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.

Read More

How to Pray the Rosary

How to Pray the Rosary

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

Read More

Rosarium Virginis Mariae

Rosarium Virginis Mariae

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

Read More

From the Friars: The Gift of Fear

On Pentecost there was a strong driving wind and tongues of fire descended on the Apostles and other disciples, dramatically marking this key historical moment of the birth of the Universal Church. But ordinarily the Holy Spirit is silent, hidden and working subtly in our souls. In baptism we are given sanctifying grace, a share in Divine Life, “the power to live and act under the promptings of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 1266)

The seven gifts are ranked in importance: the Fear of the Lord, Fortitude, Piety, Counsel, Knowledge, Understanding to the highest which is Wisdom. They are “permanent dispositions…(that) make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.” (CCC 1830-31) The Fear of the Lord is perhaps the most unappreciated of them all. It does not mean a terror of being tortured or squashed by a tyrant. But it does begin with the fact that God is just, and He will hold us accountable for how we live our lives.

We are grateful for the fire alarm when a building is burning, because our lives are in danger. Yet somehow people get offended when they are warned of spiritual dangers. St. Padre Pio said about sin: “you should be afraid when you are not afraid anymore.” If eternal suffering is an actual possibility, then we are right to have a dread of it, especially if a person is not living a good life. There is a precedence to God’s mercy in that He longs to forgive, but for a person who refuses to repent there will be condemnation.

Pentecost vitral at Holy Rosary Shrine. Medium view.

Stained glass at Holy Rosary Shrine with a representation of Pentecost.

The phrase “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” appears many times in the Bible. I experienced this myself when I finally turned back to God after years of going astray. I began to see clearly that I would go to hell if I did not stop committing mortal sins. It wasn’t the most noble motive, but it was the beginning of learning to love God. But this “servile’ fear will die away as a person matures and become a “filial” fear, an awe before His Majesty and fearing to offend my Father Whom I love above all things.

Happy Pentecost!
Fr. Peter