DEAR EDITOR: One of the main prayers used in our Church is the Holy Rosary. The innovations taking place in our faith may be necessary but this is no reason why we should neglect knowing about the rosary, nor saying it regularly.

Given to St Dominic by Our Blessed Lady, the rosary has maintained its place over the years as a simple yet outstanding prayer said by Catholics worldwide.

Here in Trinidad and Tobago , the Dominican order, priests and nuns, have joined with other religious and laity in keeping the prayerfulness of the rosary alive.

Even so, could more be done in promoting the saying of the rosary? As we celebrate the feast of St Dominic (August 8) we could look afresh at our devotion to Our Blessed Lady and the rosary.

Our Archbishops never neglected the promotion of the rosary. As far back as August 15, 1943 the feast of the Assumption of Mary, the Archdiocese of Port of Spain was dedicated to Our Blessed Lady by the then Archbishop of Port of Spain, Count Finbar Ryan OP. The prayerful event took place at the Laventille shrine.

Former Archbishop Anthony Pantin never missed an opportunity to honour Our Blessed Lady. His cherished hymn to her was O Sanctissima, O Piissima.

Most of the antiphons sung by the monks at the Abbey church at Mt St Benedict give honour to Mary. Despite the turmoil about us, we could ask ourselves if we have our rosary and are we saying it? On the feast of St Dominic, let us join together in wishing our Dominican priests and religious sisters, “Happy feast day!” And where possible say the words of the traditional hymn:

“O glorious father St Dominic, hear thou thy children's holy prayer; great favourite of the Queen of Heaven, take us 'neath thy loving care”. Dear reader, do you have your rosary and are you saying it?

Edward Persaud
Santa Cruz