Sept. 7th Rosary Rally at ND will mark 75th anniversary of 1950 Rally – Catholic World Report

Fr. David S. Marcham is a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston who serves as the Vice Postulator and Guild Director for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton.

On September 7th, at 1:30 EDT, the University of Notre Dame will host a Rosary Rally, in conjunction with Holy Cross Family Ministries and the Congregation of Holy Cross, marking the 75th anniversary of Venerable Patrick Peyton’s doing so in 1950. This year’s rally will take place on Bond Quad, and all are welcome. More information can be found at FamilyRosary.org.

Fr. Marcham recently spoke with Catholic World Report about the upcoming Rosary rally

CWR: The Rosary is a popular private devotion that people sometimes pray in groups, but it’s not ordinarily part of the Catholic Church’s public prayer. Why a Rosary rally, and why now?

Fr. Marcham: Though many people pray the Rosary in private or alone, much like our gathering for Mass as members of the body of Christ, a Rosary rally serves two purposes. First, it provides an opportunity for those who may wonder if they are alone in their faith to be strengthened by being united in prayer in person. Secondly, we are told by Jesus, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

CWR: Father Patrick Peyton, a Holy Cross priest known as “the Rosary priest,” promoted the Rosary to earlier generations of Catholics. What inspiration do you draw from him?

Fr. Marcham: As a priest, I am inspired by his sense of having a mission to achieve in this life. A mission to serve families by encouraging them to tap into the grace of God that we all need in this life.

Venerable Patrick Peyton is a man whom I can relate to regarding my heritage and close family bonds, which have as their foundation our faith in God. In addition, I draw strength from his humility combined with resilience and holy endurance, which he exhibited throughout each chapter of his life.

CWR: Why is the Rosary important to you personally?

Fr. Marcham: The Rosary grounds me in prayer, much like the Liturgy of the Hours. Each has its own structure and quality that complements the other. Before coming to work on the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, the Rosary was my emergency prayer, but since arriving in 2007 and praying in our chapel each weekday, I have come to find strength and peace in praying the Rosary while meditating on the Mysteries. I bring all of the prayer intentions from the people who write, call, or ask me personally to pray for them, along with those of my own, to this daily prayer. I find consolation in asking Our Blessed Mother to intercede for us at this time, and I also ask for Venerable Patrick Peyton’s intercession.

CWR: What’s the significance of holding your upcoming rally at Notre Dame on September 7th?

Fr. Marcham: We are seeking to use Venerable Patrick Peyton’s 75th anniversary of preaching about the importance and efficacy of the family Rosary and leading a crowd of 35,000 faithful in this beautiful prayer as a catalyst to renew this powerful prayer in the lives of men and women, boys, and girls of our time.

CWR: Who is the intended audience, and what do you hope they will take away from the experience?

Fr. Marcham: We hope to have people of all ages and vocations, those who have experience in praying the Rosary and those for whom it will be their first time, join together in this unitive and efficacious prayer. Our goal is for people to take with them the beauty of praying the Rosary for their family’s needs while deepening their relationship with Jesus and Our Blessed Mother. We hope this will lead to people wanting to bring this Rosary prayer home to continue with their families, and when needed, to carry it out online.

CWR: What is your favorite Mystery of the Rosary and why?

Fr. Marcham: That’s a tough question. It depends on the day and what I’m experiencing that causes me to focus on a particular Mystery. All that being said, since becoming a priest, my favorite Mystery is the Institution of the Eucharist. For it is when I celebrate Mass that everything else that is going on in my life, my family’s, and friends and others that I serve is brought to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every time I pray the Luminous Mysteries and meditate on that Mystery, I am reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for all of mankind and my role in re-presenting this pivotal moment and serving in His Name, consecrating bread and wine and sharing the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

CWR: What are your plans for promoting the Rosary after this rally?

Fr. Marcham: Next, we have the release of “Broken Mary” on October 7. The movie’s subject, Kevin Matthews, a well-known sports radio figure, tells his life-changing experience of finding a broken statue of Mary and how it led him to pray the Rosary each day and develop a deep relationship with our Blessed Mother.

Then, on October 22, we will have an online Global Rosary Rally for Peace.

We are currently in discussions with dioceses and schools to lead Rosary Rallies as well.

In addition, we are completing a Rosary video series that takes you into each of the Mysteries of the Rosary, explaining life at that time and its applications for today.

We encourage people to watch the film “Pray-the Story of Patrick Peyton,” and we will be making further media appearances to spread the word.

CWR: There are many stories about the saints and the Rosary. What is your favorite?

Fr. Marcham: There is an iconic photo of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Venerable Patrick Peyton kneeling side by side, praying the Rosary. This reminds me of their shared love for our Lord and Blessed Mother and families from around the world and their belief in the transformative power of Rosary prayer.

Mother Teresa, when addressing the United Nations General Assembly on October 26, 1985, held up a Rosary that she always held in her hand and said, “I am only a poor sister who prays. By praying, Jesus puts his love in my heart, and I go and give it to the poor I meet along the way. Pray too! Pray and you will notice the poor who are beside you, perhaps even on the same floor of your apartment building. Perhaps even in your houses, someone is waiting for your love. Pray, and your eyes will open, and your heart will fill with love.”

CWR: Do you get the sense that the Rosary has diminished in popularity?

Fr. Marcham: Certainly, the practice of praying the Rosary had greatly diminished by the late 1970s and ’80s, but in the past two years, it has been making a comeback, especially among the younger generation. I believe that this recent renewal of interest in the Rosary is because it is like discovering vinyl records. Yes, there are higher-tech ways of listening to music and even how we enter into prayer, for example, on our phones and tablets. Yet, the simplicity, structure, and profound nature of the Mysteries, which are timeless, are unsurpassed.

CWR: What are your hopes for devotion to the Rosary in the future?

Fr. Marcham: I hope that every young person will be given the opportunity to pray the Rosary in a way that leads them closer to Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, and their family members. And, for the adults, I hope that they will move as I did from praying the Rosary as an “emergency prayer” to a foundational part of each day so that it will be a source of God’s love, healing, peace, and guidance in their lives.

CWR: Do you have advice for people who like the Rosary but struggle to pray it?

Fr. Marcham: First, make a plan that works for you—say it over the course of the day, plan ahead when you’ll say a decade or two, and/or be ready with it in your pocket to pray when you need to recenter, catch your breath, or be inspired!

CWR: Any final thoughts?

Fr. Marcham: Please join me in praying for families to find ways to tap into the Rosary’s unifying and life-changing prayer. Please also pray for Venerable Patrick Peyton’s Cause of Sainthood so that more people will hear his words of encouragement: “That the family that prays together stays together.”