Catholics of Ireland are rallying around the Holy Rosary. On May 14 thousands of Irish Catholics attended “Rosary Rallies” held across the Emerald Isle. The Irish Society for Christian Civilization (ISCC), which organized the event, estimated that 515 separate groups gathered to recite the Holy Rosary as one.
One million rosaries
The ISCC called the Rosary rally the “biggest widespread public manifestation of the Faith in Ireland in recent years.” The society estimates that nearly one million rosaries were prayed in public around the country. They wrote:
“One person described it as a tsunami of graces for Ireland, and it really was!” Rosary Rally captain Gregory Murphy said. “I’m sure that God will bless Ireland … after having so many Rosary Rallies in honor of His Mother.” He added, “You can see the joy and happiness in the faces of the attendees.”
Ireland Needs Fatima
The Facebook page for Ireland Needs Fatima, a campaign started by the ISCC in 2004, is showing off hundreds of photographs of the Rosary groups. Some of them are as small as a single family on a park lawn, while others show dozens gathered to recite the Holy Rosary in urban locations.
The Ireland Needs Fatima initiative sees volunteers escort a four-foot statue of Our Lady of Fatima to various locations and private homes throughout Ireland. Their events feature short talks and audio/visual presentations on the message of Fatima. These sessions always conclude with a recitation of the Holy Rosary, for the intentions of all those present.
Faith growth
Since 2013, the group has organized at least six Rosary Rallies per year, from May until October. The main event is usually located in Dublin, but other “Rally Captains” help organize similar meetings in Ireland’s major cities. In 2016 they organized about 160 Rosary rallies, which grew to 180, in 2017.
Now, they have reached a peak, with a record 515 Rosary Rallies in one day. Captain Gregory Murphy commented on the growing popularity of the practice:
“More and more people are looking to the Fatima message because it offers a sure remedy to the moral crisis in society. In other words, prayer, penance and conversion are the answer to a world that has abandoned God.”
Click here to learn more about the Irish Society for Christian Civilization’s efforts to revitalize the Irish Catholic faith.
And today we celebrate...