100-bead rosaries were made available for the praying of the 2,000 Hail Marys. [Photo credit: Teny Mardo]
MANDALUYONG City, June 3, 2013—In a marathon prayer session that started at 11 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m., a lay group prayed 2,000 Hail Marys last May 29 calling for an end to abortion.
Though other intentions like the conversion of sinners, healing of the sick and the souls in the Purgatory were included as well, Couples for Christ – Foundation for Family and Life (CFC-FFL) missionary Marie Relucio, who organized the 2,000 Hail Marys, said, it is but “natural” for Catholics to call to end abortion, which remains a hot-button issue worldwide.
“We value life just as God values it and since our community is for family and life, it is always included in our prayers,” she added.
Some 50 members of CFC-FFL, mostly full-time missionaries, gathered at their home office in the Star Mall Complex for a holy mass and the saying of the consecration prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 10 a.m. before the praying of the 2,000 Hail Marys.
“We learned that the 2,000 Hail Mary devotion is a very powerful intercessory prayer, and we wanted to share this devotion to everyone,” according to Teny Mardo, who was also present for the prayer.
She added, the desire to offer the devotional prayer came up among the community’s missionaries who wanted to do something special for the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Marian month of May.
Preparing for June 8 consecration
Mardo, also a missionary, said the 2,000 Hail Marys also kicked off the community’s spiritual preparations for the June 8 national consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“We want to take the initiative of doing this as missionaries in order to encourage others to also consciously make an effort for their individual preparation for the national event on June 8,” she explained further.
Other CFC-FFL missionaries who were out on mission in the provinces or in other countries were also encouraged to join in the prayer whenever they got the chance.
Other members also texted to say that they were joining in the prayer even if they could not be physically present at the venue.
The group’s only break was at 12 noon and at 6 p.m. to pray the Angelus, and at 3 p.m. to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The group ended the 2,000 Hail Marys by saying the rosary again.
Mardo says, this is probably not the last time CFC-FFL will pray the 2,000 Hail Marys.
“As it became a very spirit-filled experience for the participants, it is most likely that we will do this again and again, as a group or even individually,” she said. [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
