Rosary in the rain or simply raining Rosaries?
Rain did not deter the hundreds of men gathered as part of the Men’s Rosary in Bogota, Colombia, Oct. 8, 2022, to pray the rosary for the victims of abortion. | Photo credit: Eduardo Berdejo/Twitter
There’s something about praying the Rosary in the rain that’s catching on.
In July, a video of 100 men on their knees and praying the Rosary in drenching rain outside St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney went viral worldwide.
In similar images, ‘hundreds’ of men in Bogotá, Colombia, have now been captured on their knees in the rain saying the Rosary.
In Ireland, where it rains more often than not, “Rosary Rallies” were held in May, and it’s estimated nearly one million Rosaries were prayed in public around that country.
On 18 October, the international Aid to the Church in Need organisation invited families, catechists, and teachers to join what they hope will be one million children worldwide this Tuesday to pray the Rosary for “peace and unity in the world”.
In Australia, a National Public Rosary Chain is taking place this weekend with our Archdiocese’s Marian Procession to be celebrated on 23 October.
It’s also the first anniversary of the Rosary Online (via Zoom) the Archdiocese initiated last year during the COVID lockdown, which continues.
Since 27th April 2020, the Sisters have been joined by a faithful band of prayer warriors each weekday at 4pm to pray for all those affected by the pandemic and numerous other intentions.
Again in our Archdiocese, there’s the Legion of Mary’s well-known Marian devotions and groups such as the “Latte with our Lady” gathering that meets once a month outside their local Charcoal Chicken to pray the Rosary.
And since April 2020, the Missionaries of God’s Love Sisters have been joined by a “faithful band of prayer warriors” for their “Weekday Zoom (online) Rosary.” 635 Rosaries and still going, the Sisters recently posted!
Around the globe, nationally and locally, ‘everyone’, it seems – with a touch of exaggeration and wishful thinking – is praying the Rosary.
Pope St John Paul II wrote that the Rosary is “a prayer for peace since it consists in the contemplation of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the one who is “our peace”.
Similarly, Pope Francis said the Rosary brings “peace to hearts, in the family, society and the world.”
More than just the traditional Marian devotions in May and October, it appears the faithful are increasingly wanting to send messages of hope and connectedness in a world troubled by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the climate, threats to values and accepted wisdom, or a host of other causes.
We may worry about catching a cold (or COVID) in the rain.
But when it comes to prayer and faith and in rain or shine, perhaps we might hope it’s the Rosary itself catching on.
