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A rose-bedecked statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried in the procession. (Photos by Debra Greenblat/Catholic San Francisco)
October 11, 2018
Nicholas Wolfram Smith
Cathedral Hill in San Francisco became a parade route for the Blessed Virgin Oct. 6, as Catholics from around the Bay Area processed through the streets around the St. Mary’s Cathedral during the annual Rosary Rally.
The eighth annual rally began with a recitation of the rosary in the cathedral at 9 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. Mass in the cathedral celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone. In his homily, Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, discussed the rosary as a spiritual weapon.
“In my order, the Dominicans, we wear the rosary on our habits, on the left side, precisely to indicate that the rosary can be considered as a kind of sword – a weapon of defense, or a weapon of attack,” he said.
Bishop Christian encouraged Catholics to pray the rosary to protect themselves and defend the church against its enemies. Praying the rosary, he said, should recall for Catholics their relationship to the “high points of salvation history.”
After Mass concluded, a procession carrying a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe traveled several blocks around the cathedral, with clergy, religious and laity praying the rosary and singing “Ave Maria.” The celebration ended with a renewal of the consecration of the archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and a crowning of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
John Hernandez told Catholic San Francisco that it was his first time attending the Rosary Rally.
“I decided to come because the Virgin Mary’s blessed me and my family. I wanted to give a little bit back for everything I’ve been given,” he said.
Hernandez said his mother had gone through a difficult pregnancy when carrying his sister: Her doctor told her she was too old to be pregnant safely and that she had to make a choice between her life and her daughter’s. The family asked the Blessed Mother for help, “and they’re both here today,” he said.
Hernandez added that the rally was a good opportunity for the church to witness to its best side.
“The church is being attacked a lot, so people need to see the good in it,” he said.
Anjali Albuquerque told Catholic San Francisco that Mary is an important role model for women.
“Everyone in this society is longing to know what a woman is. Mother Mary is the perfect woman because she is the mother of God,” she said.
David Marten, handing out rosaries by the cathedral entrance that had been blessed by retired auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang, told Catholic San Francisco that he had been coming to the Rosary Rally since it first started in 2011.
A member of the Legion of Mary, Marten said the rosary has an unmatched appeal in evangelizing others. Handing out rosaries in the Tenderloin “is the easiest apostolate we do,” Marten said. “It stops them. Even with everything going on there, the residents always take a moment to thank us.”
Marten said praying the rosary was especially important with the crises going on in the church.
“The only way out of this is the rosary, and Mary will prevail,” he said.
Nobel Nigusse, left, and Patrick O’Brien, right, school captain at Archbishop Riordan High School, led with the processional banner.
Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, gave the homily.
Youth from St. Bruno Parish in San Bruno pray during the Mass.