13th October 2007

 

For the 24th time, Catholics took to the streets of London to proclaim their devotion to the Mother of God during the Rosary Crusade of Reparation.  Nearly two thousand faithful thronged the route from Westminster Cathedral to Brompton Oratory as the four foot high statue of Our Lady of Fatima, blessed by Pope Pius XII, was carried in a manner fit for a queen.

Traffic was brought to a halt in Victoria Street, Sloane Street and along the Brompton Road by the Metropolitan Police Service to make way for the Queen of Heaven and her army of followers.  Hearkening back to bygone days when mighty Catholic processions brought towns and villages to a halt, the Rosary Crusade proclaimed the Faith in the heart of London. 

This year’s procession fittingly coincided with the 90th anniversary of the final appearance of Our Lady at Fatima where she worked the Miracle of the Sun.

At the Oratory, Fr Ronald Creighton-Jobe, Spiritual Director of the Crusade, welcomed the huge congregation before leading them in prayers and hymns to Our Lady. This was followed by Solemn Benediction, in Latin.  Finally, as the priests and servers made their way to the sacristy, the Crusade ended with the rousing Faber hymn, so appropriate in Faber’s church, “Faith of Our Fathers.”