Silver Rose comes to local churches

A symbol of a miracle that occurred in Mexico more than 400 years ago will be making its way to three local Catholic churches Saturday and Sunday.

Keith Missey will escort the Silver Rose to three churches in the Knights of Columbus 43 area.

On Saturday, it will be at St. James Parish in Potosi at 8 a.m. and at St. Joseph Church-Bonne Terre at 4 p.m. It will be at St. Joachim Parish at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

In 1960, the Columbian Squires, a youth organization of the Knights of Columbus, decided Our Lady of Guadalupe had done so much for her people in Mexico that they wanted to give something back to her.

The group of young men in Knights of Columbus Council 2312 in Monterrey, Mexico, came up with the idea of running a rose to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico. The rose was chosen to commemorate Juan Diego and the 1531 miracle of the roses, an important part of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The first rose was a natural rose and was blessed by Bishop John C. Cody of London. It was then flown to New York where it was received by Grand Knight Joseph Thomasen, who in turn took it to Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart. Hart then shepherded the rose to Dallas, Texas. There, Texas State Deputy Jack Collerin received the rose and took it to Laredo, Texas, where it was finally given to the Squires from Monterrey, Mexico, at the International Bridge in Laredo.

They ran the rose from the International Bridge through Sabinas Hidalgo N.L., Mexico, to Cienega de Flores and on to the Basilica in Monterrey, Mexico, on December 12, 1960.

The rose was replaced with a silver rose. It now is meant to honor not only Our Lady of Guadalupe but also the sanctity of human life.

Today, multiple roses run along different North American routes from Canada to Mexico through 47 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces before meeting in Laredo, Texas.

Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a service consisting of praying the Rosary, along with readings and reflections for Knights, parishioners and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe.