Praying the rosary for the conversion of sinners is "an act of compassion and love," speaker David Carollo told the crowd gathered for the National Rosary Rally in Washington Oct. 9.
Most Catholics know that May is the month we honor the Virgin Mary, but many people do not realize that October is another month of the year in which we especially venerate our Lord’s mother.
Wise people know that before making judgments, it’s important to gather the facts. The same goes for growing in wisdom of the Scriptures. Knowing the context before and after a particular section helps enlighten the verses being studied, gaining for us insights that we can apply to our lives.
The month of the most holy rosary comes upon us in October to remind and refresh us — body and soul— that the prayer time we devote in honor of the Blessed Mother is a timeless treasure. To help keep us in the love of Christ, protect us from the evil of the world and lead us to the safe haven of the heart of God — this most powerful prayer we pray with the most powerful woman in the world is for all Christians.
The Church has had many different Marian feast days throughout its history that have “kind of ebbed and flowed,” said Father Tom Margevicius, director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Some remain, “and … one of them that we love to observe,” he said, is Our Lady of the Rosary Oct. 7.
During my years in college, my faith took on a greater maturity than I had known in my youth. One of the ways this happened was in my prayer of the rosary. It was at the Newman Center at North Dakota State University where I experienced the power of the prayer of the rosary — how through a meditation on the mysteries, God could share his love and mercy with me with great intimacy.
Inviting Archbishop Hebda and Bishop Dewane to lead the March 7 rosary was the brainchild of Joel Hazzard, retired CEO of Eagan-based Ergotron and, along with Archbishop Hebda, a member of Relevant Radio’s board of directors.
In 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared six times to three shepherd children near the village of Fatima, Portugal. During each apparition, she asked them to pray a daily rosary, said Barb Ernster, communications manager, editor and speaker for the World Apostolate of Fatima.
We give it special attention this month. It is a journey through the Gospel story. Yielding only to the Mass, arguably the favorite prayer of many saints, popes, monks and mystics. And, of all of us sinners who desire to love Jesus more than our sins. In spiritual warfare, it “is the weapon for these times,” proclaimed St. Padre Pio.
