from St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish Newsletter — Apr/May 2023
by Catholic Stewardship Consultants
The Rosary is a prayer that developed from a long history with roots going as far back as the third-century Desert Fathers’ prayer ropes, and St. Dominic’s dream in the year 1208. The word rosary refers to a garland of roses and is associated with many heavenly promises. St. Louis de Montfort was a great proponent of the Rosary and he spoke of this garland of roses in a very real way.
“Every time people say the Rosary devoutly, they place a crown of 153 white roses and 16 red roses upon the head of Jesus and Mary. Being heavenly flowers, these roses will never fade or lose their exquisite beauty,” St. Louis de Montfort taught.
St. Michael’s Traveling Rosary Ministry provides an opportunity for parishioners to join in prayer and devotion to Our Lady, bringing many graces from Jesus to our parish ʻohana. A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary travels from family to family. Each family keeps the statue for a week and prays the Rosary each day for her intercession.
While the concept is simple, there is behind-the-scenes work that goes into scheduling each family and coordinating the exchange of the statue of Our Lady.
“We usually meet at the church on Sunday or call the parishioner who is next on the list to coordinate,” says ministry coordinator Beth Smith. “If no one is available, I’ll pick it up from them and take it to the next person’s house just to make it easy for everybody. If I’m in town, they’re welcome to call me.”
Beth began leading this ministry a year ago. She moved from San Diego two years ago and her previous parish had a similar ministry in which she had been involved. The Traveling Rosary has been around our parish for a while, and Beth was happy to get involved and ensure that Our Lady continues to be honored and bless the homes and families that welcome her and her Son.
There are currently about 16 families involved with the Traveling Rosary and more are always welcome. The family that has the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary prays for the general intentions of the parish but they also bring their own personal needs to the feet of Our Lady. No intention is too small or too big for Our Lady’s intercession.
“Being Catholic, the Virgin Mary is a big part of our lives,” Beth says. “We just encourage everybody to invite the Virgin Mary to their house. If there’s someone who is sick in your family, you can pray with her.”
Honoring Our Lady pleases her Son, and Mary will be sure to draw us close to Jesus as we pray the Rosary and grow in our devotion to her. All families are invited to sign up for a week of prayer with Mary through the Traveling Rosary.
To be put on the schedule to receive the statue of Mary into your home, call the parish office at 808-326-7771 — Beth will then reach out to you to schedule your week.
