Eduardo Verstagui explains how the initiative a “Rosary for the World” has become a community of prayer,” a “Movement of Love,” and he invites to pray one million Rosaries to the Virgin Mary next Sunday, October 25.
On the occasion of the month of the Rosary, Zenit talked with actor Eduardo Verastegui, Director, Producer, and Founder of the “Viva Mexico” Movement and promoter of the “Rosary for the World,” a prayer group that arose in the social networks during the lockdown.
It all began last March 21. At the height of the pandemic and quarantine, the Catholic filmmaker invited his followers to pray the Rosary online the following day, Sunday, from their social networks.
Verastegui says it was a “spontaneous “ idea “inspired by God.” As the churches were closed, “we turned our homes into houses of prayer.”
On that first Sunday, from what he calls the “Guadalupe corner” of his home, just next to the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, with a Bible, a cross, and a Rosary in hand, the recitation of this Marian prayer reached 10,000 views on Facebook alone.
100 Million Rosaries
On witnessing the reception the proposal generated, the Mexican filmmaker did not hesitate to repeat it the following day. And so it has continued, day after day up to now, almost seven months later, during which over 100 million Rosaries have been prayed.
The “Rosary for the World” is broadcast live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and, occasionally, on Instagram. The initiative hopes to add the latter to always be present on the main social networks.
Huge Prayer Community
This is a new experience for the Mexican actor, who admits that, although he has prayed the Rosary for 16 years, he has always done so alone or in a prayer group not exceeding 15 people. “I never imagined that this prayer group, this prayer community which has become a Movement of Love, is today one of the largest prayer groups, I dare say, in the world.”
In reproductions alone, this appointment with the Virgin Mary reaches an average of 250,000 views a day. “Only God knows how many people are praying the Rosary with us, but we are thousands,” he stressed.
Moreover, over these seven months, the Rosary has been reproduced between 40 and 50 million times, and 6,500 devices have been connected online.
In addition, the Rosary is shared from 2,700 to 6,000 times and receives 100,000 to 500,000 “likes” and comments.
The Initiative’s Positive Effects
Verastegui says that the praying of the Rosary on the Internet has helped people who by chance tapped into social network accounts and began to pray the Rosary for the first time and continue to do so.
Other people have written that they had stopped reciting the Marian prayer and that, thanks to the videos, they have taken it up again.
The filmmaker added that some Protestant Christians, who didn’t understand the Rosary, at first entered the social networks and criticized what was being done. However, they did research on the subject and “now pray the Rosary with us,” he explained.
“Many positive things have happened” over these months, says Verstegui, for whom, as a practicing Catholic, after reception of the Sacraments, the praying of the Holy Rosary “with thousands of people of different ages worldwide” is the favorite moment of the day.
October 25: One Million Rosaries
In October, the month of the Rosary, “in gratitude to our Mother who gave us this powerful weapon,” which unites hundreds of thousands of people, Verastegui invites to offer Her one million Rosaries on Sunday, October 25 at 1:00 pm (Mexican time).
The filmmaker invites all on their social networks to pray on that day to our Mother “for all the sick with COVID-19, for those that have died and for families that have lost dear ones to this sickness; for all those affected by this health crisis, the economic crisis and the social crisis” and for those “feeling lonely and those that lost their job.”
He also invites to pray for help to be “solidary” and for unborn babies running the risk of being aborted, and for their mothers, so that they may defend the life of their child.”
Previous Experience
On May 31, 2020, feast of Pentecost, Verstegui also invited to pray one million Rosaries. His invitation met with great success: from Mexico to Argentina, from the United States to Poland, from Italy to Colombia and beyond, Christians from different latitudes were connected on the social networks to pray together.
On that occasion, he proposed praying to the Virgin Mary to intercede “before the Lord, for an end to the pandemic, for peace in the world, and for the unity of families.”
What Is Important Is to Pray
Verastegui pointed out that, what “is important is to pray, to converse with God. We know that the Virgin works miracles when an individual prays with true faith. So, how much more will She do with hundreds of thousands knocking on the doors of Heaven. And that is what happened today,” he noted.
“We will never know the infinite extent of so many prayers added on this day of the Holy Spirit,” he added.
Trump’s Proposal
Recently, President Donald Trump invited Eduardo Versategui to form part of the Advisory Committee of the Initiative for Hispanic Prosperity. The actor believes this would be a “very great “opportunity to “enter” the world’s problems and be an “agent of change.”
For Verastegui, there are many battles to be waged and the most important is the defense of the life of the unborn, as well as others of great relevance: the fight against the trafficking of minors for sexual exploitation and the defense of religious freedom.
In the United States, he says, a “just, generous, ethical and humanist migratory reform is urgent.” He also wishes to promote improvements in education and in the economic realm.
