Greg Daly
People at Salthill Promenade in Galway celebrated their faith and prayed for Our Lady’s intercession at the October 7 ‘Rosary on the Coast’ event. The protection of life was a key theme in the more than 50 countries where the rosary was prayed by a ‘Holy League of Nations’ on Sunday, October 7, one of the event’s organisers has said.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, former MEP Kathy Sinnott said that “every one of the countries was free to name their own intentions, but every country that I saw included the protection of life. It shows how widespread either abortion is or the threat of abortion is.”
Last year’s Rosary on the Coast saw about 30,000 people praying the rosary together around Ireland with many more joining in from other countries, but this year, according to Mrs Sinnott, countries as diverse as the US, Finland, Syria and Russia took part in their own right, not simply in solidarity with Ireland.
Mrs Sinnott said the event owes its origins to last year’s centenary of the apparations at Fatima.
“It really feels like it’s something that’s come out of the centenary of Fatima. This new awareness that we have to take Our Lady’s request seriously around the daily rosary, and it was very much that feeling behind it,” she said.
While participation figures have not yet been compiled for Ireland, Mrs Sinnott recalled how last year between 120 and 150 people gathered at one location in Cork City, while this year about 370 people gathered between three locations in the city.
“So we’re seeing increases but I don’t know if they’re across the board or not,” she said.