United in prayer and fasting

In response to Pope Francis’ call for a Day of Prayer and Fasting on October 7, the Church of the Divine Mercy (CDM) invited the faithful to gather and recite the Rosary in various languages from midnight to noon.

Oct 18, 2024

The faithful spending time in prayer.


By Rachael Philip
In response to Pope Francis’ call for a Day of Prayer and Fasting on October 7, the Church of the Divine Mercy (CDM) invited the faithful to gather and recite the Rosary in various languages from midnight to noon.

Parish priest Fr George Harrison embraced the occasion to reflect the global unity of the Church by encouraging prayers in multiple languages.

The Rosary was recited hourly in Iban, Bidayuh, Kadazan and Indonesian, followed by Tamil, Hindi, BM, Urdu, Mandarin, Sinhala, Hiligaynon (a Filipino dialect), Italian, Russian, Malayalam and ending in English.

In addition to the Rosary, the faithful who gathered in church, sang Marian hymns and worshiped in silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

Richard Rajak, head of CDM’s Kumpulan Umat Bahasa Melayu, said he was particularly touched by effort of the parish priest in quickly organising the 12-hour Rosary.

“I prayed that peace will flourish in the Middle East, in other places of conflict worldwide, and also within families,” he said.

“It was great to be in communion with the universal church, knowing that we were praying together for the same intention in the same moment and on such a symbolic date — the anniversary of Lepanto (1571) and the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary,” said Carmelo Ferlito, who led the Rosary in Italian.
Perzeus James, who was present for three hours, reflected on the grace-filled experience before the Blessed Sacrament, saying, “we didn’t realise the time passing”.

Amor Ronquillo Nobleza and husband Tee Chee Wee, who recited the Rosary in Hiligaynon, felt blessed to pray in their dialect. “May it bring peace, unity and love,” Amor said.

Sachintha and wife Shubashini Ferdinandusz who prayed the Rosary in Sinhala, shared, “It was a special experience to pray in our mother tongue. Jesus and Mother Mary were with us, and we believe our prayers will be answered, bringing an end to senseless violence”.

At noon, the Angelus and the Mid-Day Prayers were recited, followed by Taize chants and sacred silence. The day culminated with Mass at 1pm, honouring Our Lady of the Rosary. After Mass, the faithful brought forward rosaries, scapulars and images of the Blessed Virgin for blessing.

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