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Trinity Heights to host daily family rosary

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
(Email Renee)

The rosary has always held special significance for Trinity Heights in Sioux City.

After all even before the shrine was built, the late Father Harold Cooper and a small group of friends would gather at the site each day to pray the rosary at 4 p.m. Once the shrine became a reality, daily rosary continued and is still offered there each day at 4 p.m.

It’s no wonder then that the spiritual committee from Trinity Heights selected the rosary as their prayer of choice when it came to offering prayers for peace.

According to Larry Walsh, a member of the committee, this will be the fourth year that Trinity Heights will offer the Family Rosary for Peace nightly during the summer.

Besides the tradition of the rosary at Trinity Heights, Walsh referred to the significance of the rosary as a means to peace as revealed by the Blessed Mother in her apparitions at Portugal decades ago.

“It was 93 years ago at Fatima after three appearances by an angel to three shepherd children that Mary appeared May 13, 1917. He said Mary came with a message, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I will do you no harm, I’m from heaven.”

Walsh noted that Mary had asked the children if they were willing to offer themselves and their sufferings to God and in supplication do reparation for sin and the conversion of sinners.

“She stressed at that time to pray the rosary every day in order to attain peace in the world and the end to war,” he said. “Because it appears we are no closer to an end to war, certainly no closer to a time of peace – whether political or social – we are calling upon the people of the city to join us in prayer at Trinity Heights during the months of June, July and August for a Family Rosary for Peace.”

This family rosary will be prayed each evening during the summer at 7 p.m. on the Mound of Mary. While Trinity Heights will continue with its 4 p.m. daily rosary, Walsh noted that they opted to go with 7 p.m. for these prayers for peace to enable more families to attend.

The organizers specifically wanted to draw families to this prayerful opportunity because of all the assaults on family life. He referred to such things as same-sex marriage, the destruction of life through abortion and other forms of terror and violence in the world.

“If we are not going to pray for an end to these things now, when will it be time to respond to Mary and answer her call?” Walsh asked. “We are asking everyone to break away from their daily routines to come for a half hour in the evening for prayer and reflection because together with Mary and Jesus we can change the world.”

He said he realizes that most families will be unable to make it up to Trinity Heights every night during the summer, but if they attend once a week or even once a month the experience could have a very positive impact on the children. And while families are encouraged to attend, everyone is welcome to participate in this rosary.

For those who are in other parts of the diocese where travel to Trinity Heights is not possible, Walsh suggested that they could pray the rosary with their families on their own.

“You don’t have to be on the Mound of Mary to have Mary and her son hear our pleas for peace in the world,” he said.

On rainy or cold nights, the rosary at Trinity Heights will be prayed in the Divine Mercy Chapel at Trinity Heights.