“St. John Bosco had the beautiful dream where he saw the Church as a large vessel in the sea being bombarded, attacked, and tossed about by the waves. And from the sea arose two pillars, one on each side. On one pillar, was our Lady and on the other pillar was the blessed sacrament, and the Church anchored herself between those two pillars. And I guess every generation says this, but I say it for us now, we need this two-fold devotion more than ever.” —The Most Rev. Edward M. Rice
Written by Paula Wright
The Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau will participate in the Eucharistic Rosary Congress from Oct. 7 – 13, 2023, The Eucharistic Rosary Congress will include Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and praying the rosary out loud at the top of every hour for seven days and nights in select chapels within the diocese. The Eucharistic Rosary Congress is a response to Our Lady’s plea to pray in reparation for the sins of the world. It brings us into greater union with The Eucharist and our Blessed Mother.
“I have wanted to do this for a couple of years since I first encountered it. During this three-year Eucharistic Revival, now is the time,” said Bishop Rice. “It is going to be a blessing for our diocese, from East to West. The rosary and the Eucharist have long been the mainstay of Catholic spirituality.”
The Eucharistic Congress takes place in October, the month of the Rosary. The dates for the event also align with significant Marian events. The first day of the Eucharistic Rosary Congress is Oct. 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the last day, Oct. 13, is the date of the final apparition of Mary at Fatima when the “Miracle of the Sun” occurred.
WHERE CAN WE PRAY?
There will be three locations for our Eucharistic Rosary Congress. The first location will be the Chapel in Saint Francis Hospital, Cape Girardeau, where Perpetual Adoration has been ongoing for almost 30 years. The second location is the Adoration Chapel in Holy Trinity Parish, Springfield, where Perpetual Adoration has been occurring for five years. The third location will be the Adoration Chapel in Sacred Heart Church, Webb City, where daily Adoration takes place.
“This is an intense week of spiritual battle as we pray and sacrifice and draw closer to the hearts of Jesus and Mary renewing the diocese. We should be praying and sacrificing under the protection of Mary’s mantle,” shared Sr. Janine Tran, CMR, diocesan Director of the Offices of Faith Formation and Respect Life.
“The premise for the Eucharistic Rosary Congress is that people are present before the blessed sacrament. We have the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in Saint Francis Hospital, the adoration chapel in Holy Trinity, Springfield, and a daily adoration chapel in Webb City,” Bishop Rice said. “If someone cannot be there in person, I suggest they pick an hour that is inconvenient for them, maybe make a point to get up in the middle of the night to pray, for example, at 1 a.m. Realize that at that hour, at 1 a.m., in all three chapels, someone is praying the rosary out loud. Pray the Rosary in union with them and offer that time as a sacrifice.”
While all three locations have parishioners that participate in Adoration, everyone is encouraged to participate for an hour of Adoration during the Oct. 7 – 13 event at one of the select chapel locations. Those unable to participate in person can pray at home, but adorers will be present every hour for Adoration and to pray the rosary.
Sign up for Sacred Heart, Webb City location: Visit sacredheartwc.weadorehim.com
Sign up for Holy Trinity, Springfield location: Contact Marilyn Gibson— marilyngibson@outlook.com
Sign up for Saint Francis Hospital, Cape Girardeau: Contact Donna Anderson— andersondl@charter.net
SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO A SUFFERING WORLD
“What I look forward to the most are the spiritual gifts and blessings Our Lady will provide throughout the Eucharistic Rosary Congress. ‘The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times,’ stated St. Padre Pio. This spiritual warfare will strengthen our families, our country, and our Church,” said Stephanie Attaway, the coordinator for the event in Sacred Heart Chapel, Webb City. “We encourage all local parishes to invite their families to be a part of the Eucharistic Rosary Congress and pray the rosary in Adoration for one hour here at Sacred Heart.”
“Having three chapels across the diocese participating, I hope that parishes surrounding the chapels, in the area Deaneries, will respond to this invitation and take a group of parishioners to pray,” said Bishop Rice. “I ask everyone to pray for vocations to provide for the spiritual needs of the diocese: Ultimately [this] is the call to holiness.”
“We are beyond blessed to host one of the three locations for this historic Rosary Congress,” said Attaway.
“Praying the rosary daily, first Saturday devotions, wearing the scapular, and offering sacrifices have been a mainstay of my spirituality since I was in high school,” Bishop Rice said. “It might sound old-fashioned to some, but when we look at all the things that are going on in our world—all the suffering—we turn to Mary as our Mother, and we receive strength from the Eucharist.”
Photo Source: GettyImages
