Portsmouth students honor Our Lady of Fatima

On May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, students at Portsmouth Notre Dame elementary school and adults from the area gathered at Holy Redeemer Church for a rosary procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The rosary was led by Father Brian Beal, pastor of the four-parish consortium in Scioto County, and included priests from the area and children from the school. They processed outdoors behind a statue of Our Lady of Fatima donated by the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters that was carried on a platform constructed by a parishioner and decorated with flowers by Sister Soledad Sauzameda, LIHM.

Children who did not have rosaries of their own were provided one and the older people who had come to participate sat in the park next to the parish to join in praying the rosary during the procession. An ice cream social followed the rosary. 

Portsmouth Notre Dame High School students were unable to participate because of exams, but organizers are hoping to hold another procession and rosary on Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

“I feel that it is so important to teach our children how powerful a weapon the rosary is against the evils of this world,” said Jane Brown, one of the organizers and a Holy Redeemer parishioner. “If we get our children in the habit of saying and understanding the rosary, then we will have lifetime promoters of the rosary.”