By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--September 21, 2011
Cover Story | CFP Comments | Reader Friendly | Subscribe | Email Us
Hail Holy Queen, a prayer, which will be heard worldwide from San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza, is an fixture of the Rosary. The prayer, nearly 500 years old, and thought to be authored by a monk named Blessed Harmann, is second only to the Hail Mary. The words of Hail Holy Queen, once heard, are impossible to forget: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears; turn then, most gracious Advocate, thy eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!”The 1961 event, which was held in Golden Gate Park, and as big as Woodstock, drew an estimated 550,000 people. “For five straight days, it made the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. (California Catholic Daily, Sept. 9, 2011.) The Family Rosary Crusade 2011, intention of which is to “strengthen the family”, is a joint effort by the San Francisco Legion of Mary, the Knights of Columbus, and Immaculate Heart Radio, and has the blessing of Archbishop George Niederauer. Some of the contemporaries of the humble priest who immortalized the words, “The family that prays together stays together”, will be at the October 15 Family Rosary Crusade, 12 noon in San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza. Holy Cross Father Willy Raymond, who runs Family Theatre Productions in Hollywood, and Holy Cross Father James Phalan, Director of Family Rosary International will be there. Auxiliary Bishop William J. Justice will lead the invocation and retired Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and retired Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang plan to attend. Franciscan Friar Father Andrew Apostoli, co-founder of the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, is the featured speaker. Fifty years later, the passionate words of Fr. Peyton, whose words rang out, “I believe in God”, “I believe in God”, “I believe in God” captivate souls. Meanwhile, it is not what those souls will find when they go to San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza, but what they will carry away with them for the rest of their lives.
View Comments