For many centuries, Catholics have devoted the month of May to Mary. Both in our churches and in our homes, we offer special prayers to Our Lady and honor her as our spiritual mother.
This year, this month takes on special significance. On May 13, we will mark the 100th anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady to three shepherd children in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal.
Early in my life, I learned the value of praying the Rosary from my parents, especially from my father.
During the day, I often noticed him fingering the Rosary beads he always carried in his pocket. He had such a devotion to the Rosary that we had it engraved on his tombstone.
The power of the Rosary was demonstrated during St. Dominic’s time in the 13th century and continues to be seen today. We have learned that not only will the Rosary bring peace to our personal life, but it is also a powerful tool that can bring peace to the entire world.
MADISON — On June 20, Knights of Columbus District 47 hosted a Silver Rose Prayer Service at St. Joseph Church.
In 1960, the Columbian Squires (the official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus) started a project to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, by running a silver rose from Montreal, Canada, to Monterrey, Mexico.
There are now six roses that crisscross the country and end up in different locations. The one exhibited at the Madison service will end up at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
MADISON — After traveling 40,000 miles through 24 European nations, the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, already viewed by millions and venerated by hundreds of thousands of Christians, landed on the shores of America in August 2013 for the next leg of an historic pilgrimage in the movement to build a Culture of Life.
The Black Madonna, a replica of the original in Jasna Gora Monastery in Poland, was received at a ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013, on St. Clement’s Island, Md. — the exact site of the first landing of Catholic pilgrims in the American British colonies of the 17th century. Tradition holds that the original icon of the Black Madonna was painted by St. Luke on a cypress table used by the Holy Family.
The Human Life International-sponsored “Ocean to Ocean Pilgrimage in Defense of Life” will visit Madison on Thursday, June 19, 2014. The Black Madonna will be on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood on Orin Rd. for a 3 p.m. prayer vigil, and at 7 p.m., there will be Mass with Fr. Peter West of Human Life International as celebrant at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monona.
Details and a short video about the pilgrimage can be found at www.hli.org/oceantoocean
SAUK CITY — All are invited to join in a grand celebration on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 at St. Aloysius Church, 115 Madison St., in Sauk City. On display will be a new life-sized framed canvas of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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Lent invites us to seek and find God. In this regard, our earthly pilgrimage continues, fixing our eyes on God.
It is our delight to take short-cuts, especially when our way is long and hard. Indeed, our way to God looks enormously long and tedious. God knew our problem and came to our rescue.
God in his infinite love created in his children a heart that longs for him. God, from his part, loved to be with us. Salvation history illustrates beautifully this mutual seeking and finding of God and his children. God was the first one to seek.
Servers lead the procession of the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary through the streets of downtown Madison during the 70th annual International Rosary March held at Holy Redeemer Church on October 2, 2011.
With Christmas festivities underway and family gatherings abounding, Christ’s birth is any Christian’s central focus.
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| Olivia Knier |
Surely this focus has brought about some thought on the Blessed Virgin’s important role in the Christ Child’s life.
The simple, yet difficult role she held in His time can hardly be paralleled with such a fast-paced culture as ours is today, can it?
With the role of women in society changing rapidly, it’s easy to lose sight of where women should stand. Involvement of a woman in society today is different from that of Jesus’ time, but still centers around the same characteristic: primary focus of service to the family.
What has the power to end wars, destroy evil, save lives, and heal people? Someone might think I’m talking about a superhero.
No. I’m thinking about the power available to any believer in the Rosary. This traditional Catholic devotion usually prayed on beads really has awesome power! How do we know? Our Lady herself has told us.
