May 14, 2014 By Kristina Dean Carthage - Years ago, as Robert A. Renaud sat proctoring an exam at Carthage High School, he "felt words of Mary, placed on my heart" that today's young people were in dire need of prayers. Sitting in the quiet, Mr. Renaud asked what he could do. The idea of a Family Rosary Crusade was born in his heart. That idea has blossomed into a powerful event that spans the globe with participants. The Crusade, held Friday, May 16 at St. James Minor Church in Carthage, begins at 5:15 with Mass, followed by Eucharistic Adoration at 6 p.m. Seven full hours of the Rosary are prayed with Jesus present in the Eucharist during Adoration. Benediction follows at 1 a.m. The seven hour event is based on the seven sorrows of Mary, the Mother of God. Each hour has specific prayer intentions, and includes three complete Rosaries, or 15 decades. Every hour, three different families or groups lead the Rosary. Prayer intentions are for all life, families and the sacrament of marriage, innocence and all children and grandchildren, the Holy Church, vocations, all priests and those consecrated to religious life, the Holy Father's intentions, soldiers, world peace, and all sinners and poor souls in Purgatory. The last hour is designated for prayers of thanksgiving. Every year, Mr. Renaud, an art teacher at Carthage High School and celebrated Catholic artist, develops and paints an original piece of artwork for the Crusade. To encourage attendance and to provide a focus for prayer, Mr. Renaud offers free prints of the piece to anyone who stays three or more hours, in honor of Jesus's three hours on the cross. This year's piece is titled, "Star of the Sea ~ Patiently Waiting." Last year's Crusade painting was "St. Kateri ~ Model of Youths" and features the new saint holding a cross and lily. The striking image is placed inside a turtle, which represents her clan. Mr. Renaud also created another St. Kateri painting called "Kateri ~ Lily of the Mohawks" for a 350th birthday celebration at both the National Kateri Shrine in Fonda, NY and the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY. This painting is also part of the Vatican Collection in Rome. Approximately 75 to 100 people attend the Mass at the beginning of the Crusade and stay for the first hour. The following hours contain anywhere from 30 to 40 people, and never less than 20, Mr. Renaud said. Crusade participates have, in the past, included people traveling from Clayton, Potsdam, and Ogdensburg. People who can't be at the church physically can join in spirit by praying the Rosary. The Carthage artist said several years after the Crusade began, radio host Teresa Tomeo of the weekly radio program Catholic Connection interviewed him. Her morning program is produced by Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is heard on more than 200 Catholic stations nationwide through the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. "Since then, it's really taken off," Mr. Renaud said. "I don't know how many people exactly join us now, but there are monasteries in Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Great Britain that participate. “They may not pray the exact same hours, but they pray the Rosaries with us that day," he said. There are also many groups across the United States that include lay groups such as Altar Rosary Societies. All are encouraged to attend or join in prayer. Mr. Renaud, a football and girls volleyball coach, hopes that the number of people attending will grow, and said the "coach inside him" doesn't settle for second place when it comes to saying the Rosary. "When Mary tells us through several apparitions that, outside of Mass, the Rosary is the most powerful prayer, I still don't understand why people have such a hard time with it," he said. "It came right from her mouth, that something as simple as a rope and beads can bind Satan, as powerful as he is. I wish more people could see its value. If we want to get things done, this is it folks, this is how you do it," he said. Father George F. Maroun, pastor of St. James Minor Church in Carthage, and St. Mary's Church in Copenhagen, is the celebrant for Mass, Exposition and Benediction. Mr. Renaud said the Crusade began the year Father. Maroun came to St. James. "Having a new priest, I wasn't sure how he would react," Mr. Renaud said. "Father Maroun was very, very excited about it. He's been a great supporter and a great shepherd and he has a love for Mary. Certainly he knows she has a place within our Catholic Faith." Father Maroun said the Crusade has been "a wonderful and creative way of promoting the recitation of the Rosary in our parishes." Father said he knew the idea came to Mr. Renaud as an inspiration in the context of his prayer, and out of his love for Mary, the Blessed Mother. "I wasn't sure if such an event would be successful, but it was worth a try," Father Maroun said. "To my surprise, the event has been most successful with many people coming in and out, averaging at least 30 devotees at any one time. “This continuous flow of people and prayers from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. is quite inspiring,” he said. “Through social media, Bob has done a wonderful job of connecting people worldwide who pray in solidarity with us. The whole event has a certain rhythm to it as a cross-section of the faithful lead their hour of prayer for various intentions noted in the program." Mr. Renaud lives in West Carthage with his wife, Mary Beth. He sells many of his works and prints out of his studio, next to his house. The schedule for the Crusade as well as all the Crusade artwork can be seen at the church's website:
Photo by Kristina Dean |
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