February 25, 2009

Rosary CD helps kids pray

Third-graders learn rosary with CD featuring music, prayers of St. Alphonsus

By John Gleason

For several months now, third grade students at Annunciation School in Denver have been learning to pray the rosary in a unique way.   The selected method of learning has been to pray along with a CD released last year titled, “Praying the Rosary with St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori.”  

The CD, released by the Redemptorists, the religious order St. Alphonsus founded 275 years ago, contains the saint’s musical compositions played as background to the rosary as well as 20 meditations also written by St. Alphonsus.

Annunciation principal Sister Jean Panisko, S.C.L., said the unique way of learning has proven a great success for the students.

“For months the CD has been used as part of the religion curriculum,” Sister Panisko said.  “And it’s been wonderful seeing them pray together.  They wanted to show what they had learned and share what it meant to learn the rosary through this wonderful method.”

On Feb. 20, Redemptorist Father Robert Halter visited the third graders to lead the students in recitation of the rosary.  The event was filmed by Bruce Crane, communications and public relations manager for the Redemptorists’ Denver Province.

“The students found out about ‘Praying the Rosary with St. Alphonsus’ from a volunteer at the school,” he said.  “These kids worked so hard, and we were so taken with the idea that we decided to come over and have Father Bob lead the children as they pray along with the rosary.”

For the students, learning to pray the rosary in this fashion was a nice departure from the traditional way.  At least that’s the opinion of 9-year-old Vincente Mendoza.

“Learning with the CD has been fun,” he said. “It helps me keep my place and it’s different from just sitting at a desk and working.  I think what I like best is how I feel when we’re finished.  I feel very calm.”

Kiara Johnson, 8, called praying the rosary “exciting.”

“I’ve never done this before,” she said.  “I pray for my friends or for help with a problem. It’s so different.”

Armando Palacios, 9, really liked the idea of hearing music that not only was 300 years old, but had been composed by a saint.

“The music is different than what’s on the radio,” he said.  “We started learning about three months ago and now we can say the rosary without the CD, but we still like to use it if we can.”

“Praying the Rosary with St. Alphonsus,” is available online at littlelambmusic.com or by calling 800-231-1207. The Redemptorists recently released a Lenten CD, “Praying the Way of the Cross,” narrated by Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson.  Proceeds from the sale of both CDs support the work of the Redemptorist missions in Brazil and Nigeria.