Mary’s importance and influence in our lives can not be underscored, organizers of the 69th Living Rosary told those gathered at the annual service.
The Living Rosary was held outdoors at St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Fairdale, Ky., Oct. 11. The annual presentation of the rosary was sponsored by the Archdiocesan Marian Committee with assistance by the Knights of St. John and Columbus. The day’s theme was “Mary’s Importance in Our Lives.”
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz told the 300 or so individuals gathered that the Blessed Mother, through her intercession, will always lead us to her son, Jesus.
“During these challenging times, especially, we rely on the renewal on the gift of our faith,” the archbishop said.
Father David Carr, spiritual director of the Archdiocesan Marian Committee, recalled during his homily the influence and prominence of Mary on his life when he was an adolescent.
“I never had to search for Our Lady, she was always there,” he said. “Our Lady seemed to be everywhere, in literature and Catholic circles.”
He said despite her ever-presence, he didn’t always follow that call as well as he could have.
“I could have prayed more from the heart. I could have recited the rosary more frequently. I could have asked Our Lady’s intercession a lot more,” he said. “These are the things that we learn as we grow in the faith that there is always room for improvement.”
Nevertheless, he said, Mary’s presence is constant and she and the Lord continue to ask for greater conversion of heart.
That’s an opportunity, he said, to “say yes, I can take a step beyond what I’m doing.”
“I can live our faith more devoutly. I can be that witness in our day where it’s so badly needed,” he said.
The Living Rosary, he said, is not only the format of the day’s prayer but “it’s living because we immerse ourselves in the life of the Gospel and the mysteries of Christ.”
“When we do that daily, we change. And a lot of times that is very subtle. And, yet we can see that a little bit of growth at a time leads to greater and greater conversion,” he said.
Following the homily, children from Immaculata Classical Academy, Holy Angels Academy and parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville led the congregation in the recitation of the rosary.
To learn more about the Marian Committee, visit archloumarian.org.
