VIDEO: Queens Students Honor Our Lady of the Rosary on Feast Day
RIDGEWOOD — Students from Notre Dame Catholic Academy gathered at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Ridgewood on Oct. 7 for a rosary rally honoring the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
With rosaries in hand, the students prayed for peace, families, people battling illness, and those affected by violence and conflict around the world.
“We’re all children of God. And just from that, we deserve respect; we deserve dignity. And I believe we should pray for everybody in the world,” one student said.
Another student said he prayed for people battling cancer.
The rally also gave students an opportunity to learn about the long history of the rosary and its connection to times of conflict and uncertainty.
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Father Michael Falce, pastor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, explained the historical significance of the rosary, pointing to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
He said Christian nations came together to form the Holy League as they faced the Ottoman Empire.
Before the battle, Pope Pius V called for prayers, including the rosary.
“All odds were against the Christian nations who came together to form the Holy League,” Falce said. “The Holy Father felt it was important to pray the Rosary before and kind of give everything back to God.”
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated each year on Oct. 7.
For Notre Dame Catholic Academy, the rally was also an opportunity to teach students about the importance of prayer and its role in the school community.
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Judy Munno, the school’s principal, said students are encouraged to recognize the significance of prayer, particularly amid challenges facing the world.
“It’s important for the children to recognize the importance of prayer and the significance of prayer, especially for the world today,” Munno said. “And praying for peace and praying for ones that we loved and our loved ones. So very important to our school community.”
The students’ prayers reflected that message, with several focusing on peace and an end to violence.
“I prayed for peace in the world,” said eighth grader Olivia Pellot. “And like for all, like, the war and fighting to just end peacefully and all that, we should just turn to God and pray.”
For the students, the rosary rally served as both a lesson in Catholic tradition and an opportunity to come together in prayer for people facing challenges around the world.