MONTHLY ROSARY: Opportunity for Prayer and Community-Wide Fellowship

October is the month of the Rosary, and it’s a great time to come to know and reflect upon this powerful way of prayer. In every Marian apparition, Our Lady has asked us to pray the Rosary for the salvation of souls and for peace in our world. At Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we have a special devotion to Our Lady through the Altar and Rosary Society. On the first Friday of each month, parishioners from Nativity and surrounding parishes gather at 11 a.m. to pray the Rosary and afterward enjoy fellowship with a luncheon and social hour.

“We are a very small parish and it’s bringing us together like a family,” says parishioner Kathy Rokasy. “We’re inviting other members to the family from other parishes. People have said they feel comfortable coming here.”

Kathy is one of the facilitators for the monthly event. She remembers attending First Friday services in her childhood. Praying the Rosary on this particular day was, for her, a way to go to Our Lady in the same way a child goes to their mother when they need help.

“To me, you go to your mama first, when you’re a little kid and you need help,” Kathy says. “Mom was home, dad was working all the time. When you have a problem, who’s the first person you go to? The first person my husband and I will go to is Mary, to Jesus through Mary.”

In addition, Kathy organizes our annual October Rosary event, which includes a candle procession around the church, a litany, and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, along with a homily and readings.

“I’ve been doing that for probably five years now,” Kathy says. “It seems to have been well received.”

The Rosary is an important part of Kathy’s spiritual life. When Kathy and her husband, John, lost their son, Matthew, at age 24, the two turned to the Rosary as a way of dealing with their loss. continued on page 7

“I truly do not know what I would have done without my faith, that carried me and John through Matthew’s death,” Kathy says. “Without faith, who do you turn to?”

As she prays through the repetitive prayers of the Rosary, Kathy thinks of each mystery and the fruits that accompany them, such as purity or confidence. For her, it’s about more than simply getting through the prayers.

“I think about the fruit, then go into the prayers,” Kathy says. “I imagine what’s happening like when the angel came to greet Mary, I relate to when I went to the gynecologist and they told me I’m going to be a mom, and those emotions I felt, I’m sure she felt a hundred times more than that. I can also relate to Mary losing her Son and John and I losing ours.”

Similar to Kathy, Carol Brewer has a personal devotion to the Rosary. Carol also helps with the setup of the monthly Rosary event, as well as organizing our annual May Crowning. She has had a lifelong devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary and remembers praying it when she was growing up. Carol believes that the ministry has encouraged and brought attention to the importance of praying the Rosary, and hopes that will continue.

“I am proud and blessed to be a part of this loving ministry,” Carol says. “I feel this is part of my discipleship. I have been devoted to the Rosary from a very young age. I have felt a special closeness to Our Blessed Mother in my life.”

All are welcome to attend the First Friday devotions. The group stops meeting in November for the winter but will resume in the warmer months.

“The ministry is important to the life of the parish,” Carol says. “Prayers, ministries, and organizations are the life of the parish, and the Altar and Rosary Society provides this.”