Tuesday, October 14, 2008

3,500 roses taken to Fatima, Portugal, one for each rally captain in the 2008 Public Square Rosary Rally

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On Monday, October 13, America Needs Fatima members Antonio Fragelli and Kevin Ritchie took 3,500 roses to Fatima, Portugal, one for each of the rally captains who led a Public Square Rosary Rally on Saturday, October 11. 

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The banner reads 3,445 rally captains, which was the number of captains we had at the time that Kevin and Antonio left for Portugal.

They purchased the roses in Madrid, Spain and drove them 384 miles to Fatima, where they set up a huge display of roses and unfurled the banner along with large posters proclaiming what was being offered to Our Lady.

In a matter of minutes, people gathered around the crew setting up the display and began asking questions.
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Explanations were given as boxes upon boxes of roses were unpacked and set up.  People wanted to be part of what was happening and tried to help place roses and hold the banner.
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As soon as everything was in place, they took pictures of the completed display.  This triggered an even larger group to crowd around to be in the picture or ask for a rose.

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Later, two of the posters and many of the roses were left on display in the sanctuary.
Kevin and Antonio proudly took our large banner with the Rally Captain names to the candlelight procession so that in some way these 3,500 Catholic leaders would be represented in the procession.
Thus, on this special day, all the Rally Captains were remembered by name and a rose.  It was most definitely an honor to offer Our Lady this small token of our gratitude for all that she does, and for the hard work of the 2008 rosary rally captains.

It was also an opportunity to thank her for the abundant graces that so many received at the Public Square Rosary Rallies and to ask her for even more rallies in 2009.

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