STAMFORD—A statue of Mary surrounded by candles was the focal point at the beautiful St. Mary Church in Stamford on Wednesday night, as members of our diocese gathered for a socially distanced Rosary prayer service for peace and unity in the community.
“This is an effort the ad hoc committee against racism called by Bishop Caggiano has put together,” explained Father Falla, pastor of St. Mary. “We will pray the rosary on this national day of prayer, which is a beautiful day for us to come together in our nation.”
“We pray especially for those who have been victims of racism and prejudice,” prayed Father Falla.
The Rosary was prayed in English, Italian, Hindi, French and Spanish.
“It is a special day for us as we remember St. Peter Claver…a great apostle in the church, who fought against injustice and reached out to people in need, especially those who were enslaved,” explained Father Falla.
At the end of the service, priests that were in attendance gathered at the front of the church to bestow a final blessing on the community.
Kelly Weldon, director of Foundations in Faith and a member of the diocesan Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, explains that the idea for this event was sparked from a few members’ deep-dive into the USCCB’s document on racism. “The document suggests that all people doing the work of anti-racism consider holding an event on the National Day of Prayer for Peace.”
Weldon shares that members of the committee arrived at the idea for the Rosary because they wanted to take a deliberate step toward change in a way that was humble and prayerful. “We wanted to engage the community while asking Mary to guide us in our work,” says Weldon.
For those who were unable to attend, a live-stream was made available on the diocesan website, which can now be viewed on YouTube.
