By Joe Winter
Catholic Herald correspondent
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Jesse Skramstad, left, ties the rope rosary onto the cross held by Ray Maley. Immaculate Conception Parish prayed using a rosary made from 200 feet of rope. (Catholic Herald photos by Joe Winter) |
NEW RICHMOND -- Immaculate Conception Parish has been praying a living rosary for a period of time, but the version on Oct. 28 was different.
It included 200 feet of white rope that connected the various participants. Each person represented a "bead" on the rosary and did their portion by working with actual knotting on the rope in front of them.
The rope rosary formed a square about 50 feet wide that took in two whole sections of pews in the church. The approximately 45 people participating stood directly behind pews or in the aisles.
The prayer session went on despite the busy work schedules -- and in one case a recently broken foot -- of the organizers. At least one participant came from out of Wisconsin or Minnesota.
The rosary concentrated on the five glorious mysteries, rather than the mysteries of light or the sorrowful or joyful mysteries. It also featured the crowning of Mary.
Carl Dadez played Ave Maria as a violin solo, and the reflection was the solo, "Mary, woman of promise," by Maureen Brunner.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2004