HARVARD, Massachusetts, MAY 6, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A religious organization in the United States is mobilizing its resources to ask for 1 million rosaries to be said for a Mexican border town wracked by drug violence.
The lay members of the St. Benedict Center in Still River, Massachusetts, are doing this in response to a request by the town’s bishop, Renato Ascencio León of Juarez, Mexico, to have the prayers said by Oct. 7, the feast of the Holy Rosary.
Since January 2008, there have been over 2,000 murders reported in response to the government’s concerted effort to crack down on drug traffickers in the region. Underestimating the strength of the drug cartels, the military has met with strong resistance.
The students of the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, associated with the St. Benedict Center, will join in the efforts by learning about Juarez, making rosaries to send to the villagers there, and raising awareness through a poster contest.
“Catholics believe that we can all be united through prayer, and that our efforts can bring comfort and healing to those even thousands of miles away,” said Mary Alexander, member of the Third Order. “Further, by getting the children involved in this effort, they come to understand what true charity and love of one’s neighbor actually means.”
The bishop of Juarez responded with a letter to the efforts of the center, saying there “is no doubt that our prayer, raised to the celestial Father through the hands of Mary Most Holy, will quickly return peace to our country.”
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On the Net:
To register rosaries said for Juarez: www.millonxciudadjuarez.org
St. Benedict Center: www.saintbenedict.com
