DUBLIN (LifeSiteNews) — Some 560 public Rosary rallies are expected to take place across Ireland on May 11, as Irish Catholics are urged to join in the public witness of faith organized by Ireland Needs Fatima.
As has been their custom for a number of years, Irish Catholics will take to the public arena to pray the Rosary together, marking the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Organized by the Irish Society for Christian Civilisation (ISFCC) via their Ireland Needs Fatima campaign, the Rosary rallies will be “asking God to save Ireland from today’s chaos, immorality, and secularism.”
“Since this campaign began in 2010, the Rosary rallies have been a beacon of hope for those Catholics persevering and a lighthouse for those gone astray,” said Gregory Murphy, the campaign coordinator.
While the ISFCC organizes rosary rallies throughout the year at various times and in response to various events, the annual public rally on the Saturday closest to the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima has found particular traction amongst the nation’s Catholics.
Recent years have seen record numbers of rallies held, and this year the ISFCC aims to continue that practice. ISFCC is sponsoring over 560 Rosary rallies on May 11, which will be its largest number yet.
Murphy noted that the campaign is “inspired by America Needs Fatima, which holds over 22,000 similar events in the United States annually in October.” Just as in the U.S., the ISFCC’s May event “is intended as reparation to God for sin and a plea for His urgent help to save Ireland from the continuous rise of Satanism.”
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A typical public Rosary rally involves singing Marian hymns, followed by the public recitation of the Rosary, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the prayer of total consecration according to St. Maximilian Kolbe, the recitation of the Divine Praises, and a closing hymn to Our Lady.
A “Rosary captain” is designated as the coordinator of each local event, receiving manuals, posters, intention sheets, and prayer programs.
The ISFCC also provides each Rosary rally with a 7ft long banner which reads, “As human efforts fail to solve Ireland’s key problems, we turn to God, through His Holy Mother, asking His urgent help.”
Murphy stated that finding willing volunteers is not difficult.
“Not only the main island of Ireland will be blanketed with small and big groups of people, but even one of the outlining islands will have a rosary rally,” he said.
Murphy added that 545 Rosary rally captains have already signed up to the venture, and the group aims to facilitate 560 rallies in total across Ireland.
Speaking after last year’s event, one captain noted how “it was well attended by people of all ages. I will commit to organizing the rally every year as long as I am able and God gives me the strength.”
The ISFCC highlights a number of benefits for holding the Rosary rallies in public. Noting the decline in the number of practicing Catholics in Ireland, the group observes that a public Rosary “is a great way to reach non-practicing Catholics. If they see you praying in a public place, they may be moved to become better Catholics.”
A first time participant recounted that her Rosary rally was attended by 50 people who “sang the hymns and said the Rosary. We brought roses and placed them at the feet of the statue of Our Lady.”
To find out more about the ISFCC’s Rosary rallies, or to sign up, those interested are invited to call 041-214-6557. Alternatively, interested parties can visit the ISFCC’s Rosary rally resource page online.
“Together with Our Lady, we can make a difference and bring hope to those in need,” said Murphy.
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