Public acts of men putting their devotion to the Mother of God on public display are popping up around the world – and Sydney is no exception.
Inspired by an international Catholic movement, more than 150 men treated city goers to some stunning public displays of faith last weekend. Groups of kneeling men reciting the Rosary filled the forecourt outside St Mary’s Cathedral finding strength in the Marian prayer to protect and defend their families.
And they are not alone. Rain, hail or shine, men are gathering on the same day each month throughout the world including Poland, Ireland, Ukraine, England, Slovakia, the US, Lebanon, Malta and Croatia – to name a few.
Taking Sydney Archdiocese social media by storm, thousands commented on the men’s public witness. “So beautiful and inspiring,” one person wrote. “The world is desperately in need of men like you.”
“What an amazing witness to Sydney,” wrote another, “praise God for the men who lead with courage and the conviction of their hearts”.
Ivica Kovac, the Life, Marriage and Family Officer at the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Centre for Evangelisation, said the Sydney Men’s Rosary Crusade was held at the cathedral in honour of women “because we love them and want them to know that we are praying for them, our church, priests and bishops”.
He said the public piety began in December with just 30 men, has now hit well over 150 participating and is continuing to grow in numbers.
“Every month more and more new faces are attending from all over Sydney despite the difficulty of juggling work commitments, family time and Saturday sport,” he said. “It is so inspiring to see they are still making every effort to attend and bring their sons and friends along.
“Saint Louis de Montfort says that praying the rosary as a group is a very efficacious way of praying [it] and the best way to glorify God and to scare the devil. He goes on to explicate that when one person prays the rosary individually, they gain the merit of one rosary, whereas a person who recites the rosary in the group, gains merit for all the rosaries prayed by each person.
“We hope and pray this continues so that the Cathedral is packed for Mass in honour of Our Lady and to glorify almighty God and that the Cathedral Forecourt is packed with men on their knees in prayer as a public witness of love and faith every first Saturday of the month,” he said.
For enquiries, contact Ivica Kovac via email: [email protected] or visit the Maximus Facebook page @maximusmenssydney.