Seven Franciscan University clubs and households joined forces at 1 p.m. on Oct. 25 for a campus rosary procession.
About 100 students gathered for the procession at Rosary Circle, where they received free roses and lined up behind a statue of Mary. As the procession got underway, the Militia Immaculata Club led the opening prayers of the rosary, and other groups took turns leading each decade.
Rosa Mystica household led the first Joyful Mystery–the Annunciation–in English, followed by the Knights of the Holy Queen. Knights recited the second Joyful Mystery–the Visitation–in Latin. Latinos for Christ prayed the third Joyful Mystery–the Nativity of the Lord–in Spanish. Filipinos for Christ said the fourth Joyful Mystery–the Presentation–in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines.
Apostles of Mary concluded the decades with the fifth Joyful Mystery–the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple–in English. Finally, Regina Angelorum led the crowd in singing the “Salve Regina.”
Attendees either followed along with printed translations or murmured the prayers to themselves in English. Many simply enjoyed the peaceful, prayerful walk and beautiful sunny weather. The procession’s route took attendees past the chapel, academic buildings, dorms and Antonian Hall, ending back at the J.C. Williams Center.
In the fireside lounge, homemade treats and fellowship awaited attendees. They filled their plates with cupcakes and banana bread—some even tried a glass of eggnog. Tables strewn with red rose petals made a pleasant place to eat and chat with friends.
Mary Grace Seibert, a freshman English major, shared that she attended the procession because Militia Immaculata’s 5:40 p.m. rosary has helped the rosary become a daily habit for her. She was excited for the chance to join them for a procession.
“When you get together once in a while to pray [the rosary] all together, especially in a procession, it shows people just how valuable you think the rosary is,” said Seibert. She appreciated that the rosary procession provided a public witness to the power of prayer.
The rosary procession was truly a beautiful manifestation of Franciscan University’s community of prayer.