I am so happy to know that as part of the Rosary on the Coast initiative, the Diocese of Brentwood is taking a prominent part. We have one of the longest coastlines of any Diocese in the Country and the fact that the Holy Rosary is going to be prayed at key locations around Essex this Sunday afternoon is a source of great joy to me personally and for the Church in our Diocese. I pray with all of those who participate that the fruits of this beautiful act of Marian devotion will be a renewal of faith, life and peace within our great land. I send my blessing to you all and assure you of the union of my prayer in Christ and Mary.
+Alan Williams, sm
Bishop of Brentwood
There is still time to join the Rosary on the Coast for Faith, Life & Peace in the British Isles. This lay-organised event will take place at 3pm on 29 April at more than 200 locations around the country. It has been endorsed by the Pope, Cardinal Nichols and many bishops and clergy, such as the rector of the Walsingham Shrine, Mgr John Armitage, whose video you can watch below.
Antonia Moffat, coordinator of the event, says: “This is a day of pilgrimage and prayer for the re-flourishing of our Faith, for the grace to build a culture of life and for true peace to reign in the hearts of all peoples & nations. The inspiration? Recently the faithful of Poland and Ireland have responded to what they sense as a movement of the Holy Spirit to gather around the coasts – or rivers – of their nations and pray to Jesus, the Divine Mercy, for a renewal of faith and respect for human life through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary.”
“Having witnessed this, a number of the lay faithful in the British Isles – England, Scotland, Wales and their isles – have felt the same inspiration and urge to respond. Our own national Rosary on the Coast for Faith, Life and Peace in the British Isles will take place on Sunday 29 April at 3pm, 2018, fifth Sunday of Easter.”
In Brentwood Diocese, a number of coastal locations have been flagged up on the interactive map at www.rosaryonthecoast.co.uk. People will be gathering at the piers in Walton-on-the-Naze and Southend. The Order of Malta are meeting at the Peterboat in Leigh on Sea for lunch before going to the beach at 3pm. All are welcome to join them – see https://www.facebook.com/events/900639406786786/
Meanwhile, on the estuary of the Stour, pilgrims will be meeting at The Walls, Mistley, Essex. On Canvey Island, pilgrims are meeting at the Eastern Esplanade before going to the seafront. Fr Mark Reilly from Maldon and Burnham parish will lead the rosary by St Peter’ Chapel at Bradwell-on-sea at 3pm. At Wivenhoe, Fr Mark Swires will lead the rosary at The Nottage by the river. At Hadleigh Castle, Deacon Richard Cerson will lead. If you cannot reach the coast or a river site, you can join in inland at your own parish or elsewhere. For example, all are welcome at the Norbertines’ Priory Chapel in New London Road, Chelmsford. The sick are encouraged to join in from their homes. For details of all these locations and others in surrounding counties, please go to the website: https://www.rosaryonthecoast.co.uk/
You can download the programme booklet here: Rosary booklet
On the day please take some video footage and photos of your Rosary on the Coast location and send it to the organisers via the website, along with an estimate of the numbers attending.
Follow up – Sancta Familia Media (see their video about the event below) hope to do a follow up video of the Rosary on the Coast event and it would be helpful to be able to give an estimation of numbers attending. Sancta Familia Media are based in Scotland so it is important that they also have plenty of footage from the various Isles, Wales and England.