October is traditionally the month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and this year, the countries of Great Britain and Ireland are joining nations around the world is hosting a Rosary Crusade.

Catholics are invited to take up their rosaries for an intensive Rosary Whirlwind Mission for the spiritual wellbeing of the British Isles and for its preservation from degeneration, disaster, sickness and war.

“The Church is under attack, the faith is being undermined, the sanctity of life is not honoured and peace is lacking everywhere,” say the crusade’s organisers.

“The covid-19 global pandemic threatens a second wave – people are fearful of what the future may hold.

“More than ever we need to intercede for our Isles and for the conversion to Christ of our peoples and that they be protected from all danger, from all sickness and from all evil.

“Our refuges are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary with the mantle of protection of St Michael and the Angels, St Joseph and our saints and martyrs.

“Rosary Whirlwind will invoke the mighty intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary inviting a whirlwind of heavenly grace to blow where it wills across our nations.”

The crusade has four main components.

1. An invitation to a nightly online Rosary at 8pm led from a different Marian Shrine, cathedral or parish.
2. Participants are encouraged to arrange Rosaries in different locations on Tuesday October 13 – the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima of the Holy Rosary. You are invited to sign up your location on the Map at rosaryonthecoast.co.uk. Please ensure you pray in groups of no more than six and comply with all social distancing rules.
3. On Saturday October 31 – the Eve of All Saints – there will be a National Rosary Relay Rally from 9am to 9pm – when dioceses are invited to take an hour to say the Rosary in parishes and homes.
4. The Rosary Mission culminates on Sunday November 1 – the Feast of All Saints – when Bishop John will lead a thanksgiving Rosary from St Mirin’s Cathedral, Paisley, at 8pm.

“I want you to know that in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Rosary” – St Dominic

Our Lady of Walsingham, Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us, pray for England, pray for our Isles

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Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known 
that anyone who fled to thy protection, 
implored thy help, 
or sought thy intercession, 
was left unaided. 

This beautiful prayer to Our Blessed Lady is especially comforting at this time of the Pandemic. As we join together in this Rosary Whirlwind, we can have real confidence that our Blessed Mother will hear our prayers and grant our petitions as she enfolds us with her cloak of compassion and love.

Bishop Terry