For years the Blessed Mother has pleaded with us to pray the Holy Rosary.  At Fatima, she asked six times.  “Pray the Rosary”. How many times must she ask before we say “yes”?  There are so many reasons to pray the Rosary.  Some are personal, while others might focus on societal and world issues. But the bottom line is, if praying the rosary was not important, Our Lady would not have asked so often.  When we pray the Rosary we pray not to Mary but rather, with Mary.  All of the mysteries are actually about the life of Jesus. Therefore, when we pray with Mary, we become closer to Christ. On the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, St. Matthew’s Parish began a special Parish Rosary Program.  Each week parishioners are requested to jot down and submit the number of rosaries prayed over the previous week.  Weekly and year-to-date totals will be reported in the bulletin throughout the year.  You do not need to put your name, just drop a slip of paper in the collection basket.  You could also record the tally on your offering envelope or email the church office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In one Michigan parish, nearly 265,000 rosaries were prayed in a year under this program and it is reportedly still growing.  I hope that St. Matthew can match this commitment.  Please encourage your family and friends to pray the Holy Rosary today, tomorrow, and every day of the coming year.