An annual multilingual rosary unites the faithful to pray for migrants and refugees
By Emily Booker
It was an evening of sacred prayer, inspiring song, and joyful celebration as faithful Catholics, representing dozens of cultures and backgrounds, gathered to pray for migrants and refugees at the fourth annual multilingual rosary.
The Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry hosted the rosary event at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville on Oct. 3, preceding the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Oct. 5.
The annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees emphasizes the positive contributions and inherent hope of migrants and refugees. Before he passed away, Pope Francis chose “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope” as this year’s theme.
The Diocese of Knoxville multilingual rosary celebrates the diverse backgrounds of the diocese and offers prayers for those uprooted from their homes.
Father Peter Iorio leads a Hail Mary in Portuguese. (Photo Emily Booker)
“This is a rosary that gathers everyone, in particular, the immigrant individuals and families present in our diocese, in this case, the ones in the Knoxville area, to pray together as brothers and sisters to commemorate National Migration Week that ends with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and this year, also, with the Jubilee of Migrants,” said Blanca Primm, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry.
Bishop Mark Beckman welcomed the participants, with Deacon Fredy Vargas translating the bishop’s words into Spanish.
“Good evening. It is good to welcome you to our cathedral church tonight. The many voices of God’s people will be represented here tonight, as at Pentecost. All the languages of humanity are beautiful to God, and so are you.”
Each section of the rosary, such as the Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, and Hail Mary, was prayed in different languages. Nearly 20 languages were represented, including Akateko, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
“It was beautiful to hear prayers in languages that are not familiar to us and to know that somewhere close and far, there are people and communities that pray the same prayers we do,” Mrs. Primm said.
After each decade, a song was performed from a different culture. A Korean choir sang a song expressing the words of a Korean martyr, while a Swahili choir sang two Marian tunes, “We Thank You Mom Maria” and “Mother Mary.” A Spanish choir sang about Christ’s love for His people and His creation in “Donde Nace la Flor.” A bilingual choir sang the last song, “We Are the Body of Christ,” in both English and Spanish and encouraged the faithful to sing along.
At the end of the rosary, the Salve Regina was prayed in Latin.
After the conclusion of the rosary, there was a special prayer for migrants and refugees: “Loving Father, we pray that you provide your divine protection to all migrants, especially those who are driven from their home due to war or violence, who are uprooted due to environmental degradation and climate change, or whose material poverty pushes them to find opportunities elsewhere. Show us how we might reach out to these vulnerable populations and help them to begin a new life in a new home. Open our hearts so that we may provide hospitality for all who come in search of refuge. Give us the courage to welcome every stranger as Christ in our midst.”
“We lifted up our prayers to God for all immigrants, refugees, and displaced persons in our country and around the world. We prayed for their safety on every journey, for strength in every trial, and for hope in the face of fear and uncertainty. We prayed for peace,” Mrs. Primm said.
She also expressed her gratitude to all who participated in the gathering.
“I am very grateful to Bishop Beckman, Father Peter Iorio (pastor of Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa, who led prayer in Portuguese), and Deacon Fredy Vargas for their participation and accompaniment. Everyone was happy to pray the rosary as a community with them.
“I think this year there were more people in the audience, as well as more volunteers saying the intentions, reciting the prayers, and singing.”
Following the rosary, a reception with international foods was held at the Chancery, where people shared stories of favorite customs and foods from their home countries. Guests feasted on tamales, pupusas, chicken biryani, chickpea pilaf, Vietnamese eggrolls, Korean fried chicken, mandazi bread, Indonesian mie goreng, and more. There were also Brazilian, Mexican, Peruvian, and Arabic desserts.