The Holy Rosary Convocation

October is a very important month in the life of St. Simeon Skete. 



 It is, by tradition, the Month of the Holy Rosary.  

The Sixteenth Annual HOLY ROSARY CONVOCATION was held the first weekend of October with the Pilgrimage occurring on Saturday, October 6th.   Sunday, October 7th is the “Feast of the Most Holy Rosary”  - so the weekend is extremely special to us here at the Skete. 

The three-stranded Prayer Rope of St. Simeon Skete (of which the Jesus Life Rosary is the third strand) constitutes the very essence of religion and the environment in which that essence can be best given expression.  

This Years Convocation’s theme was “The Rosary as Place”. 

The themes for the Rosary as Place, a cosmology* of place for the following years 2012 through 2015 are as follows: 

• Invocation - 2012
• Revelation - 2013
• Declaration -2014
• Incarnation - 2015

• The definition of Cosmology is for our understanding, a spiritual discipline that seeks to understand the origin evolution and structure of place and the spiritual laws that keep it in order. 

As is the custom, we begin the Rosary Pilgrimage (always the Saturday nearest to the Rosary Feast day of October 7th) with prayers from the Chapel at St. Simeon Skete, 



the cars are loaded and the journey begins.  

Its not a quick drive, but a long scenic route.  



Pilgrimages are about making an effort, not conveniences but having to put forth a sacrifice. 

Our first stop is at the Ohio River. 



A beautiful sight.  



Here we said the preparatory prayers of the Jesus Life Rosary.   

Back into our cars we make our way to the parish of St. Augustine 



where we say the first set of mysteries - the Joyous Mysteries.  



We look for the familiar remembrances of landmarks along the way.



 “Oh yes, there is the old bridge... we’re almost there”. 

We were surprised to find the church decorated and a Wedding about to take place.   



There was time for the Mysteries to be said and we left the sanctuary just as the Wedding Party begin to arrive.  



The Bride and Groom will never know that we were there and bathed the chapel in prayer just before they said their marriage vows. 

Malarica and Savannah opened the Mysteries by bringing forth the Lighted Candle.  

Once we completed the Joyous Mysteries, 








we took in a bit of the beauty of St. Augustine’s grounds 



and then we were off to the Shrine of St. Joseph.  The route to this shrine is filled with beautiful signs of Autumn 



and a few deer in our path 



- as well as a few peacocks.  

The second set of Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries were recited at the St. Joseph Shrine.  

The Fall time is such a beautiful time for this pilgrimage and it enhances the journey.  

Next stop (my favorite) is The Shrine of Our Lady of Monte Cassino.   



The little chapel is perfect with hand painted frescos 



and its stone walls.   

 

Fr. Tim Butler led us in the Sorrowful Mysteries 

and gave us a talk on what the rosary means to him.  

Its been almost 4 hours since 



we left the skete and we are hungry.  



Its picnic time.  

A little time for fellowship, 



a sandwich and chips 



and then we are traveling again.  



This time a short distance to the Archabbey of St. Meinrad.  

As you approach the Archabbey it is as though you’ve been transported to ancient England.   

We quietly said the Glorious Mysteries to ourselves (so as not to disturb the others in the church) as we walked around inside the sanctuary.  

The grounds of St Meinrad’s Archabbey are exquisite and their gardens have a whimsical flare to them.  



Giving us a little glimpse into the lives of the monks,



 it is easy to see that they don’t take themselves to seriously.  

God - they take seriously, themselves, not so much.  

A quick visit into the Abbey Press Gift shop and we are ready for the long drive back to the skete.  



Its been a long day but oh so wonderful.