The Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven. Hannah Rison, eighth grade, St. Mary's School, Bryantown, Maryland
In October, the Church celebrates in a special way the rosary, in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, whose feast day we celebrate on Oct. 7. For the October Junior Saints, students from throughout the Archdiocese of Washington drew and wrote about their favorite decades of the rosary and how praying the rosary can help them learn from and imitate the lives of Jesus and Mary.
The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. “My favorite mystery of the rosary is the Annunciation. I really admire Mary's strength in that situation." Leilah Shell, eighth grade, St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie, Maryland The Third Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning of Thorns. “My favorite mystery of the rosary is the crowning of thorns. It shows how much Jesus loved and cared for us. And when he went through all of this pain it showed his devotion and willingness to die for our sins." Kai Jackson, eighth grade, Saint Pius Regional School, Bowie, MarylandThe Second Joyful Mystery, the Visitation. “We should pray the rosary because it helps us to get closer to Mary and Jesus. Praying helps us build a relationship, but this one in particular helps us build a relationship with Mary.” Makayla Hamilton, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, MarylandThe Fifth Luminous Mystery, the Last Supper and Institution of the Eucharist. “With me, I learned patience and self-control from Mary and Jesus. If I haven't learned, then hopefully I can soon, from Mary especially. She could've easily been upset with God that she was suddenly having a child. Instead, she accepted His will. I honestly wish I had that kind of control over my own emotions. Though, I still want to get bettter at this and follow Jesus' example and Mary's. And I know I will get there, eventually.” - Jordyn Cabellon, seventh grade, Saint Pius X Regional School, Bowie, MarylandThe Third Sorrowful Mystery, The Crowning of Thorns. “When we pray the rosary, we take a moment to reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for not only ourselves, but for every living creature on earth. We take time out of our lives to love and worship God. By following the example of Mary and Jesus, we can learn to be courageous and filled with faith. We can learn to love God with all our heart and soul.” - Kaylana Padre, sixth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, MDThe Fifth Glorious Mystery, The Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven. - Grace Wilcox, sixth grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings, Maryland The First Joyful Mystery, The Annunciation. “One night the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in her sleep. Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to God's only Son. She would marry Joseph and go to Bethlehem. There she will give birth and Follow the star it will lead you to Bethlehem.” - Elise McDonald, fourth grade, St. Mary's School, Bryantown, Maryland The First Luminous Mystery, The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. “My favorite mystery of the rosary is the Luminous Mysteries when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. By praying the rosary we ask God how to apply the events in the mysteries to your life. By following Mary and Jesus' example, we learn to be compassionate, kind, and selfless.” - Katelynn Holden, eighth grade, St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie, MDThe Third Sorrowful Mystery, The Crowning of Thorns. “I learned that you can get closer to God by praying the rosary." Holly Mott, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, MDThe Third Joyful Mystery, The Nativity. - Jim Oster, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Solomons, MD The Third Glorious Mystery, The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost “When you pray the rosary you can learn that praying is a lot more important than you think. When I pray I feel safe and relieved. If we live up to Mary and Jesus' example we can see beauty in all life and go to heaven.” Joshua Xavier, fifth grade, Saint Augustine Catholic School, Washington The Fifth Luminous Mystery, The Last Supper and Institution of the Eucharist. “I chose this mystery because it reminded me of how he was going to die for us. So no matter who you are, God still loves us in every way and he will always have a place in our hearts," Jenna Forgeng, third grade, Cardinal Hickey Academy, Owings, MD The Third Joyful Mystery: The Nativity “You can learn that when you pray the rosary, Jesus and Mary love you and you can let them into your heart. You can also learn that through God all things are possible and nothing is impossible. When I pray the rosary, I know that Jesus and Mary are closer to me. I have learned that Jesus is always there for me and he listens to my prayers.” - Emily Talbott, fourth grade, Blessed Sacrament School, Washington
