• Holy Rosary Shrine - Santuario del Santo Rosario
    Holy Rosary Shrine - Santuario del Santo Rosario

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Come, Contemplate with Mary the Face of Christ

Holy Rosary Shrine is dedicated to fostering union with Jesus through Our Blessed Mother and her Holy Rosary. Central to our mission is beautiful and reverent worship, preaching His Word, devotional and evangelization events, and service to those in need. Staffed by the Franciscans of the Poor Christ, we offer extended hours for the Sacrament of Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, retreat days and Franciscan and Marian spiritual formation. The Shrine has a rich history of being home to many different ethnic groups in the "Immigrant City" of Lawrence, Massachusetts which continues to this day.

Confession Times

Confession Times

Information about confession times and days and how to make a good confession.

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How to Pray the Rosary

How to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary Center & Confraternity. Promoting devotion to the Rosary for more than 500 years.

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Rosarium Virginis Mariae

Rosarium Virginis Mariae

Letter from St. John Paul II about the importance of the Holy Rosary.

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From the Friars: Whose Side Are You On?

Last week we heard Simon make his great profession of faith and receive the new name of Peter, the Rock, and the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. This week we hear how, one minute later, Jesus harshly rebukes him and calls him Satan. What happened? St. Peter, upon hearing Our Lord speak clearly of His coming passion and death, contradicts Jesus and strongly rejects the prophecy. For this he hears: “You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.” (Mt 16:23)

There is a popular idiom in English that says: “You have to pick a team.” Jesus words to St. Peter make this point that for some things there is no neutrality. Every human person must ultimately decide whether to believe and follow the Lord, or not. And following Jesus Christ means to share in His Cross. This is the part of the Good News that many people get stuck on and eventually fall away. St. Peter, like most Jews of his time, expected a Messiah that would be a triumphant worldly King, like King David in his glory days. Jesus is blunt about the scandal of the Cross, and that this is the path to the glory that lasts forever.

When Christianity becomes a comfortable religion, it is no longer authentic Christianity. What is commonly referred to as “the American Dream” easily becomes an idol and an obstacle to authentic happiness. If our priority is worldly success and happiness, we will lose even that because these things quickly pass away. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:25)

Saint Peter being crucified.

The Crucifixion of St. Peter, by Caravaggio – Self-scanned, Public Domain, Link

On Mount Laverna, St. Francis prayed to feel the pain that Jesus felt on the Cross, and he received the stigmata. This was an extraordinary grace and not something we should all be asking for. However, we should all be asking for the grace to embrace the crosses that come into our lives according to God’s Providence. As St. Paul exhorts us today, “offer your bodies ( your whole being) as a living sacrifice, …, your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1).

May Our Lady of Sorrows help us be on the side of her Son.
Fr. Peter