Discover the Difference: Month of the Rosary

by Diocese of Des Moines | October 12, 2022

By St. Pius X Catholic School Administrator Alex Baranosky

I have been enjoying hearing rosary stories from friends and colleagues. It is apparent that this prayer, this meditation, this intentional act - the rosary - is present and active around us all!

How wonderful!

Over the past week, I’ve had the chance to pray the rosary (well, at least a decade) in different locations with different groups of people. Last Wednesday, our students and teachers prayed a decade following Mass, and with us were parents, parishioners, and strangers. Yet we were all united by this prayer. Then, I was able to join in prayer with my fellow diocesan administrators at our monthly meeting; again, the rosary united us all. 

Father John Ricardo offers this introduction to the first joyful mystery (the traditional mystery prayed on Monday) The Annunciation.“On a real day, in a dumpy little town in the middle nowhere quite frankly, the all-powerful God of heaven and earth, the one who created all that is seen and unseen, sent an angel to a young girl to change the history of the world forever. This is the day sun began to shine again. The day when God broke onto the stage that is human history by becoming flesh in the womb of that young girl. So let us ask the Holy Spirit to bring us there now to that little house to see what Mary saw, to smell the many smells in a Middle Eastern home, to hear to the voice of Gabriel speaking.” (p. 63-64). You can read more from Father John Ricardo on this mystery and more in his book Learning to Trust from Mary: Meditations on the Rosary.

This reflection had me pondering the rosary and the many locations I’ve prayed it over the years. The work of God in my own life in different spots, at different times, with different people are all united by the rosary prayer.

This month, I decided to start wearing a rosary bracelet. My thought was that this could allow me to pause and pray whenever needed. (It also came in handy at that diocesan meeting!) It has allowed me to pray in one of the places I see and feel God the most: outdoors and with my son, Otto. So, as a challenge for the month of the rosary, we bundled up, found our most two-year-old-friendly rosary, and set out for a walking rosary on the trails near our house. It was not perfect, but it sure was prayerful and peaceful. 

My challenge for you this week is to find a spot, maybe a new or maybe an old spot, and take the time to pray the rosary. Like Mary on that day of the annunciation - see what God has for us, smell the many smells, and hear the voice of God in your own life. 

Alex Baranosky is a school administrator at St. Pius X Catholic School in Urbandale. He earned a Master of Science in Educational Leadership degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Drake University in Des Moines. Baranosky also holds his Specialist in Education, EdS.  As a leader in Catholic education, he has initiated and facilitated mentorships, professional development, and faith formation programs for faculty and staff at St. Pius X. 

"The greatest joy in leading a Catholic school is sharing and growing in our faith," said Baranosky. 

St. Pius X Catholic School, founded in 1956, serves students in preschool through eighth grade. Building on the foundation of Catholic values, St. Pius X Catholic School provides students the opportunity for spiritual growth, the development of moral character, and academic success. To learn more visit stpiusxurbandale.org/school.