It can be difficult to wrangle up 60 children on a Saturday, especially when such commitments as soccer and cheerleading fill the weekends, according to Kathy Worboys, who last year sought 60 young people for a rosary rally in Honeoye Falls.
That’s why Worboys, a St. Paul of the Cross parishioner, is trying to get word out about the Second Annual Rosary Rally at noon at Harry Allen Park, North Main St., Honeoye Falls, well in advance of the Oct. 15 date. Worboys said she hopes to have at least 60 children at the event to participate in this year’s living rosary.
The Honeoye Falls rosary rally is one of several locally on that day. Others are planned for Henrietta, Hilton and Rochester, according to the website of the America Needs Fatima campaign, www.anf.org. Nationally, more than 5,000 rallies scheduled so far for Oct. 15, and the goal of the America Needs Fatima campaign is to counter secularism in society, make reparations to God and to ask God to aid the government to find solutions to the nation’s problems.
Last year, nearly 6,000 rosary rallies took place across the nation and its territories. The first nationwide rosary rally event took place in 2007. The organization is aiming to increase the number of rallies each year to 10,000 rallies by 2017, the 100th anniversary of Mary’s apparitions to three children in Fatima, Portugal.
Last year’s Honeoye Falls rally drew about 150 people to Harry Allen Park, said Worboys, who said the event was "beautiful" and "powerful."
"To see that many people coming together in one place to pray for our country, I just know the Blessed Mother was pleased," she said.
Worboys said whole families gathered together last year to participate in the rally, and she said she hopes more people get in the habit of praying the rosary.
"We need to teach our church that the rosary is the most powerful weapon we have," Worboys said.
Virginia Tondryk, a parishioner of St. Paul of the Cross in Honeoye Falls who attended the rally last year, said participants were very enthusiastic.
"It was just amazing to see all those children take the time to come on a Saturday to be part of the rally," said Tondryk, who heard about the event through St. Paul’s rosary group and on Catholic radio. "It was absolutely beautiful to see those young children."
St. Paul of the Cross parishioner Patricia Harris said the weather cleared up right before last year’s rally, revealing a blue sky and sun to the crowd that gathered. She recalled seeing many unfamiliar faces at the event.
"There were so many young men in their 20s or 30s there by themselves doing the rosary with us," Harris said. "You could tell it was really dear to them."
EDITOR’S NOTE: Families of children who want to participate in the Honeoye Falls living rosary should contact Kathy Worboys at 585-474-0244.
