Month of the rosary brings parish community together in faith

St. Michael the Archangel parishioners Peggy and Bob Geis, left, present a blessed Marian statue and vigil light to parishioners Phil and Patricia Price, all of Indianapolis, on Oct. 13 in the Geis home after a group rosary there. Twenty-nine parishioners hosted the Marian devotion in their homes throughout the month of October. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

October, the month of the Holy Rosary, brought St. Michael the Archangel parishioners in Indianapolis closer as friends, neighbors and partners in faith.

As many as 30 people prayed the mysteries of the rosary together every night last month at different parishioners’ homes in front of a blessed statue of Mary and a blue vigil light.

Their Marian prayers for 31 days resulted in many graces, said Father Varghese Maliakkal, pastor of the Indianapolis West Deanery parish, after concluding the rosary on Oct. 31 with candlelight prayers at the parish meditation garden and the church.

“We started [the group rosary] last year in October,” Father Maliakkal explained. “We prayed together the whole month from day one until the end of October. We went from [parishioners’] house to house and prayed the rosary together.”

At the conclusion of their daily rosary, he said, parishioners asked him to continue the Marian prayer group throughout the year.

“People came back to me and said, ‘Father, this momentum should go on,’ ” he recalled. “Therefore, we continued to say the rosary together every month in one [parish] family’s home all year long since last October. And then again, the month of October this year, we said it every day and now we will continue to pray the rosary every month in one family’s home.”

Father Maliakkal said their prayer effort is based on Christ’s teachings.

“We strongly believe what Jesus said—though the whole parish cannot come to the rosary [in homes]—that where two or three are gathered in his name he is there and we do receive blessings from him,” Father Maliakkal explained. “Many people who had this little statue of Mother Mary and that [vigil] light we lit on the first of October have come back and told me stories of their life experiences that day and that night, and the hours of inner peace they received from the graces of God.”

Ruth Buening, a 33-year member of the parish, serves on the parish council’s spiritual direction committee.

“Our goal with starting this rosary group was to encourage prayer at home, and particularly prayer with young families,” Buening said on Oct. 31. “Our average [for the month] was 22 parishioners. … We tried to include the homebound people as much as possible.”

Parishioners began the month by praying at the church then gathered there again on the feast of the Holy Rosary on Oct. 7 for the rosary and Benediction.

“We have Mass on the first Friday [of each month],” she said, “so we combine Mass with the rosary now” for the remainder of the year.

“The statue of Mary goes back to the rectory now until next October or whenever we decide to have the rosary again,” Buening said. “The vigil light always passes with her so it will go out now.”

At the conclusion of the rosary on Oct. 13, hosts Bob and Peggy Geis presented the Marian statue and vigil light to Phil and Patricia Price in preparation for the next evening’s prayers.

Then they invited people into their kitchen for refreshments and social time.

“It’s an opportunity to welcome people into your home for the rosary,” Phil Price explained. “It’s a gathering of prayerful hospitality.” †