers can pray while keeping both hands on the wheel, said Kneeskern, a member of Ss. Joseph & Cabrini Parish in Richland.

The idea has been in the works for about six years and developed while the Richland resident drove to and from work, about a 15- to 20-minute commute each way. He knew of people who recited the rosary on their commutes to work, but he didn’t think it was safe to be thumbing a rosary and driving at the same time.

A near-accident involving friends of his daughter inspired Kneeskern’s idea for a rosary designed for the car. She told him the couple almost hit a deer during their drive to a party. For the rest of the ride, the couple recited the rosary.

“I really wasn’t into praying the rosary, but I thought there had to be something better than trying to hold a rosary and the steering wheel at the same time,” Kneeskern said. So he decided to put a rosary right into a steering wheel.

Kneeskern bought a stretchy fabric steering-wheel cover and added some stick pins for medals and silver-colored rivets for beads. He showed it to his wife and daughter. Then he made one for each of them and tinkered with options for other steering-wheel rosaries.

He found that lapel pins work better than stick pins. Silver isn’t everyone’s favorite color, so to customize for personal use, he found a distributor that offered synthetic, colored stones.

The steering-wheel rosaries also include two crucifixes and one risen Christ pin from which to choose. More than a dozen centerpieces are available including medals of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Miraculous Medal, St. Andrew and St. Thomas Aquinas. Bead choices are domed or flat nickel-plated rivets or synthetic stones in various colors.

Steering-wheel covers also are available in different colors and materials. Kneeskern makes the steering-wheel rosaries by hand. “I waited until I was retired, and then I spent some time working on it,” he said in an interview with The Catholic Messenger, newspaper of the Davenport Diocese.

Praying the rosary alone is not for everyone. So Kneeskern produced a CD to play in the car that includes the rosary and all the mysteries. He enlisted help from a friend he met on a business trip several years ago who is an accomplished Russian concert pianist. Igor Nesterov agreed to record the background music for Kneeskern.

A website was developed with the help of Sambit Bhattarai, whom Kneeskern considers his “adopted son from Nepal.”

Bhattarai and Kneeskern worked together for more than eight years and spent many lunch hours brainstorming business ideas. “From that, the Travel Rosary evolved into reality,” Kneeskern said.

Bhattarai developed and maintains the website www.travelrosary.com.

Kneeskern’s son, Scott, collaborated with his father and is the creative director. He designed the art for the CDs, website and business cards.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my dad on this project,” said Scott. “Ever since I was little, I have watched my dad come up with fun ideas. To now be able to work side by side with him has been a wonderful adventure. I am convinced that the Travel Rosary is a useful and valuable product for people of the Catholic faith. I can truly say that this product is not a gimmick, but a legitimate and genuine labor of love from my dad’s heart.”

Five percent of the proceeds from all sales will be donated to different Catholic charities, Kneeskern said.

Kneeskern is working on a patent for the Travel Rosary and has registered it with the state of Iowa. He also is working to get it copyrighted as well.
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Editor’s Note: For more information on the travel rosary visit www.travelrosary.com or e-mail info@travelrosary.com.