Print Issue: November 7, 2002

New Rosary Mysteries Welcomed At 2002 Rally

By Gretchen Keiser, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - A tradition in the archdiocese, the annual Rosary Rally, was revitalized Oct. 27 as people prayed the new "mysteries of light" given by Pope John Paul II just 11 days earlier.

Led by Archbishop John F. Donoghue, those at the rally prayed and reflected on the baptism of Jesus, the miracle of the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God, his transfiguration, and his institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The 31st annual Rosary Rally, which was followed by a Mass, was held at St. Jude the Apostle Church.

Brian Goodrow of St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn, participates in the 31st annual Archdiocesan Rosary Rally at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta. The new "mysteries of light" were used during the recitation of the rosary, which was led by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. (Photos by Michael Alexander)

The five new mysteries are recommended by the pope to be prayed on Thursday, while the traditional joyful mysteries are prayed on Monday and Saturday, the sorrowful mysteries on Tuesday and Friday, and the glorious mysteries on Wednesday and Sunday.

"I'm thrilled with it," said Teresa Gernazian, a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta, and longtime proponent of devotions to Mary and the rosary.

"I think (the new mysteries) will make us do our homework, get out our Bibles and read the whole Scripture (relating to each one)," she said. "I think the Holy Father has given us a real lift. This will renew us."

The pope proposed the new mysteries in an apostolic letter, "Rosarium Virginis Mariae," released Oct. 16 on his 24th anniversary as pontiff. He asked that the year between his 24th and 25th anniversaries be dedicated to the rosary, particularly as an urgent prayer for world peace and for families.

He expressed concern that young people learn the rosary and urged bishops, priests, deacons, theologians, consecrated men and women, and those in every walk of life to "confidently take up the Rosary once again."

"Rediscover the Rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives," he urged, adding, "May this appeal of mine not go unheard!"

The pope's letter describes his personal devotion to Mary and his profound appreciation for the rosary as a prayer of contemplation, leading those who pray it meditatively to friendship with Christ and transformation of their Christian lives.

The task of every follower of Christ, the pope writes, is to "look upon the face of Christ, to recognize its mystery amid the daily events and sufferings of his human life, and then to grasp the divine splendour definitively revealed in the Risen Lord."

"No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary," the pope writes.

The rosary is "an exquisitely contemplative prayer," he said, and, quoting Pope Paul VI, added that it calls for "a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace."

The hands of 83-year-old Josephine Olmstead clutch the beads of her rosary during the Oct. 27 Archdiocesan Rosary Rally at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta. Olmstead is a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Atlanta.

Pope John Paul also stated that the rosary is an opportunity, like the Mass, to "remember" the saving acts of God in the biblical sense of making them present, in order to "be open to the grace which Christ won for us."

"Contemplating the scenes of the Rosary in union with Mary is a means of learning from her to 'read' Christ, to discover his secrets and to understand his message," he said.

Mary, as the Mother of the Church, helps Christians to be conformed to the image of Christ. In the meditations that make up the rosary, it is evident that "Mary lives only in Christ and for Christ," the pope writes.

The rosary "is both mediation and supplication," he writes. Recited communally in parishes, it presents an opportunity for pastors to teach the faith. It was used historically when the church was challenged by the spread of doctrinal errors, he writes, and is needed again today.

"Mary constantly sets before the faithful the 'mysteries' of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power."

In his homily at the Rosary Rally Mass, Archbishop Donoghue said that Catholics "turn to the Rosary without hesitation . . . at times of great trouble or disaster, and before the bleak reality of the death of loved ones."

"The Rosary is hope - it is light in the darkness - it is comfort in the throes of pain-it is the path out of the black night of despair - the path back into the light of hope," the archbishop said.

He echoed the pope's statement that the rosary marks "the rhythm of human life" and brings people face to face "with the image of true man . . . of man revealed and redeemed."

Walking through the mysteries of the rosary, he said, people learn the sanctity of life, the original truth of the family according to God's plan, how to enter the kingdom of God, the meaning of salvific suffering, and the goal of heaven.

"It could be said that each mystery of the Rosary, carefully meditated, sheds light on the mystery of man."

The words of the "Ave Maria" echoed in St. Jude's Church in prayer and song. Deacon Bert Berding served as master of ceremonies, while music was provided by organist Alan Brown, cantor Sam Hagan and trumpeter Greg Holland. The Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard. Pat Attridge of Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain, coordinated the event. Concelebrants included Msgr. James Fennessy and Father Kevin Peek.

St. Paul of the Cross parishioner Faustine Petty, who said she prays a mystery of the rosary every day, welcomed the new sources of reflection offered by the pope.

"I like starting out with (Jesus') baptism. You could stay on that one forever," she said. "You could imagine John (the Baptist) feeling so unworthy to baptize Jesus, and Jesus telling him, let it be, so everything can be fulfilled."

Each one of the new mysteries "I loved," she said, emphasizing that the heart of the rosary is meditation, not the words of the prayers alone.

Gernazian expressed hope that the traditional prayer could become accessible to a new generation seeking peace and interested in meditation.

"Especially today when psychologists are saying meditation is very important, why not combine a healthy thing with a spiritual thing? It does calm us down," she said.

She also noted the pope's guidance that people need to replace images drawn from television with images drawn from reflection upon the Scriptures.

"The pope is asking us to come back to the rosary in these times of the fear of terrorism," she said. "I hope people will see that he is pleading with us in these times."

The text of the apostolic letter on the rosary is available at http://www.vatican.va.