Bishops call faithful to 54-day rosary novena for peace, family

Bishop Michael Mulvey is encouraging the faithful in the Diocese of Corpus Christi to participate in a national 54-day Rosary Novena for peace and the family, with a special focus on human life, marriage and religious freedom. The National Rosary Novena will begin on Sept. 29 and conclude on Nov. 21.

"I wholeheartedly endorse this National Rosary Novena and want to encourage the faithful to participate in this urgent time of prayer," Bishop Mulvey said.

The rosary novena and be done at home, individually or with families, or in a parish community or other groups.

The rosary novena is in response to the call to prayer by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for a nationwide effort to advance a movement for life, marriage, and religious liberty through prayer, penance, and sacrifice.

Catholics across the nation are being encouraged to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty. "This call to prayer is prompted by unprecedented challenges to the Church and the nation, particularly the HHS Mandate and current trends in government and culture toward redefining marriage," the bishops said in a statement.

The goal of this call to prayer is twofold. First it increases awareness of these challenges and secondly it builds spiritual stamina and fortitude among the faithful so that they can be effective and joyful witnesses of faith, hope, and charity and agents of the New Evangelization, the bishops' statement said.

The Rosary Evangelization Apostolate and a number of other organizations are spearheading the National 54 Day Rosary Novena.