More Than 23,000 Gather for Dallas Rosary Rally (priests, tradition, mission)

[Scott1]

June 2, 2005

On May 13, more than 23,000 gathered in the Cotton Bowl for the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade. The evening began with an hour of praise and worship music followed by a procession of more than 300 priests, participants in ethnic costumes and schoolchildren representing the parishes and schools of the diocese. Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration were the heart of the program.

The event was the vision of Father Jim Kelleher, S.O.L.T., who wanted to conduct a global living Rosary in the Cotton Bowl. Father Kelleher providentially met up with Father John Phalen, CSC, President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, while waiting for a bus in Guadalajara Mexico, during the Eucharistic Congress in October, 2004. Father Kelleher had heard of the work of Father Peyton and wanted to develop a similar event. Father Phalen and Beth Mahoney, Mission Director of Family Rosary, a ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries, immediately offered the organization’s support, including 50,000 Rosaries for the event.

Planning for the event began in January, 2005, when a small group of business people came together and formed the core committee to plan, promote and conduct the event. Using the Family Rosary Handbook, Father Peyton’s model, they formed subcommittee’s such as parish outreach, finance, music, procession, liturgy, and staging. With the support of Bishop Charles V. Grahmann, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, all the schools and parishes of the diocese participated in the event.

“Father Peyton’s Handbook for conducting a Rosary Rally is a tried-and-true model that has worked successfully for years,” said Father Phalen. “The Dallas Rally had a dedicated committee, support of the Bishop, and promotion through the schools and parishes. These are all critical components for success.”

Schools and parishes not only promoted the event, they also partcipated in the event. School children presented the prayer intentions they gathered from their parishes and schools while representatives in the traditional garb of 59 countries led the procession and prayer. Father Phalen joined with Clarence Gilyard, well-known actor and Holy Cross Family Ministries Board member, to lead the prayers and reflections for the first and fourth mysteries of light. www.hcfm.org