“Intensify your praying of the Rosary…to obtain from the Lord
those graces that the Church and humanity especially need.”
Pope John Paul II
October is the Month of the Rosary, a time when we increase our efforts to pray this beautiful series of prayers, rooted in Catholic tradition. The Rosary is composed of two parts – the meditation on the mysteries and the recitation of prayers. The Rosary walks us through the significant events in the life of Jesus Christ, and it also honors and contemplates Mary. Sometimes referred to as “Mary’s Psalter,” the 150 Hail Marys recited in the Rosary can be thought of as a substitute for the 150 psalms. Praying the Rosary is widely practiced among the faithful, and this devotion has been embraced and highly recommended by numerous Popes. When we pray the Rosary, we pray for our own intentions, but we are also encouraged to pray for the intentions of others.
To that end, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who served as the national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, established a World Mission Rosary in February 1951. He said, “We must pray, and not for ourselves, but for the world.” Each of the five decades in the World Mission Rosary is a different color to represent the continents:
GREEN – for the forests and grasslands of AFRICA
BLUE – for the ocean surrounding the ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC
WHITE – symbolizing EUROPE, the seat of the Holy Father, shepherd of the world
RED – calling to mind the fire of faith that brought missionaries to the AMERICAS
YELLOW – the morning light of the East, for ASIA
We will gather together as a school community in Crusader Groups to pray the World Mission Rosary. Mercy Corps and Student Council will lead our prayers, and explain the purpose of each decade. Each group is asked to wear a colored shirt representing one of the continents, along with jeans or uniform shorts/pants. The groups are as follows:
Groups A and B (8A, 5A, 8B, 5B) – GREEN – lead 1st Decade
Groups C and D (8C, 5C, 7A, 3A) – BLUE – lead 2nd Decade
Groups E and F (7B, 3B, 7C, 2A) – WHITE - lead 3rd Decade
Groups G and H (6A, 2B, 6B, 1A) – RED - lead 4th Decade
Groups I, J, and K (6C, 1B, 4A, K2, 4B, K1) – YELLOW - lead 5th Decade
Those who have adopted the regular practice of meditation on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary attest to its power, strength, and healing effects. I hope that you will try to find time to pray the Rosary this month with your families.
In Mission, Kathy