THE
P RTAL
June 2018
Page 3
Rosary on the Coast
Jean Chinery reports
H
Deal Ordinariate ... in the rain
with Fr Christopher Lindlar
the 400 or so groups of lay faithful to post the location of where
th
they would be saying the Rosary on Sunday 29 April at 3pm to pray for the renewal of faith, the protection
of life and for the flourishing of peace in our lands.
emel Hempstead Ordinariate Mission was one of
The sharing of this information
on the Rosary on the Coast
website www.rosaryonthecoast.
co.uk meant that members of the
Ordinariate and of the parish at
Hemel were joined on Brighton
beach by visitors from Mexico
and the USA, a group of Polish
Catholics from London and some
Augustinian Sisters from Burgess
Hill among others! We were not
the only group on the beach
either – there were two more
large groups that had gathered
further along from Brighton Pier
for the same purpose.
It was a very moving experience
as we felt a real spiritual bond
of union with the thousands of
other people across England,
Scotland and Wales all reciting
the Rosary together at the same
time. There were also thousands
of people abroad praying for, and
with, us (e.g. over 23,000 people
tuned in to EWTN’s global live
stream of the event at Wells-
next-the-Sea near Walsingham).
Hemel Ordinariate with Fr Simon Chinery at Brighton Pier
Isle of Wight Ordinariate with Fr Jonathan Redvers Harris
Whithorn Ordinariate with Fr Simon Beveridge
at St Ninian’s Cave on Whithorn beach
The huge number of people responding has been an
inspiration to many both here and overseas and a sign
of great hope for the spiritual renewal of our lands.
We had been inspired by the witness last year when
the people of Poland and Ireland felt called to gather
on the boundaries of their countries to pray for the
regeneration of faith. We were prompted into action
by the rallying calls and thought provoking words of
Bishop John Keenan of Paisley Diocese and Mgr John
Armitage of Walsingham asking people to make a
pilgrimage to the coast (or, if unable to travel, to meet
with others at an appropriate inland location) to pray
the Rosary and form a ring of grace around our coasts.
The huge response to this
initiative demonstrates
how many people trust in
the intercessory power of
the Rosary to call down
supernatural
solutions
to the problems that
our world is currently
facing. These people
are recognising that (in
Bishop Keenan’s words)
“when society is caught
in great evil they need
to look to a supernatural
approach, appeal to God
for forgiveness with
prayers of reparation and
atonement and ask for his
mercy and the grace to
resist evil”.
We are told that the Rosary on the Coast Team
would now like to hear from people about what might
be done to follow up on this momentous event. What
do you believe the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church
at this present time? Do you see the 29th April event
and the desire to pray the Rosary as a good spiritual
preparation for the Eucharistic Conference being held
in Liverpool later this year and for the year 2020 when
England will be rededicated under its ancient title of
the Dowry of Mary? What other thoughts do you have
about the day and any potential follow up to it? Share
your thoughts with the Rosary on the Coast team -
email: [email protected]) or visit www.
facebook.com/rosaryonthecoast. We are also asked
It was a great blessing to be supported by so many to pray for similar events being organised in other
of our bishops, priests and religious in this endeavour. countries, inspired by what happened in these isles.