Rosary challenge encourages the devotion

By Christina Galeone
           CFP Correspondent
Have you ever wondered why October is the Month of the Holy Rosary? Some people may have realized that it’s because the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated each year on October 7. But many people don’t know why the feast is celebrated on that day.
    It’s because that day in 1571 the Battle of Lepanto was fought and won by a fleet of Christian naval ships – known as the Holy League – which was organized by Pope Pius V. Because the battle against the Muslim Turks was of great importance to European Christians, the pope had asked Christians to pray the rosary to ask for the Blessed Mother’s intercession. The following year, he expressed his gratitude to the Blessed Mother by establishing October 7 as the feast of Our Lady of Victory. Centuries                                        later, the name of the feast was changed to better acknowledge the power of the rosary.      
Although the rosary may not be prayed as often as it once was, its power is as amazing as it has always been. Thankfully, Christians who are aware of its importance pray it and encourage others to pray it as well. One of those people is Heather Barber.
The devout Catholic and Gardner resident not only prays the rosary, she initiated a project called the Rosary Challenge, which has been implemented at Annunciation Parish (consisting of Holy Rosary Church and Holy Spirit Chapel) in Gardner; St. Mary Parish in Orange and St. Denis Parish in Ashburnham. In this Month of the Holy Rosary and throughout the year, the project raises awareness of the beautiful devotion. It also gives Catholics the chance to honor the Blessed Mother by keeping it going.
The project consists of having rosaries placed on plastic hooks in several pews in participating parishes. Once Ms. Barber has installed the hooks and placed the rosaries on them, she provides the parishes with information about the project that they include in their bulletins. It challenges parishioners to answer the Blessed Mother’s call to pray the rosary. Additionally, it asks them to consider donating a rosary if they see empty hooks – as a gift to the Blessed Mother.  
And there’s no doubt that the project itself is a gift. Ms. Barber recalled that after a couple of weeks of  “seeing, hearing about and reading things regarding the rosary,” she felt that the Blessed Mother was leading her to this new mission.
“I had a calling to spread the rosary in our parishes, but I was not sure how or what I was supposed to do,” she said. “I prayed upon it, to be shown God’s divine will … and what God was calling me to do.”
After praying about it, she came up with a name for the project, and she reached out to Bishop Mitchell Rozanski of the Springfield Diocese and Worcester’s Bishop McManus. Once she received their approval, she recorded a public service announcement at WQPH – the Catholic radio station where she had volunteered – that encouraged Catholics to start the project in their churches. Then, she emailed every parish in both dioceses. And on May 13, 2017 – the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Mary in Fatima, where she asked everyone to pray the rosary – the Rosary Challenge began at St. Mary’s.
Since then, the project has flourished. Ms. Barber said that Carol Hamel, a fellow volunteer at WQPH, told her how helpful it is to have rosaries displayed in the pews. Ms. Barber added that others have thanked her for the project, since they were able to use the rosaries when they had forgotten to bring theirs to church.
Because the parishioners are encouraged to take rosaries if they don’t have any, Ms. Barber replaces ones that haven’t been replaced by other parishioners. She usually refills two to seven pews each week. With such a need, she was originally concerned about maintaining an adequate supply.
But she’s grateful that her prayers were soon answered. After praying about it and letting people know her concern, a St. Mary’s parishioner asked her aunt, who makes rosaries, if she would donate some.
“When she asked her aunt if she could have some rosaries … her aunt said she felt Jesus wanted her to start to make blue and white rosaries for his mother, Mary; she did not know why, but she knew she would be told where and whom to give them to,” Ms. Barber said. “She ended up giving me a huge bag of beautiful blue and white rosaries which I still use today to refill four churches every week.”
The project has been a blessing in Ms. Barber’s life. “As far as my experience in beginning this mission, it has deepened my love for our Mother and how much she loves us,” she shared. She added, “I have found the more I turn to my Mother, the more I hear her call, and feel her protection, guidance and love that she has for my family, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and I.”
And she hopes more people will share her experience.
“My hopes for the future of the Rosary Challenge is to continue to spread the message that Jesus wants us to turn to his mother, and pray the rosary, teach others, and repent from our old sinful ways,” Ms. Barber said. “Also, for all to take heed of our Mother’s call to come home to honor her son, and to come to receive the promises of the holy rosary. I hope that all parishes … will participate in teaching converts and future generations the importance of the holy rosary and utilizing the tools our Blessed Mother has given us to help unite us in peace and love.”