Get Your Rosaries Ready
Official Kickoff for Rosary Crusade for Vocations in WV
Tuesday, May 13th The Feast of Our Lady of FatimaFaithful from around WV and the Ohio Valley will come together on Tuesday, May 13th at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling for a Rosary Procession to kick-off the year-long Rosary Crusade for Vocations in WV.
The procession will begin at 7:00 p.m. from St. Alphonsus Church, 2111 Market Street, and end with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 1300 Eoff Street. This special event is an encore to the diocesan Rosary for Vocations from two years ago. The kick-off event also honors Our Blessed Mother on her feast day as Our Lady of Fatima. On that evening, faithful of all ages will be praying for vocations in WV, our Church, the world, and our families. Those children who have received their First Holy Communion are encouraged to come in their sacramental dress to help lead the procession behind Mary.
When Our Blessed Mother appeared to the three children in Fatima in 1917, she told them that she wanted to faithful to pray the Rosary each day.
In interviews years after the apparition, the eldest of the children to witness the Fatima apparitions, Lucia dos Santos, who became a Carmelite nun, said the Rosary is “a powerful means of helping us to preserve our faith, hope, and charity. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”
Remember through the Rosary, Mary is an intercessor for us, taking our intentions directly to Jesus.
The Rosary is the perfect devotional tool – a significant gift of prayer for our intentions for an increase in Catholic vocations – more priests, consecrated men and women, deacons, and strong Catholic marriages – in the Mountain State.
This effort all starts with this one night, and our very special prayer – the Rosary.
Bishop Mark Brennan and Delegate for Consecrated Life Sr. Martha Gomez ask you prayerfully consider a personal Rosary goal for this crusade from May 13, 2025 to May 13, 2026.
As Sr. Lucia dos Santos said, “the Rosary is something everybody can do, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, great and small.”
While many may not be able to attend the Wheeling procession, Cathedral Rector Fr. Pen (Penumaka) Manikyalarao and those present will certainly call to mind the intentions of all the faithful in the diocese.
“Behind and before every vocation to is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a faith community,” Sr. Martha said.
To follow along with the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston’s Rosary Crusade for Vocations in WV go to: ———As we prayerfully contemplate our pledges and commitment to our Rosary for Vocations Crusade let us pray:
Oh, my Jesus,
listen to my prayer today.
Bless more young people,
more men, and more women
here in West Virginia
to say yes to your call
to be religious brothers,
sisters, and priests.
Bless my family
and my Church family
so, we can support them,
and remain close to you.
We ask Blessed Mary
and St. Joseph to come to you
in our need to build up the Church
in the great Mountain State.
Amen
