Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick has asked families to consider “giving the Rosary a go” in May, the month of Marian devotion. Bishop Leahy said that May is the month traditionally dedicated to Mary, the “mother of family”, and asked that the public accepts Pope Francis’ invitation to rediscover the Rosary in the coming month. Bishop Leahy will be reciting the Rosary in Mount Saint Alphonsus Church, Limerick, tomorrow, 1 May, at 8.00 pm. This will be streamed via the webcam on novena.ie.
Bishop Leahy said, “I want to invite everyone, either as a family or individually, to take up the Rosary and to give it a go. A definite positive of us staying at home is that families are praying more and they have the resource of the internet to help them, including with the Rosary this coming month.
“I’m hearing of adult children developing a deeper connection with their parents as this mutual need brings us back to some wonderful basics and closer to each other. Mary is the mother of family and she is the Queen of Peace and, with May the traditional month of devotion to her, we have an opportunity to turn to her this month so that families can pray together and pray for peace in their families at this difficult time.”
Bishop Leahy continued, “We remember the famous phrases of the Irishman, Father Patrick Peyton, who Pope Francis has declared venerable – ‘the family that prays together stays together’ and ‘a world at prayer is a world at peace’. Perhaps in more cynical times, we smiled a little at these but today people are more open to rediscovering the many different forms of prayer that the Church proposes.”
Bishop Leahy spoke of how the various online platforms of the Church are seeing more traffic than ever before. Visitors to the Saint John’s Cathedral website for midday Masses have increased seven-fold from January to April, with 3,267 people watching Mass live from the Cathedral in April, and thousands more engaging with other streamed Masses across the diocese.
In conclusion, Bishop Leahy encouraged people to take up the Rosary for May, “At a time when we can’t go to churches, the home has become our place of prayer thanks to technology. We can make it so with the Rosary this month so I would encourage people to try it, rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary together at home. It might be enough just to start with one decade, that is, an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and one Glory be to the Father.
“Some days it’s easier than others to say the Rosary but, like in all good relationships, you’ve got to work at your friendship with God, with Jesus, with Mary. Saying the Rosary certainly helps you a lot. It’s worth trying and keeping at it!”
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