“The rosary is a powerful weapon against the enemy!” Fr Emmanuel Okami, Parish priest of St Augustine’s’, Milton Keynes shared the power of the rosary with parishioners on the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary on Saturday 7 October.
Parishioners gathered for Mass, followed by a rosary procession through the local community as a prayerful witness of the Catholic presence in the area. Pilgrims were invited to pray for peace in Ukraine, for the synod and for Pope Francis during the prayer walk.
According to Dominican tradition, in 1206, Dominic de Guzmán was at the Monastery of Our Lady of Prouille, in France, attempting to convert the Albigensians back to the Catholic faith. The young priest had little success until one day he received a vision of the Blessed Virgin, who gave him the rosary as a tool against heretics. The development of this prayer form owes much to the Dominican Order, including the 15th-century priest and teacher, Alanus de Rupe.
Young and olde(er) were united in Heelands as their prayers followed the statue of Our Lady of Fatima being the procession ended in the Church as the church sang ‘Salve Regina’.
The Church in Heelands, Milton Keynes is growing. With many people moving into the area, capacity is often reached on Sundays. This must be pleasing for those who have been in the parish for many years, and who have helped to create a beautifully prayerful space for the community to gather.
More pictures from the procession can be viewed here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dioceseofnorthampton/albums/72177720311747150