Our Lady of the Lake’s light shines brightly during annual living rosary

By Kim Roberts
Kids' Clarion

Every October, the students at Our Lady of the Lake School in Mandeville participate in a living rosary. Over the years, the living rosary has taken on different forms, including a balloon release and a virtual rosary during COVID-19. Since COVID, the school now makes a chain of luminaries to light the students’ way while reciting the rosary.

“As we pray the rosary, with each prayer, a student lights a luminary and at the end, the entire rosary is lit up and we sing ‘This Little Light of Mine,’” said Assistant Principal Alice Snee. “We have students sitting in the shape of the rosary and they’re placing the lights while the guests are reading those first few prayers. And then, by the time we get to the first mystery, it’s entirely students doing the rest of the reading.” 

The luminaries are tiny little globes with pull tabs that are easy to light. Snee hands the luminary to each student, who pulls the tab and places it in a luminary bag so that it looks like a large candle.

“The students get so excited when they turn the luminaries on,” she said. “We hold the event in the gym so we have enough room to accommodate the entire student body and invited guests. All of the windows are covered, and the lights are turned off so everyone can get the full effect of the rosary.”

The entire school, consisting of 800 students, participates in this activity with the seventh graders serving as readers for each of the mysteries and assisting with the younger students as they carry and place their luminaries. Approximately 107 children are involved in some way with the rosary, which takes about 40 minutes from beginning to end.

“Our patron saint is Mary and we have a lot of events honoring her throughout the year,” Snee said. “This is a beautiful event, and many people have said it is one of their favorites of the year. They love the reverence of the children. Hearing them pray together and form the rosary is breathtaking.”

Lindsay Bellina, a parent and third-grade teacher, said the living rosary is one of her favorite events at the school.

“I look forward to it because I can feel the presence of Our Lord in the room – just like it says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,’” she said. “The rosary brings me to a place of peace where, no matter what I am feeling or thinking, I know that God is there to guide me.” 

“I think it’s incredible to witness the students of every grade level come together and actively participate in such a beautiful event. It shows our faith in action and instills a feeling of community,” she added. “This year was even more special because my daughter was chosen as one of the prayer leaders.”

In addition to the students, the school also invites the Catholic high schools on the Northshore to send a representative to participate in the rosary.

“We invite the high schools every year, and they always send a representative which is really beautiful because the kids get excited because they have special guests to participate with them,” Snee said.     

For Elsie Green, seventh grader and student council president, having an active role in the living rosary was something she always wanted while attending Our 
Lady of the Lake.
    
“This year, as student council president, I was able to open the whole event,” she said. “The feeling was very special. Meditating on the mysteries of the rosary makes me feel very relaxed and comforted. The Luminous Mysteries are my favorite ones because they make me feel very close to Jesus and Mary, Our Mother, and the living rosary lets us come together as a school community in Jesus’ name. It is a special, faith-filled event.” 

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