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Students Pray the "Living Rosary"
On Thursday, Jan. 31st, as part of Catholic Schools Week in the Diocese of Raleigh, students at Raleigh’s Franciscan School gathered in St. Francis of Assisi Church to pray a “Living Rosary.” Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh, and Dr. Michael Fedewa, Diocesan Superintendent of Formation and Education, attended the Rosary, prayed according to the seven-decade “Franciscan Crown.”
Fr. Mark Reamer, OFM, Pastor of St. Francis, began the service by explaining the origin of the Franciscan Crown, which dates to 1422, when a young man who found spiritual joy in weaving crowns of wild flowers for a statue of Mary became a novice in the Franciscan community. The young man was saddened when his new duties no longer left him time to gather flowers for his personal devotion. One evening, while he was feeling tempted to abandon his vocation, the Virgin Mother appeared and encouraged him persevere, instructing him to meditate daily on seven joyful events from her own life (the Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Our Lord, Adoration of the Magi, Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, the Resurrection of Our Lord, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and her Coronation in heaven), as a new form of the Rosary. Instead of a crown of flowers, the novice would now weave a crown of prayers.
At St. Francis, after singing a hymn to Mary, students lined up, as if in a chain – hence the term “Living Rosary” -- with individual students introducing the joyful events and leading an Our Father or Hail Mary or Glory Be to the Father until seven decades were complete. At the end of the service, Bishop Burbidge addressed the students, praising their efforts and encouraging them to continue in daily prayer.
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Above: Franciscan Father Mark Reamer, Pastor of Saint Francis Catholic Church in Raleigh, explaining the seven decade “Franciscan Crown” to students of The Franciscan School during Catholic Schools Week. |