In the state most marked by waves of destructive riots, a gathering of a very different nature took place. On June 28, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) organized a Rosary rally in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
The rally was part of an effort by traveling groups of young TFP volunteers to visit all fifty state capitals in America, beseeching God to grant calm, courage, and confidence to the nation that is torn by fear and frenzy.
Rosary Rallies for America
The Minnesotans eagerly responded to the opportunity to pray in public. Over 250 Catholics prayed the Rosary before the State Capitol Building in St. Paul despite the blaze of mid-summer heat. Despite the neo-Marxist agitation promoted by Antifa and the left, Catholics unabashedly proclaimed their Faith in the public square, calling for a true conversion of society as Our Lady requested at Fatima.
The opposition was minimal. Two men filmed the rally, sitting on the pavement, a stone’s throw away. They laughed, cursed and whispered insults into a camera. One pointed at a sign against socialism – an error of Russia mentioned by Our Lady at Fatima– and snickered something vile under his breath.
Warning! A Virus Threatens America’s Future and Christian Civilization
One attendee witnessing the scene remarked to TFP Student Action director John Ritchie saying, “I see the abuse that you endure when you go to campuses. Thank you for putting yourself out there in the fight. I know it’s not easy.”
Another participant said he liked to see “the courage of the people in your organization, especially the fearless youth.”
Rally-goers were much consoled by the presence of a miraculous International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which wept in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972. After the rally, everyone surrounded Our Lady in prayerful admiration and devotion.
All this happened at the same spot where the National Guard entered with Humvees to restore order, shattered by organized bands of rioters. A short distance away was a large but vacant pedestal where rioters tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus. Anti-civilization is the best term to describe the revolution that ravaged the city.
All these dramatic developments were still fresh and very real to the residents attending the rally. The riots helped them become more aware of their role as Catholics to influence events and combat the evils of the times. “Of all states, Minnesota needs this kind of witness the most,” said one prayer warrior.
Fortuitously, the rally in St. Paul was held on the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the city’s patron. May God and His Blessed Mother grant America the grace to convert like a new Saint Paul and help bring the world back to God.