St. Rose of Lima students make pro-life rosaries

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Oct. 18, 2007

DENISON - Students at St. Rose of Lima School participated in special activity on Oct. 12 that incorporated both the Month of the Rosary and Respect Life Month.

The students made pro-life rosaries with the help of teachers, staff and prayer partners. Sixth grade students helped first graders and fifth graders helped kindergarteners make rosaries.

Kristen Ahart, a fifth grader at St. Rose, said it was "pretty cool" that she could make her own rosary. She thinks it is good to say the rosary because "it makes you a better person so you can go to heaven."

"I think it is cool. Now we know how to make our own rosaries," said Emma Lally, a sixth grader. "It is important to pray the rosary because it is a way to pray to God."

Another sixth grader, Carlos Paz, thought it was fun to be able to make his own rosary. He said that it is good to pray the rosary because "it lets Mary know you love her."

"We intentionally chose to make the pro-life rosaries on Oct. 12 as a complement to the 90th anniversary on Oct. 13 of Our Blessed Mother's promised miracle verifying her appearance to the children of Fatima," said Kathleen Eckerman, who teaches a combination of third and fourth grades at St. Rose of Lima. "The first mystery of the pro-life rosary is particularly dedicated to the intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for peace in the world."

She pointed out that during Mary's appearances in Fatima, she requested that the rosary be said daily for world peace.

"Because October is the Month of the Rosary and also Pro-Life/Respect Life Month, we discovered the pro-life rosary online and connected the two together to make our message one of respect for life and the love of praying the rosary," said Michelle Ahrenholtz, the kindergarten teacher at St. Rose of Lima. "When we googled in pro-life rosaries, many options came up. This was the first we knew about them and thought it was an exciting approach to take with the children."

The prayer partners were invited to help make the rosaries. Eckerman pointed out that the prayer partners usually bring in treats to the classrooms on holidays and during the holy seasons of the year.

"We wanted to strengthen the prayer aspect of the relationship between the prayer partners and the students," she said. "Our desire is to help our students understand the Communion of Saints, we pray for the needs of others and they pray for us as well."

There are about 45 people in the parish and in the community who partner in prayer with the children.

"Since we share a bond of prayer with these people, we wanted to share this prayer experience with them - making them, blessing them and praying them," said Ahrenholtz.

The pro-life rosaries follow a special pattern of symbolic color-coding established for pro-life prayers. The rosaries are the same bead count and form as a standard rosary.

The purple beads, at the beginning of the rosary, symbolize the Lord's passion and death. The colors in the first decade are white and turquoise. On each turquoise bead, the Hail Mary is prayed for the intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and on each white bead the Hail Mary is for peace in the world.

The second decade is made up of red and white beads. On each white bead the Hail Mary is prayed in "reparation for the blood spilled from every baby taken from its mother's womb through abortion." The white beads symbolize prayers for the mothers and fathers of aborted children.

The beads in the third decade are black and white. The black beads represent those in the medical profession that participate in abortions. The white beads are a prayer for conversion, repentance to encourage life and not death among the medical profession.

The colors in the fourth decade are red, white and blue. Each red bead is a Hail Mary to pray that every anti-life law in the nation and world be reversed. Each white bead is a Hail Mary praying for the protection and strengthening of every pro-life law. Each blue bead is a Hail Mary in petition for new and strong pro-life laws to be enacted.

The fifth decade is made up of green and white beads. The color green is symbolic of hope. White beads are to advance the cause that Jesus is the living word.

The prayers and symbolism of the beads comes from the Custom Rosaries Web site, www.customrosaries.com/example-rosaries/pro-life. A special prayer is said before each decade and that can be found on the Web site as well.

"The special prayers used as meditations for the pro-life rosary speak boldly of our responsibility to work for the protection of all human life," said Eckerman. "It is our firm conviction that as students and teachers in a Catholic school we must spread the Gospel of Life. Our sincere hope is that by praying the pro-life rosary with our students, prayer partners and parish members we may ignite rays of light in our students for defending the dignity of all human life and by so doing continue the mission of Jesus on earth."

Father Paul Kelly, pastor at St. Rose of Lima, blessed the pro-life rosaries at the pro-life school Mass on Oct. 17.

The students will use the rosaries on Oct. 22 when they gather at the newly dedicated monument for the unborn child to say the rosary for the protection of all human life.

"The children, teachers, staff, parishioners and Prayer Partners have been invited to all say the rosary together," said Ahrenholtz. "We chose the 22nd because Roe vs. Wade was made on the 22nd of January. Then each child will take their rosaries home with them after the prayer time together along with the instructions and symbolism for the colors on the rosaries."