WASHINGTON — The Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will host a recitation
of the rosary on Monday, May 17, at noon (EDT) as part of Pope
Francis’ call for a worldwide marathon of rosaries for an end to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Each day during May at noon, the rosary will be
prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world. Pope Francis
began the rosary marathon May 1 at the Vatican and will conclude it
there on May 31.
Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory will lead the
recitation of the rosary at the basilica May 17.
“It is an honor for us to participate in this important
initiative of the Holy Father as he invites the world to offer this great
Marian prayer asking God, through the intercession of Our Lady, to bring an end
to the pandemic,” said Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector.
Last month, the Pontifical Council for Promoting New
Evangelization announced the worldwide rosary marathon during May,
which is traditionally devoted to Mary.
“Dating back to the Middle Ages, the month of May has
been dedicated to Our Lady … in each of (her) apparitions, Our Lady called
for the rosary to be prayed for conversation of hearts and as an
instrument for world peace. Now we offer this prayer in hope that with vaccines
being administered, our world will return to a form of normalcy,” Msgr.
Rossi said.
In addition to the Washington basilica, other Marian Shrines
that have or will participate in the monthlong global rosary are
those located in Ireland, Belgium, Algeria, Portugal, India, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Australia, France, Turkey, Cuba, Japan, Canada, Malta, Mexico, Ukraine,
Germany, Lebanon and Italy.
Each of the participating Marian shrines around the world
will pray the rosary for a specific prayer intention. The May
17 rosary at the basilica will be prayed for “all world leaders
and for all heads of international organizations.”
Other intentions during the month include for an end to
the pandemic, for all of humanity, for all who have died, for the sick,
for expectant mothers, for pharmacists and other health care workers, for
peace, for nurses and doctors and for essential workers.
The overall theme for the worldwide event is: “From the
entire church an unceasing prayer rises to God,” which and comes a passage
in the Acts of the Apostles that describes how all members of the church prayed
for St. Peter’s miraculous escape from prison.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United
States, said in a letter to Cardinal Gregory that this year the month of May is
“dedicated in a special way to prayer for an end to the
coronavirus pandemic,” and asked the cardinal to “promote the
initiative and to encourage the participation of the faithful in it.”
This will be the third time that the basilica has joined an
international effort in praying for the intercession of Mary during the
coronavirus pandemic.
On May 1, 2020, at the basilica, then-Archbishop Gregory
joined with bishops throughout the United States and Canada in rededicating the
two countries to Our Lady.
And on May 30 last year, while the basilica was closed to
the public as part of the effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, Msgr. Rossi
and the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate prayed the rosary in the
Great Upper Church at the same time the pope led the rosary from
inside the Vatican Gardens in Rome. That livestream was broadcast around the
world along with the prayers from the other Marian shrines.
The May 17 recitation of the rosary will be
livestreamed from the basilica’s website nationalshrine.org/mass and on various
Vatican social media platforms. EWTN will also broadcast the prayer.
“With the world living for more than a year
in pandemic mode, I trust that everyone would agree that we need some
‘rearranging’,” Msgr. Rossi told the Catholic Standard,
archdiocesan newspaper of Washington. “And so, my hope is that through
this monthlong worldwide praying of the rosary, Our Lady will look
favorably upon our pleas and present our great need before her Son.”
The rosary recitation is open to the public. The
basilica can host up to 1,000 people while maintaining social distancing
guidelines and other safety protocols.
