The first of our monthly Rosary processions in 2023 took place on Saturday 7th January; candlelit Rosary processions take place on the first Saturday of every month at 7pm. We began with an Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and we ended with the blessing of an image of Our Lady of the Rosary, Queen and Patroness of Guatemala. Printed on tiles, the image of the much-loved statue of Our Lady of the Rosary from Guatemala City, was presented to us by Fr George Pittalis OP, Rector of the Rosary Basilica in Guatemala City. The image was installed in the 4th Glorious Mystery chapel of our church, and we were honoured to have Fr George with us, all the way from Guatemala City! After the blessing and veneration of the image of Our Lady of the Rosary of Guatemala City, Fr George Pittalis OP said:
On behalf of my Dominican community and my Dominican brothers of Central America I would like to give my heartfelt gratitude to Fr Lawrence, all the friars here in London, and to the Dominican family and the Rosary Confraternity established at St Dominic’s Priory and the Rosary Shrine. Thank you for your welcome and for undertaking this celebration of the spiritual link, a ‘twinning’ between The Rosary Shrine in London and the Basilica of the Rosary in Guatemala City where (in both) the devotion and veneration of our beloved Mary, the Virgin Mother of God , is carried out and attended to by the praying and preaching of the Holy Rosary. Through this spiritual link we would like to join forces for us both to be able to live with a particular enthusiasm our love and devotion to our sweet Lady, the Queen of the Holy Rosary and Mother and Queen of us all. This ‘twinning’ is to join forces to spread the Gospel of peace and salvation where it is possible by praying and preaching the Holy Rosary, and to commit ourselves to spending our life as true Christians. Both places have the history of a rich and fruitful of devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, and now we have the privilege and responsibility to continue in this tradition. With the words of Pope St John Paul II, we can say we are part of one the most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation, that reminds us that our true devotion for Mary our Queen of the Rosary is a possession of a spark of heaven! Thank you very much indeed!
Above: Fr Lawrence at the amazing procession of Our Lady of the Rosary of Guatemala. The silver statue of Our Lady is carried through the streets of Guatemala City on a float borne by 70 people. The procession which he attended on the final Saturday of October in 2022 lasted for twenty hours!
