Prayer was focus of Rosary Fest

Parishioner from Our Lady of the Rosary Juanita Garcia places a petition in the prayer box at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Our Lady of the Rosary Parish held their 3rd Annual Rosary Fest on Oct. 7, the Feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. Parishes from all over the Diocese of Corpus Christi came to participate in the day's events.

Three Masses were celebrated in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. Father Gabriel Coelho, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish celebrated Mass at 8 a.m.; Father Juan Fernando Gamez, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Alice celebrated a Spanish Mass at 12 p.m.; and Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody celebrated the closing Mass at 6 p.m.

Concelebrating Mass with Bishop Emeritus Carmody were Msgr. Marcos Martinez from Our Lady of Pilar Parish, Father Prince Kuruvila, from Saint John of the Cross Parish in Orange Grove, Father Eulalio Ibay, from Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish and Father Paul Peter Antony from Rockport.

"People need the spiritual awareness and the message of praying the rosary," Father Coelho said. "We are the only church in the diocese who does this and what better day than her feast day."

Seven deacons volunteered to give a homily and read the Gospel every hour. They were Deacons David Castillo, Eluterio Farias, Albert Galvan, Art Provencio, Bob Allen, Israel Blanco and Jessie Hinojosa.

At 5 p.m. those in attendance held a living rosary and released colored balloons into the air. Each balloon represented beads of the rosary.

"This year over 25 parishes were contacted," Juanita Escobar said. Escobar was in charge of all six committees involved in this year's Rosary Fest.

She said that most of the people who participated were representing a big group from their parish. "Sometimes they don't have transportation. It happens like that sometimes. We can't expect everybody to show up, however it's been very good for our parish to have this feast, because we are in between parishes and nobody knows where we are," Escobar said.

After the closing Mass, all were invited to attend a dinner and reception.