This year on the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima—13 May—Catholics from the vast reaches of Australia, from country towns to major cities, from mountain tops to beaches, will join together in praying the Rosary for their country.
It’s called the “Coast to Coast Rosary” and has already taken place in Poland and the UK, with Catholics uniting in prayer to the Blessed Mother—an initiative that has been granted an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis.
Bishop Emeritus David Cremin of the Sydney Archdiocese will be the patron of the Australian Coast to Coast Rosary.
Groups around the country, including youth groups, the Legion of Mary and other prayer groups will be coming together to pray the Rosary on the day in all major cities.
In Perth, young people will form a living Rosary, while in Darwin and Coogee Catholics will meet on the beach to pray.
In Canberra, one parish priest intends to take a group up Black Mountain to pray. In Sydney, a group of young people are planning to pray the Rosary on the Harbour Bridge.
Many schools and parishes around Australia will also take part, said event organiser, Jane Chifley. “The fact it started in Poland where St John Paul II came from is prophetic,” she said. It’s a movement of the Holy Spirit. And it will take place on Mother’s Day which is very appropriate as Mary is our mother.”
The inspiration behind the event is the messages of Our Lady of Fatima to the three little shepherd children in 1917.
Our Lady urged the three seers to encourage all people of faith to pray the Rosary every day for protection and for peace to reign around the world.
“Pray the Rosary every day in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world… for she alone can save it,” Our Lady was reported as saying to the children during the apparition on 13 July 1917.
All Catholics and people of faith around the country are encouraged to participate.
For more information: ozrosary.wixsite.com or “Oz Rosary #53” on Facebook. Or phone 0476 535 595.