For October, Promote the Family Rosary!

October is the month of the Rosary, with the feast of our Lady of the Rosary occurring on October 7^th (which also happens to be the first Sunday of the month this year). This coming month is a precious time to grown in our devotion to Mary as the Queen of the Rosary and, through the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, to come to know and love Christ our Savior.

During the month of May, a number of individuals joined together (through this blog, and that of Stacy Trasancos, Accepting Abundance [here]) in a campaign for the Family Rosary. To promote the Family Rosary, we began by dedicating May as a month of prayer. Every day during May, we offered prayers for the renewal of the Family Rosary and in preparation for an active Family Rosary Campaign in which we will now engage during the month of October.

Now that October is nearly upon us, I will offer a little reminder of some of the active works we may perform to promote the Family Rosary.

Two must-read articles on how to pray the Family Rosary

First, I offer two excellent articles which give insights in how to pray the Family Rosary successfully: By Lila Lawler [here], and (especially for Catholic dads) by Taylor Marshall [here].

Some works we could perform throughout October

Since October is the month of the Rosary, we could all find various ways of promoting the Rosary (and especially the family Rosary) in our homes, parishes, and communities.

First and foremost, we should all strive to pray the Rosary daily as a family. Perhaps all five decades is too much at the start for some families, but maybe they can begin with one decade every day? And then five on Saturday and Sunday?  

What might we do to promote the Family Rosary beyond our own family? (below are some general ideas)

1) During October, provide a weekly (or even daily) Family Rosary at the parish – perhaps in the evening, so that families could come.

2) During October, invite two or three other families (who maybe do not often pray the Family Rosary) to join our family once a week for an “inter-family” Rosary. This can be a great way of witnessing to others and of encouraging them in the practice.

2) Pass out pamphlets on the Family Rosary after Sunday Masses during October and in the weeks leading up to the month of the Rosary

3) Promote the family Rosary through the local Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Council of Catholic Women, etc.

4) Join with others at the parish to purchase rosaries to give away after Masses (before and during October), with the special request that families pray at least some portion of the Rosary together every day.

5) Purchase and distribute St. Louis de Montfort’s classic Marian works, like: “The Secret of the Rosary” or “The Secret of Mary”. Give them away for free, if people will agree to pray some portion of the Rosary every day of October (especially as a family).

[clearly, anything at the parish would have to be approved first by the parish priest]

There are innumerable other ways of promoting the family Rosary: Speaking with our own relatives and friends, coming together as families to pray the Rosary before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, promoting the plenary indulgence attached to the family Rosary, etc.

October 7^th, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

The first Sunday of October is the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. This would be an excellent opportunity to promote the Rosary, and especially the Family Rosary. With the support of the local parish priest, perhaps a Rosary could be organized after the Sunday Mass(es), or even later in the day.

Even if nothing is organized at the parish level, why not gather a number of families together for a Family Rosary? But be sure to invite not only those who are already zealous, but also those families who might need a bit more encouragement. Let us strengthen one another in our resolve to pray the Rosary daily!

Bl. John Paul II and the call to the Family Rosary

Blessed John Paul II once stated, “The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 5)

In this same Apostolic Letter, the Venerable Pontiff called for a renewal of the family Rosary in particular: “As a prayer for peace, the Rosary is also, and always has been, a prayer of and for the family. […] We need to return to the practice of family prayer and prayer for families, including the Rosary. […] The Holy Rosary, by age-old tradition, has shown itself particularly effective as a prayer which brings the family together. […] The family that recites the Rosary together reproduces something of the atmosphere of the household of Nazareth.” (n. 41)

Through the patronage of the Mother of God and of St. Louis de Montfort

Let us consecrate this campaign for the Family Rosary to the good Jesus through is most holy Mother, under the patronage of their faithful slave, St. Louis Marie de Montfort.

Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for us!

St. Louis Marie de Montfort, Pray for us!