A total of 2645 Scottish primary school children united in prayer at the Schoenstatt centre this October as a special project lasting 4 weeks marks the end of the year of the rosary.

Some 2645 Scottish primary school children will unite in prayer at the Schoenstatt centre this October as a special project marks the end of the year of the rosary.

A marathon prayer project spanning the entire month will see pupils of all ages reflect on the five mysteries of light during special organized workshops, pray the rosary and join together in mass.

The project has been embraced by 36 primary schools across central Scotland. with a number including Holy Cross in Croy and St Elizabeth Seton Cranhill attending the workshops as full schools from primary 1 to primary 7. The Schoenstatt rosary project has been organized by the sisters at Campsie Glen centre and follows on from their equally successful Jubilee 2000 Project for Schools.

Explained Sr Mary Elsbeth: "Towards the end of last year Sr Margareta and myself were approached by Patricia Lockhart, deputy director for religious Education in primary schools in the archdiocese of Glasgow and asked if we would be prepared to org anise the event to celebrate the year of the Rosary with the children.

During the course of the day the children will take part in four workshops. Two will concentrate on the first four mysteries, a third will will be a handwork session, where children will make something to take home appropriate to the day. The culmination of the day will be the festive celebration of the holy mass the fifth mystery of light for which the children will have been learning specially chosen hymns. At the end of Holy Mass each child will receive a rosary. Through out the year the sisters have been working to prepare the centre grounds and schoenstatt shrine for the events and all of the workshops will be led by them and some volunteer workers from the movement".

On day one 250 ( green, gold, red and blue) balloons were sent into the sky to thank our Holy Father for giving us the five new Mysteries of Light. We also prayed for our Holy Father and our new Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien.
As the Shrine bell rang the balloons soared into the sky while the children chanted: "John Paul two, we pray for you"

(Copyright Scottish Catholic Observer Sept 2003)
(Photographs by Paul McSherry)

[back]