Every Monday evening during the month of May, a group of parishioners from Our Lady of Consolation Church in Parkesburg will pray the Rosary for peace, and community members are welcome to participate.

The gatherings on Mondays, May 5, 12, 19 and 26, will begin at 6:50 p.m. in front of the Blessed Mother grotto on Chestnut Street alongside the church. Prayer will begin at 7 p.m.

"This is our fourth year of praying the Rosary for peace," said congregation member Barbara Tuttle. "We bring out chairs, and people can sit or stand. We start by asking if anyone has any special intentions they want to pray for, and then we begin the Rosary."

According to http://www.catholic.com, the Rosary is a devotion during which prayers are said to Mary, the Mother of God. While praying, people use rosary beads, which keep track of the prayers. Following the recitation of "The Apostles Creed," the main prayers said during the Rosary are the "Our Father," "Hail Mary" and "Glory Be."

"People bring their own rosaries, and there is a tray there that has rosaries for someone who does not have one or forgot one," noted Tuttle. "It's open to everybody, so the community at large is welcome to join us."

Attendees who are not familiar with the prayers can follow along with pamphlets that are provided by the church. "You don't need to know how to pray the Rosary; we can help you with that," said Tuttle. "The more you attend, the more you learn."

"It is not necessary that they even participate," added church member Sue Havey, who helps lead the prayer. "They can observe and see what is going on. I have prayed the Rosary with non-Catholic family members. It gives them a sense of peace and purpose."

The Rosary consists of 20 "mysteries," which are divided into four sets: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous. Each set of mysteries is prayed on specific days of the week. Each decade on the rosary, which is a set of 10 beads, corresponds to one of the mysteries. 

"We stick with the Joyful mysteries, which are traditionally said on Mondays," explained Tuttle. "We ask someone (in the gathering) to say a decade of the Rosary. Everyone can be included, but they are not made to feel they need to do it."

"We meditate on the mysteries of Christ and some of His life," said Havey. "That is the whole purpose. When you pray to Mary, she takes you to Jesus. It is a devotion to Jesus through Mary."

Tuttle noted that because the Rosary includes a repetition of prayers, many utilize it as a form of meditation, regardless of their religion. "You can say the Rosary any place and at any time," Tuttle pointed out. "Even if you have trouble sleeping, you can keep the rosary by your bed. It rests your mind. It gives your mind peace.

Praying a full Rosary, with all five decades, typically takes about 15 to 25 minutes. "We don't rush through the prayers. You have to think about the words you are saying," Tuttle stated. "People hang around and talk to each other afterwards. We are here less than an hour total. It's a beautiful coming together."

Both Havey and Tuttle are members of the church's prayer group, which meets every Monday at 7 p.m. year-round.

"We pray the Rosary every Monday night. It's only during May that we take it outdoors," said Havey, noting in Catholic tradition the month of May is dedicated to Mary. "We want to be a witness to our community, and hopefully people will stop and listen."

Between 20 and 25 people usually attend the outdoor event, which, thus far, has never had to be moved indoors due to inclement weather. "Every time we had it outside, the weather has cooperated," Havey said. "What is really neat is you can watch the birds or the squirrels run around. It is part of God's nature to have us enjoy this and be outside praying the Rosary."

"One of the things that has been so amazing to me is that the three years we have done it, every Monday was beautiful, and if it were to rain, we would just go inside the church," added Tuttle. "(Rain) would not stop us."

Our Lady of Consolation Church is located at 603 W. Second Ave., Parkesburg. For more information, contact the rectory at 610-857-3510.