Some 50 Shrines join with Francis in asking Mary to pray for an end of the pandemic.With approximately 50 shrines connected via video link, Pope Francis prayed a worldwide Rosary on Saturday from the Vatican Gardens, asking Mary’s intercession for the end of the pandemic.
After the Rosary and the apostolic blessing, the Holy Father offered a spontaneous greeting, acknowledging those connected from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other Latin American Shrines: “To all of the shrines in Latin America – Guadalupe and many others – who are connected with us, united in prayer, I greet you in my own mother tongue: thank you for being near. May Our Mother of Guadalup accompany us!”
The pope was joined at the Vatican by about 130 others, as a large screen showed the images of those connected at Shrines around the world, including:
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico,
Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal,
Our Lady of Lourdes in France,
the Immaculate Conception in the United States,
Walsingham in England,
Our Lady of Pompeii, Divine Love and Pietrelcina in Italy,
Our Lady of Lujan in Argentina,
Our Lady of Knock in Ireland,
Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil,
St Mary of the Angels in Assisi,
Notre Dame in Canada,
Basilica of the Annunciation in Israel.
The mysteries were led by representatives of people who have been most affected by the pandemic:
1st Glorious Mystery: a doctor and a nurse in the name of all the medical personnel dedicated on the fronts lines.
Intention: for doctors, nurses and all medical personnel.
2nd Glorious Mystery: a person who has recovered from the virus and a person who lost a family member
Intention: all military personnel, security forces, fire fighters, all volunteers.
3rd Glorious Mystery: a priest who is a hospital chaplain and a woman religious who is a nurse
Intention: priests and consecrated persons who bring the Sacraments and a word of Christian comfort to the sick, keeping in mind that some of these have lost their lives in this service.
4th Glorious Mystery: a pharmacist and a journalist
Intention: the dying, above all those dying alone, for those who have died, and for the families who still mourn their deaths.
5th Glorious Mystery: a member of the Italian Civil Protection service with his own family, to represent all those whose work is directed toward managing this crisis, as well as volunteers
The second half was led by a young couple who recently had a baby, a sign of hope and of the victory of life over death.
Intention: all those who need to have their faith and hope strengthened, for the unemployed, for those who are alone and all the babies who have come into the world.
At the beginning and at the end of the recitation of the Rosary, Pope Francis prayed the prayers he suggested be used to accompany the Rosary throughout the month of May.
Read more:
Pope asks us to add these 2 prayers to end of Rosary in month of May
