Florida Catholic | The Many Faces Of Mary

The many faces of Mary

The annual May festival to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary is filled with traditions from around the world.

LINDA REEVES | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PALM BEACH BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 04.25.08

Dr. Jeanne Go of Ascension Parish in Boca Raton participates in the Marian Festival at Emmanuel in Delray Beach last year.
LINDA REEVES | FC FILE

Marian Rosary Festival

When: Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m.

Where: Emmanuel Parish, 15700 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach.

Schedule: Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito will preside and lead rosary recitation. Procession of images of Mary, Benediction, multicultural fiesta of food, entertainment. Participants are reminded that there will be no Mass celebrated during this event.
For more information:
561-775-9539.

DELRAY BEACH | Local Catholics come together annually in May, a month when mothers everywhere are honored, to show affection and respect for the Blessed Mother during the annual diocesan Marian Rosary Festival.

This year’s event is planned for May 4 at Emmanuel Parish in Delray Beach and everyone is invited to join in prayer to honor Mary.

The festival, which began in the 1970s as the International Rosary Festival, is a family event and an opportunity for people to learn about many devotions to Mary from around the world, such as Our Lady of Knock from Ireland, Our Lady of Snows from Italy and Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico.

Over the years, the event has grown from one image of Our Lady of Fatima and 25 participants processing on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach to hundreds of participants expressing their great love for the Blessed Mother.

“The main point of the day is to remind (everyone) of Mary’s holiness, loyalty and obedience to God,” said Margaret Owers, a coordinator in the diocesan Liturgy Office, who has directed the event for the past five years at different parishes.

This is the second consecutive year the festival will be held on Emmanuel Parish’s sprawling grounds, which include gardens, a big lake and a quarter-mile rosary path.

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito will preside at the event, which begins at 2 p.m.

Traditionally, there is a grand procession with participants from different parishes and groups representing different countries. Many dress in colorful, traditional clothing stemming from homelands and regions from around the world.

“We were there last year,” said Aurea Tomeski, who attended with a group from the Philippines. “I am looking forward to this year’s festival. We wear clothing from our country.”

One of the main features of the festival are the images of Mary on display.

“Mother of Mercy is our theme,” said Owers. “We will have close to 30 icons and groups.”

Participants bring displays decorated with fresh flowers and candles that hold statues, pictures and other icons of the Blessed Mother. The images are in all forms, shapes and sizes representing Marian devotions from places as far away as England, Germany and Vietnam.

Thanh Ngoc Le, participating this year with his large group and favorite icon, Our Lady of Lavang, said, “I do hope it shows to different ethnic communities how devoted the Vietnamese people are when they have a chance to honor Our Lady of Lavang.”

The Vietnamese assembly was the largest of the groups participating in the festival last year, and might be the biggest group this year. The members are easily spotted in traditional silk clothing and multicolored umbrellas.

“We will have about 100 people there,” said Le, a member of Ascension Parish.

“We have the Our Lady of the Barangay,” said Tomeski about her group’s Mary icon, which is linked to the popular devotion of the Philippines.

Bishop Barbarito traditionally is part of the procession. He also leads recitation of the rosary said in many languages.

Ceremonies include the crowning of a Blessed Mother statue on the grounds of Emmanuel.

“Bishop Barbarito will give his talk to the participants and it will be followed by the Benediction, which will take place on the permanent outside altar,” said Erlinda Longalong-Coz, a festival committee member and parishioner of Emmanuel, who is helping with the planning.

Last year, Emmanuel opened the parish kitchen and served casual food at the end of the festival, and there was song, music and dance.

“This year’s event will be a little different from last year,” said Longalong-Coz, “We will only say two decades of the rosary, and we will be serving more than hot dogs and hamburgers this year.

“This year we will have a multicultural fiesta of food and entertainment,” she said. “We will have some Italian, American and Filipino foods.”

As for entertainment, “Filipino youths will perform,” Longalong-Coz said. “A Vietnamese group will dance.”

This year’s festival is shaping up nicely, according to Owers. Groups and parishioners with images interested in joining the procession are asked to contact the Office of Liturgy.

Because the event is outside, comfortable, cool clothing is a must and drinking water is essential. An umbrella is something that many used last year to block out the rays of the sun. And most important of all, remember to bring a rosary.

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