• Holy Rosary Shrine - Santuario del Santo Rosario
    Holy Rosary Shrine - Santuario del Santo Rosario

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Come, Contemplate with Mary the Face of Christ

Holy Rosary Shrine is dedicated to fostering union with Jesus through Our Blessed Mother and her Holy Rosary. Central to our mission is beautiful and reverent worship, preaching His Word, devotional and evangelization events, and service to those in need. Staffed by the Franciscans of the Poor Christ, we offer extended hours for the Sacrament of Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, retreat days and Franciscan and Marian spiritual formation. The Shrine has a rich history of being home to many different ethnic groups in the "Immigrant City" of Lawrence, Massachusetts which continues to this day.

Confession Times

Confession Times

Information about confession times and days and how to make a good confession.

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How to Pray the Rosary

How to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary Center & Confraternity. Promoting devotion to the Rosary for more than 500 years.

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Rosarium Virginis Mariae

Rosarium Virginis Mariae

Letter from St. John Paul II about the importance of the Holy Rosary.

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From the Friars: The Salvation of Israel

Currently we are reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans during the Sunday Masses. For three weeks this month we will hear from chapters 9 through 11, which deal with the salvation of Israel. These chapters are difficult to understand, even for prominent Scripture scholars. But it is a timely and important topic, especially because of the recent rise in antisemitism, which the Church condemns completely.

The first point to clarify is that when St. Paul speaks of “the rejection” of the Israelites he is referring to the fact that most Jews had not accepted Jesus as the Messiah. It does not mean that God has rejected His chosen people, which the apostle emphatically states is not the case in vv. 11:1-2. But even though “the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable,” it likewise does not mean that there are somehow two paths to salvation, one for Christians and one for Jews.

There are several covenants in the Old Testament. There are often broken by men which brings covenant curses, but God remains faithful. And all these sacred alliances have their fulfillment in the New and Everlasting Covenant that Jesus established. The Jews are in a unique situation in that they follow a legitimate covenant but have failed, for the most part, to believe in the Messiah whom all the old law pointed to.

Saint Paul

Paul Writing His Epistles, by Valentin de Boulogne – Public Domain, Link

The Second Vatican Council strongly emphasized respectful dialogue with our Jewish brothers and sisters, and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993. During the Jubilee Year 2000, St. John Paul II made an official apology for any offenses against Jews committed by Catholics over the centuries. The Church intentionally does not have an official evangelization effort aimed at converting Jews. This being said, the truth remains that Jesus Christ is the universal mediator of salvation and “there is no other name under heaven give to men by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Charity demands that we strive to share the great gift of our Faith with everyone, including Jewish people, when and how it may be appropriate. Reading Romans 9-11 makes clears the great love that St. Paul had for his people and how he longed for their salvation.

May Our Jewish Mother in Heaven help us to imitate his holy zeal.

Shalom.
Fr. Peter