May 27, 2021

St. Cecilia Parish celebrates month of Mary with living rosary

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

WILBRAHAM – Close to 150 people took part in a living rosary at St. Cecilia Parish in Wilbraham, Tuesday, May 25 at 7 p.m.

Sixty parishioners signed up to be a “living bead” reciting the Hail Mary and other prayers of the rosary. They formed the shape of the rosary, lining up along the sides of the church, surrounding the pews where other participants sat.

“When I drove in the parking lot and saw the number of people that are here, I was amazed, amazed, and I thought the Blessed Mother must be giddy,” said Colette Vogel, a parishioner and volunteer at St. Cecilia Parish.

The prayer event began with a procession in which a basket of intentions was placed before the statue of the Blessed Mother. Father John Connors, pastor, led the congregation in the Apostles Creed, before the group prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries.

“This is an opportunity during the month of May to pray the rosary together as a parish community that we call a living rosary, where each of us becomes a living bead and we pray together as a community for individual and collective intentions,” said Father Connors, who has organized living rosaries in other parishes. He explained that the rosary reflects on the life of Jesus.

“The rosary has been a very powerful prayer through centuries,” said Father Connors. He explained the church does not worship Mary, but honors her, as she brings people to her son, Jesus.

“It’s a prayer in which we, through the intercession of Mary, take our prayers to God,” he said.

There are many groups within the parish that meet at different times throughout the year to pray the rosary. However, the living rosary drew a large crowd.

“This living rosary came together for two reasons. One, because May is the month of Mary and secondly, because we have a wonderful new pastor, Father John, and it was a dream of his to bring the living rosary here to St. Cecilia’s,” said Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary McCue, the pastoral minister.

“The whole group came together. We put all our love in it to make sure this was a beautiful tribute to Mary our Mother and for gratitude for Father John being in our parish,” she said.

More than 100 years ago, the Blessed Mother appeared to three young children in Fatima, Portugal, telling them to pray the rosary every day for peace and to offer up any suffering for the conversion of sinners.

“The Blessed Mother asked us to pray the rosary for the world, our communities, our families, so it’s important,” said Grace Moriarty, referring to the apparitions at Fatima. “I don’t want people to forget how important those things are. She brings us to her son Jesus. That’s who we want to be with in the end.”

A video version of this story will be featured on an upcoming edition of the Springfield Diocese’s weekly newsmagazine, “Real to Reel” at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.