Recitation of the Rosary

As a Parish consecrated to Mary the Mother of God the pious devotion of the Rosary is most fundamental to the parish of Katukurunda. The Rosary is recited both in groups and as a congregation daily and weekly in the Church at St. Mary’s Katukurunda. Prior to every weekday Mass and especially on Wednesday before the novena the five-decade Rosary is recited. Even before the Sunday Masses the Rosary is recited solemnly as a congregation in preparation for Mass.

The recitation of the twenty-decade Rosary is customarily practiced on the 13^th day of every month in both the Churches. Why on the 13^th of every month? For the major apparitions at Fatima, our Blessed Mother appeared each time on the 13^th of the month. At every apparition Our Lady directed us to pray the Rosary, from the first on May 13, to the final on Oct. 13. At that Oct. 13 apparition she identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. And October is the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary. It was in the 13^th century that Our Lady gave St. Dominic the Rosary. And it was again in the 13^th century that she also gave St. Simon Stock the brown scapular.

On Oct. 13 at Fatima Our Lady appeared in three titles — one of which was Our Lady of Mount Carmel, silently teaching us about the scapular. Years later, when asked by Carmelite friars about the scapular, Lucia told them that “the scapular and the Rosary are inseparable. The scapular is a sign of consecration to Our Lady. Of course, at Fatima Our Lady came to bring us to Jesus. One of the way was through receiving the Holy Eucharist. Such is a major part of the Five First Saturdays devotion. Which brings another “13” connection.  May 13, the date of her first appearance, was the original feast of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. Surely this date was not randomly chosen but was purposely pointing to the Holy Eucharist.

Remember, Our Lady with the Apostles comprised 13 people in the room when the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost. Not only were there the 12 Apostles with Mary, but looking back, there were 12 tribes of Israel— and here’s how 13 comes in. The 12 tribes from the 12 sons of Jacob, who became Israel, “are bonded into their father Israel [Jacob]. Israel is the 13^th. The meaning of the number 13 is the bonding of many into one. In Hebrew every letter has a numeric value, and the Hebrew word ahava (which means love, as in the Bible in the New Testament) is connected with God and has a numerical value of 13. At Fatima Mary came in love to bond us all in the love of God, into the one family of God headed for heaven. Rosary is the bead of unity that keeps us united and bonded to God.

The twenty decades of the Holy Rosary is recited on the 13^th of every month both in St. Mary’s Church, Katukurunda and St. Joseph Vaz Church, Modera in the evening from 3:00 pm onwards. At St. Mary’s Church, Katukurunda, there’s to be found a giant wooden Rosary hanging from the choir loft in the rear end of the nave on to the left side of the main door. It is a beautiful piece of art reminding the people the most powerful spiritual weapon in the armory of a devout Catholic.