International Rosary March prays for world peace

Intermountain Catholic

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With a Knights of Columbus honor guard, Deacon Mansueto Flaim leads the International Rosary March at Saint Ann Parish May 6. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The faithful from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered at Saint Ann Parish to join a worldwide effort to pray the rosary together on May 6.

This practice has been in place at St. Ann Parish since the 1970s, said Dora LaVoie, event coordinator.

"May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so we coordinate this rosary march the first Sunday of May together with a crowning of the Virgin Mary," said LaVoie. "We also hold a rosary march the first Sunday of October. Pope John Paul II asked that we pray the rosary as did Mary in an apparition at Fatima."

Father Michael Sciumbato, St. Ann Parish pastor, described in his homily his experience as a young priest in Richfield, when he would visit parishioners who were mostly Hispanic. While at one parishioner’s home one day, some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also came to visit. When the talk turned theological, the woman told Fr. Sciumbato he didn’t have to worry because the missionaries didn’t honor the Virgin Mary. If they don’t honor the Virgin, they cannot honor God either, she told the priest.

"Since then I’ve been impressed by the wonderful devotion people have to our Blessed Mother Mary," Fr. Sciumbato said. "Many people have too much shame to approach Jesus for a need or a favor, but the Mother of God is one of us and her son cannot deny her whatever she asks of him. Many are here today to ask the Mother of God to intercede on our behalf to her son. So we come here today to honor Mary, to place a crown of roses on her image, and this is for us a sign of our love. We love Mary because of her humility and her ‘yes’ to God. Salvation is ours; we now have a place in heaven awaiting us. Mary is a model of humility and a model of love."

The group also prayed for mothers both living and deceased, for women to say ‘yes’ to the gift of life, mothers who have lost children through illness, accidents, or abortions, the sick and shut-ins, fallen away Catholics and personal intentions.

Regina Myrum, a Saint Ann parishioner, has participated in the rosary march since 1992.

"This is really special because we are praying with many around the world for peace," she said. "I pray the rosary every day and every chance I can get. I was born in May and my mother named me in honor of Mary."

Tammy Stastny, from Saints Peter and Paul Parish, was happy that the whole world was united at the same hour praying the rosary for peace, she said. "People are praying the rosary in Asia, Africa, in Europe and all around the world, so we are all united in praying to our Blessed Mother for the unification of love. I think it’s such a beautiful devotion."