"I can think of no greater service to Mary, the Mother of God, and to women than for the Holy Father to spell out so clearly Mary’s role as a model for contemporary women, women who are asserting their full equality and co-responsibility with men in all areas of endeavor.

The modern woman will note with surprise that Mary of Nazareth, while completely devoted to the Will of God, was far from being a timidly submissive woman. Mary of Nazareth FREELY consented to become the Mother of Jesus, and by this decision she changed all of our lives."

Father Peyton on Document on Mary 4/74,
08-02-03-12-00
 
 

About Us : The Ministries

Family Rosary International

INDIA

Latest News

The Spread of Small Christian Communities in India is an encouraging sign of the Church’s vitality

Children gathering to pray the Rosary

Country Demographics/Culture

Catholics are a very small minority in India, where the population is 82% Hindu, 12.1% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, 0.8% Buddhist, 0.4% Jains, 0.4% other, 0.1% not identified. The country has very strong ancient traditions of painting, music, dance, and classical theater. India leads the world in the output of movie films, with more than 900 produced annually.

History of Ministry in Country

When Father Peyton was expanding the Family Rosary Crusade around the world, he traveled to Bombay, India, in 1954 to conduct the Family Rosary Crusade in 33 dioceses and to attend the Marian Congress. An estimated 200,000 people came together at the Bombay rally, where Father Peyton urged them to gather their families together each day for Rosary prayer. The presence of the Congregation of Holy Cross continued over the next few decades, culminating in the appointment in 1996 of Rev. Hervé Morissette, CSC, as the director of Family Rosary in India. Three Holy Cross priests, serving in parishes, assist Father Morissette in promoting family Rosary prayer, with over 50 volunteers, many of them teachers, lending a hand.

Ministry Today

The Executive Committee of the Holy Cross Family Ministries in India has developed the following objectives for the Family Rosary office in India: to foster family welfare through marriage preparation courses and renewal programs for married couples; to give pastoral counseling to married couples; and to promote prayer in the family, especially Rosary prayer. The education programs employed to achieve these objectives vary in individual dioceses, but all are working to advance Father Peyton’s life work. And it’s important to note that some of the youth prayer meetings have led to the formation of Maria Sangha (Marian Association) for women, to encourage a devotion to Mary. These members recite the Rosary every day.

Mrs. Gemma Carvalho directs a chapter of the guild for Father Peyton in Bangalore. Gemma is a layperson with great interest in promoting the Family Rosary.

In India, a predominately Hindu country, Christianity is still perceived as a foreign entity, but the spread of the small Christian communities in many dioceses is an encouraging sign of growth. These communities are beginning to have more and more impact on the faithful. They transform the image of the Church and lead people to get actively involved.

And with the Pastoral Team leading the way, Family Rosary International is advancing the goal of Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, to “weave a web of Rosaries around the world.”

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