April 15, 2009
Prayer, Praise & Worship Music and Inspiring Talks
make up the prayerful celebration
NORTH EASTON, MA – An outdoor family celebration of the Rosary will take place at the stadium at Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass., on June 6, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public as announced, by Holy Cross Family Ministries as it celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of its founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC.
“In this the year of the 100th Anniversary of Father Peyton’s birth, the Family Rosary Fest carries on the tradition and mission of the ‘Rosary Priest,’ to foster world peace and support the spiritual well-being of the family by encouraging daily family prayer, specifically the Rosary,” stated Holy Cross Father John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries.
“This multi-cultural, multi-lingual event will be a celebration of faith for all families in the New England area,” he added, “With a living Rosary prayed in several languages, the Family Rosary Fest will be the perfect family environment to unite Catholics and other people of faith and share an experience of prayer and the universality of our Church.”
The special Eucharistic celebration, which will combine prayer, music and witness talks, is expected to draw the many ethnic populations which comprise the dioceses of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. There will be several witness talks (see sidebar for complete details) including a keynote on “Returning to the Rosary,” by the Bishop of Fall River, Bishop George Coleman, D.D. and a talk by Gerrie Stadelmann, recent survivor of the attack in Mumbai, India, where she and her husband prayed the Rosary waiting for assistance to arrive. Stadelmann will aptly share her thoughts on praying the Rosary in times of crisis. The emcee for the event will be radio show host, Dina Marie Hale from KBVM Radio in Portland, Oregon.
“The faithful of our Church have long maintained a special intimacy with our Blessed Mother Mary,” said Beth Mahoney, facilitator of the Family Rosary Fest and mission director of Holy Cross Family Ministries. “This Rosary celebration in Mary’s honor will enhance the prayer lives of families, strengthen family unity and rely on Mary as an intercessor for peace in families and peace in our world.”
Mahoney leads a planning committee comprised of individuals from parishes, schools and Rosary groups from the area. More than 500 young people will make up the living Rosary on the field and nearly 40 people will make up the musical groups participating in the event.
Family Rosary, a member of Holy Cross Family Ministries, was founded in 1942 in Albany, N.Y., by Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton, now a sainthood candidate with the title “Servant of God.” For 64 years, Father Peyton’s international ministry to families popularized the Rosary and helped make it the most widespread and popular form of prayer, with the exception of the Eucharist, among Catholics worldwide. He coordinated Rosary events in more than 40 countries, culminating in massive outdoor rallies in 1961 in San Francisco (500,000 attendees) and in 1985 in the Philippines (2 million attendees). The essence of Father Peyton’s ministry is captured in his slogans, “The Family that Prays Together Stays Together™” and “A World at Prayer Is a World at Peace®.”
Holy Cross Family Ministries, in the spirit of its founder, Father Peyton, serves Jesus Christ and His Church throughout the world by promoting and supporting the spiritual well-being of the family through its ministries: Family Theater Productions in Hollywood, Calif.; Family Rosary and Family Rosary International, with locations in 17 countries; and the Father Peyton Family Institute, Easton, Mass., and Lima, Peru. Holy Cross Family Ministries is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.
For more information on the “Family Rosary Fest,” read the event details or call 508-238-4095 or 800-299-7729.