by Bill Maloney
This week marks the 52nd consecutive Monday night that Rosary Squad has met to pray the scriptural rosary.
The group has come to embody the four pillars of stewardship — prayer, formation, hospitality and service.
It all started with an invitation. My good friend Randy Salisbury was going through a very difficult time as his wife Lynn was fighting her battle with breast cancer.
Randy invited me to join him in the study of the “Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska.” The two of us made a valiant effort for a couple of weeks. Then, sadly, his wife Lynn passed away. Randy and his family prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet as Lynn went to her eternal rest.
What happened since that time is quite a story. A few weeks after Lynn’s death, Randy once again put his faith into action. He invited a group of five men to meet him for breakfast.
Of course, we all said yes. We wanted to support Randy as best we could. At breakfast, he asked us if we would be open to meeting with him each week to pray the rosary.
Some of us were unsure and a little uncomfortable with the idea, but we all agreed. Our first meeting was scheduled for a Monday night at Randy’s house. We enjoyed some social time and then prayed the rosary.
The following week, the Covid lockdown happened and we shifted our meetings to Zoom. Week by week, through invitation, our group continues to grow. We now have 20 men praying the rosary every Monday night.
The group has grown in other ways as well. Our hospitality is in full swing. Our “social chairman” organizes a “driveway” social once a month so that we can become more acquainted with each other.
We are trying to become more formed in our faith by inviting a guest speaker to join us monthly. We have enjoyed talks from priests, deacons, a wonderful Sister from Iowa and some lay witness talks.
Finally, we participate in a service project every other month by providing dinner to Shalom House.
“As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man” (Prv 27:17). This verse from the Book of Proverbs really sums up this group. Through one man’s suffering, something very glorious has happened.
The past 52 weeks have shown this to be true. The squad has experienced the deaths of a mother, a father and a brother. All have felt the support of the squad while experiencing these difficult times. Randy reminds us often that the glorious mysteries follow the sorrowful mysteries.
The Rosary Squad has certainly been a blessing for me. I have new friends who share my faith and who I know will be offering prayers of support for me when I am in need.
I have also been blessed with a realization of how easy it can be to live a life of stewardship.
It all begins with an invitation and with the courage to say yes to that invitation. Thank you, Randy.
