October is the month of the rosary, with October 7 dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The Holy Rosary is one of the most well known Catholic traditions.
On October 2, our seminary community of seminarians, faculty, and guests gathered for Mass celebrated by Fr. Joseph Briody, Professor of Sacred Scripture, followed by a procession from the seminary chapel to the courtyard where the community recited the Holy Rosary.
Prayer is at the core of seminary life, the month of October offers us all an opportunity to renew our devotion to our Blessed Mother who draws us closer to her son, Jesus.
The procession coincided with the 43rd anniversary of St. Pope John Paul II's visit to Boston on October 2, 1979. During his visit he was transported from the grounds of Saint John's Seminary to Boston's Logan airport by helicopter.
St. Pope John Paul II was well known for his devotion to the Holy Rosary. In Rosarium Virginis Mariae he writes, “Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: “She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk2:19; cf. 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's side. In a way those memories were to be the ‘rosary’ which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.”
A tree was planted on the seminary grounds to mark this historic visit of St. Pope John Paul II.
