by JEFF DILLON
Unpleasant winter weather conditions outside did not deter a band of hardy souls gathering at St Peter Chanel church in Green Island, Dunedin, on July 6 — the first Tuesday of the month — to engage in a monthly ritual which was begun back in 1997.
A group of 14, of diverse backgrounds, gathered to recite the rosary in international style.
Each decade of the rosary is divided in half — and the first five Hail Marys are led in a particular language, with another person leading the second five in another language. The congregation simply replies in English.
The Sorrowful Mysteries were prayed on July 6. Long-time stalwart and organiser of the monthly gathering, Toni Verstraate, provided the main linking dialogue through the decades, as well as providing the Dutch language segment. Her European versatility came in handy with a couple of usual participants not able to make it that night, so she provided a set of five Hail Marys in Italian, and the remaining five in German.
So, there were ten language segments or acknowledgements of other cultures in the reciting of the decades. They were the Philippines, Korea, Holland, Chile, Poland, India, Te Reo Māori, Latin, Italy, Germany.
Over the years, there have been a number of other languages that have featured. They have included Nigerian, Samoan, Tongan, Tokelauan, Lithuanian, Croatian, Lebanese, Russian and Swiss.
The concept of saying the rosary in 10 different languages was introduced to the parish by the late Fr Colin Schmelz, who was the assistant priest in the parish back in the 1990s. In 1997, Fr Schmelz travelled overseas and, as part of his trip, he went to Lourdes. He visited the grotto where the rosary was prayed, and was very much impressed by the use of 10 different languages used in the saying of the decades.
When he returned to Green Island, he set about attempting to introduce the concept in the parish. Fortunately, the parish at the time had a range of nationalities. So Fr Schmelz contacted various parishioners, and soon the first International Rosary session was held, which attracted more than 100 parishioners. It was determined that it would be held every first Tuesday each month of the year, apart from January. About 10 years ago, Benediction was added as a concluding devotion after the praying of the rosary.
From the very first occasion, the popularity of the monthly session remained high, with gatherings around the hundred mark. However, Fr Schmelz moved to Lawrence after a few years, so that weakened support. There was also movement of some of the parishioners with international backgrounds out of the parish, or they died, so numbers attending began to decline.
The present numbers attending average about 18 each month, though that usually increases to the mid-twenties in warmer months. There is an effort to reach a wider audience these days with notices advertising upcoming monthly gatherings put in parish bulletins throughout Dunedin. Information can be gained from contacting Toni Verstraate at the St Peter Chanel parish office, where she helps in the running of the parish.
As she commented in a speech in 2017, marking 20 years of the group, “Green Island no longer has the same number of different nationalities anymore, so we do rely on participation of other parishes. Those who have taken part, or have been here to observe, have related how special they feel and how much it is appreciated”.
Praying the Rosary Beads is a spiritual exercise. The Holy Beads are powerful missiles of mass construction.