As the saying goes, “Every good thing begins in prayer,” and the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph are living this adage. The friars have announced the commencement of a 9-month novena to pray for the flourishing of their second annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage. The novena will start on Jan. 27 and will continue on the last Saturday of each month, culminating in a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Last year, many faithful reported receiving special graces thanks to the novena. One woman began to pray the novena prayer daily with her husband. He returned to the practice of the faith after many years away and even accompanied her to Washington for the pilgrimage!
Another novena participant, an incarcerated man on death row, reached out to learn more about the novena. He received prayer cards and joined the novena from prison!
United in prayer
The friars are inviting the faithful to unite in prayer. Individuals interested in joining the novena can obtain a prayer card and gain access to monthly video reflections on the Rosary by visiting rosarypilgrimage.org. These reflections will be provided by various Dominican friars, offering a wealth of spiritual insight and encouragement. Last year the friars distributed 776,500 novena prayer cards.
The inaugural Rosary Pilgrimage, held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, was hailed as a resounding success by Fr. John Paul Kern, O.P., the Executive Director of the Dominican Friars Foundation. The event attracted 3,200 Catholics who joined in communal prayer, benefiting from the Dominican tradition of eloquent preaching, the sacrament of confession, and the celebration of Holy Mass.
A beacon of hope
Fr. John Paul reflected on the blessings of the last pilgrimage, saying in a statement, “There were many graces received that day, and Our Lady wants to continue to bestow these graces, now more than ever.” In anticipation of the next gathering, he encourages the faithful to “begin praying with us now, every month, for the success of the Dominican Rosary pilgrimage.”
The Dominican Friars look forward to welcoming the faithful for a spiritually enriching day on Sept. 28. They believe that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary will lead more souls to Jesus and deepen their love and devotion to the Holy Rosary.
Join the Dominican Friars in their prayerful preparation for an event that promises to be a beacon of hope, unity and spiritual growth in these trying times.
