British Catholics Organize National Rosary

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PAISLEY, Scotland (ChurchMilitant.com) - Catholics throughout Great Britain are coming together to plan a nationwide Rosary.

The Rosary on the Coast for Faith, Life and Peace in the British Isles is scheduled for Sunday, April 29 at 3 p.m. People throughout Great Britain will gather in prayer along the island nation's coasts, asking Our Lord and Our Lady to bless and protect their country.

Catholics will pray the Rosary that day throughout England, Wales and Scotland. At the time of publication, 30 locations were listed on the website's interactive map, including one on the Isle of Man and another in Jersey (a Crown dependency on an island off the coast of Normandy).

One of the leaders of the initiative told Church Militant this is a grassroots campaign with the backing of Bp. John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland.

"It has been organized organically with support from Bp. Keenan," she wrote, "following on from the great Act of Consecration of Scotland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and following on from the great witness given by Ireland's Rosary on the Coast."

In September 2017, Bp. Keenan led his fellow bishops of Scotland in a solemn consecration of their church and country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Later that month, he spoke out against the evils of abortion and applauded efforts to resists the evil. Bishop Keenan encouraged the faithful to pray for the unborn, saying, "Could I suggest our own concerted effort in October to pray the Rosary for an end to abortion?"

According to the Rosary on the Coast's informational document, one of the prayer intentions is for an end to Britain's roughly 50 years of legalized abortion. It reads, "In our country, 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act, which came into effect on 27 April 1968 and which has overseen the killing of nearly 9 million unborn children."

The impactful description continues, "Marking this anniversary, Lord Alton identified our country, half a century on, as 'the geopolitical epicenter of the Culture of Death' in our times. Yet, the consciousness of our citizens is in denial, unable to fathom and grasp the enormity of this wound to our society."

The Rosary will also be offered up for the restoration of Christian faith in Great Britain, and the protection of the country from terrorism, disasters and other such plights.

Participants are asked to engage in 40 days of spiritual preparation, beginning on the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19. This period of prayer and fasting will culminate on April 27, the day when the Abortion Act went into effect 50 years ago.

Organizers also encourage participants to receive the Sacrament of Confession and make a Holy Hour on Saturday, April 28, the day prior to the Rosary on the Coast.

Those wishing to participate in the Rosary on the Coast can register to a lead a new location on the website or look for nearby locations on the map.

This prayer initiative was inspired by national Rosaries late last year in Poland and Ireland. There have also been smaller initiatives, along the same lines in Italy and the United States.

Poland's nationwide Rosary caught international headlines — and the occasional charge of Islamophobia. More than a million Catholic Poles gathered to pray the Rosary together, mostly near the nation's borders. Given Poland's dissent from the European Union on immigration policies, some called it "controversial" and anti-Muslim. Poland's Rosary to the Borders was the largest Catholic prayer event in Europe since 2016 when Poland hosted World Youth Day in Kraków.

Ireland's nationwide Rosary on November 26 was a smashing success. Rosary on the Coast for Life and Faith in Ireland drew 30,000 participants throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The two Irish governments have some of the most pro-life abortion laws in the world. Now, they both face heaps of international pressure to liberalize their abortion laws.

The Emerald Isle has seen a catastrophic loss of faith these past 60 years. Known historically for its rustic Catholic identity, Ireland's faith has been wrecked by unfaithful priests and shoddy catechesis.

Faithful Catholics in Italy put together a smaller Rosary event on October 13. Inspired by the Polish Rosary, Italian Catholics were invited to fast on bread and water and to pray for their nation. Among the intentions for Italy's Rosary at the Border was divine protection against the double threat of militant secularism and Islamic terrorism.

On December 13, Catholics throughout the United States offered up a Rosary to Our Lady of Guadalupe. They prayed for the helpless unborn, for safety from violence and for a renewal of Christian faith.

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