By Natalie Romano
When praying the Rosary, nine-year-old Daniel Romero needs a little help getting started but then he can quickly take over…in Latin. Tomorrow it might be in Spanish or English. The words, in whatever language, roll off his tongue with ease because praying the Rosary is a family norm. Daniel says it gives him good vibes.
“I feel like I’m at peace with God,” said the fourth grader. “I feel like I made Him happy. I just feel good.”
Feeling that connection is an integral part of the Month of the Holy Rosary. It is a time for Catholics to do as Mary asks; draw closer to Jesus by meditating on the mysteries of His Life, Death and Resurrection. In October, as we focus on the Rosary, we meet three diocesan households who make this devotion a cornerstone of their family life and faith.
Praying the Rosary is second nature to Rosalba and Javier Borja who serve the diocese as West End Vicariate liaisons to the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life. The couple also volunteers for the Marriage Encounter Ministry at their parish, St. Mary Catholic Church in Fontana. They have seven children ranging in age from 11-31 years old, yet somehow they manage to pray the Rosary several times a week. Sometimes it’s to celebrate a feast day, other times it’s to seek help during a crisis, but it’s always done reverently.
“It is part of our teachings, of our inheritance,” said Rosalba Borja. “I told my children, learn the Rosary, learn to pray, what you have in your heart and your mind no one can take away from you…For us, it is a joy that our children pray the Rosary.”
This foundational prayer of the Church, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is done with a sacramental necklace made up of a crucifix, a centerpiece medallion, and 59 beads. Each bead represents a prayer to be recited, such as the Hail Mary, Glory Be and Our Father.
Mayra and Gonzalo Romero, parishioners of St. James the Less Parish in Perris, make it a point to keep plenty of rosaries on hand and pass them on to those reciting the prayer. You can find the couple praying with their children every day, be it at their home altar, in the backyard or even in the car on the way to taekwondo practice.
“We live a pretty busy life like any other family,” said Gonzalo Romero. “But if we want to teach our kids to live out our faith, then they have to understand the faith and there’s no better way than through repetition.”
Catholics use the rosary to reflect upon the journey of Jesus that ultimately makes salvation possible. For Mayra Romero, the Rosary is a weapon for good.
“I believe the Rosary is one of the most powerful weapons against the devil,” she says. “He’s always attacking families; he’s always attacking youth. Mama Mary is going to protect us. She will guide us.”
The Rosary is also a daily devotion for the Cox family. Lisa and Steven, along with their six children ages 9-22 years old, are active parishioners of The Holy Name of Jesus in Redlands. Like Mayra, Lisa homeschools her five children that still live at home. Prayer is always part of the curriculum.
“The world will gladly teach them other things,” said Lisa Cox. “We’ve been given the responsibility to teach them the ways of God…The Rosary directs our family to God.”
While these families are devoted to praying the Rosary, the tradition has waned for many Catholics in the 21st Century, according to a survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Amongst Catholics who regularly attend Mass, 23 percent said they pray the Rosary weekly while 28 percent said it was seldom if at all. Additionally, almost half of all Catholics surveyed said they never pray or rarely pray the Rosary. Lisa Cox is not surprised.
“I think a lot of gifts the Church has given us are viewed as burdens,” she said. “If we just embrace them, there’s a lot of blessings that come with them. There’s so much knowledge and wisdom the Church has.”
As the Rosary strengthens the faith of the Cox family, it also strengthens their bond. Even when Steven travels for work the family prays together on the phone.
“We can be a very loud and sometimes crazy family so praying the Rosary centers our life and refocuses us,” chuckled Lisa. “I give all credit to Mother Mary because she has knitted us together. I feel like I have a very close relationship with my children because of that.”
Edgardo Juarez, Associate Director of Mission and Catholic Identity for the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, says October is a great time for parents, as the “primary catechist,” to renew their commitment to praying the Rosary with their children. He suggests creating a special place for worship.
“Kids are very visual so make an altar in the home so they can go to that space and offer flowers to Mary and pray the Rosary,” said Juarez. “Parents sometimes think they have to do big, grandiose things but it’s the little faith gestures and doing them constantly that makes a difference…You have to be intentional.”
Both the Borja and Cox families taught the Rosary a few decades at a time so as to not overwhelm their younger children. To keep it interesting, the Romero family uses music and assigns each child a part. David created his own method to stay in the moment.
“I get distracted a lot,” admitted the 15-year-old. “Sometimes to really focus on what I’m saying, I quite literally focus on my mouth movements. Anytime I stray, I say ‘Nope, go back!”
His older sister, Amy, attends Cal Baptist University in Riverside but with Catholic friends and her favorite amethyst rosary has found a way to stay true to her roots.
“We have an underground Catholic group,” said Amy, 18. “We all come together and try to pray the Rosary every day if our schedule allows us to…Starting off my day with the Rosary feels really good.”
All three families are partaking in Month of the Holy Rosary activities including parish prayer vigils and Rosary Walks. Cox hopes the celebrations lead families to Mary and the Rosary.
“If our ultimate goal is to get our kids to heaven she guides us there. She gives us the graces that are needed for salvation.”
Natalie Romano is an award-winning freelance writer based in Southern California.