UST cancels world record attempt

MANILA, Dec. 9, 2010— The University of Santo Tomas (UST) has temporarily dropped its quest to mount the world’s largest “living rosary” but an official said they will try it again next year.

Prof. Giovanna Fontanilla, director of UST’s Office of Student and Public Affairs, cited the lack of time to process and get the approval of the Guinness World Records.

“We realized that it will take quite some time of the process of really working on this world record,” Fontanilla said.

But school official said they are not giving up the plan to put UST on the world map, adding that “nothing is impossible.”

“We are not closing our doors to the possibility of a Guinness World Record. It may not be this event but there might be an event that we will really make it,” she said.

“There’s a process (world record) that you have to undergo… there’s a very detailed process. If we will focus on that then we will have to go through a process,” Fontanilla added.

Although no longer eying for world record, UST students still formed a huge living rosary Wednesday on the feast of the Immaculate Conception to pray and deepen the devotion to the Blessed Mother.

UST students formed the country’s “largest living rosary” Wednesday on the feast of the Immaculate Conception to pray and deepen the devotion to the Blessed Mother.

Around 20,000 participants, mostly college students or 50 percent of the UST population, spread around the campus in different colors making up the beads of the giant rosary.

Those assigned to the Hail Mary beads wore yellow shirts, while those tasked to be the Our Father beads, the Cross and the Center Medal donned blue shirts.

Fontanilla said the event not only marked the feast of the Immaculate Conception but is also celebrated a grand thanksgiving to Our Lady of the Rosary for UST’s 400 years next year.

“This is really a time for us to gather as a family in preparation for 2011,” she added.

They might not be able to get the world record but she said the living rosary was certainly the country’s largest. “We can have a claim on that,” Fontanilla said. (CBCPNews)