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Last year, on Tuesday, June 17, nearly 1,000 lay faithful and clergy joined me for a peaceful "Rosary Walk."

The gathering assembled at historic St. Mary's Church at 10 Lodge Street in Albany and, after an opening prayer, we started our walk -- encircling the Capitol, the legislative center of our state, and concluding with prayer and benediction upon return.

The purpose was just to pray for a movement of hearts in becoming aware of the value of all human lives, especially the most vulnerable and defenseless. Very simple.

Through the tremendous generosity of the Knights of Columbus and many lay volunteers, we were able to arrange for the publicity, planning and general good order of the prayer walk.

On Thursday, May 28, beginning at 6 p.m. in St. Mary's Church, we are looking forward to this prayerful experience again.

Last year, a particular urgency spurring the walk was the threat to innocent lives posed by the imminent passage of legislation introducing late-term abortions into our state. That did not happen, but we must continue to pray now for all of those caught up in the vicious cycle of hopelessness which leads to a devaluing of all human lives by marginalizing those most vulnerable.

The tradition of coming together to pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother to come to the aid of families and individuals increasingly isolated from family has deep roots in Albany. Rev. Patrick Peyton, CSC, a priest born in Ireland, started the "Family Rosary Crusade" after World War II in our Diocese. While he was serving as chaplain for the Holy Cross Brothers at the Vincentian Institute on Madison Avenue in Albany, he began what was to become an international movement of Catholic laity.

Its family-centered focus, in keeping with our strong ecumenical tradition, also inspired many non-Catholics, including a publisher who helped promote the slogan, "The family that prays together, stays together." What better way to prepare for the World Meeting of Families in September of this year than to honor our homegrown heritage of the Family Rosary?

In 2002, His Holiness St. St. John Paul II wrote very personally of his own life-changing experiences through the practice of praying the most holy Rosary. In recent years, there has been a renewal of appreciation for the power of the Rosary to lead us to a deeper personal relationship with Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

As the Holy Father explained in his letter, the Rosary is entirely centered on Jesus. Pope John Paul himself introduced a fourth set of mysteries of the Rosary: the Luminous Mysteries, which focus on key events in the life of Christ that illuminate His relationship with the Church.

Essentially, the Rosary is a deeply Scriptural prayer, inviting meditation on the life of Christ. The prayers themselves are largely drawn from Scripture -- not only the "Our Father," the prayer Jesus taught us, but also the "Hail Mary," which contains the words spoken to her by the angel Gabriel and by St. Elizabeth, her cousin, who announced what Jesus, the center of the prayer, and Mary's role would be. I would invite anyone who is unable to join us physically May 28 to pray the Rosary wherever and with whomever you are that evening. Keep in mind all those who are suffering from loneliness, alienation or a sense of being left out the embrace of God's mercy. Pray that their hearts may be touched with a deep sense of God's tender love and that the Lord will move your own heart to reach out to anyone around you who may be in need of a listening, caring presence.

May I also suggest, if it is not yet your practice, to find a time and a place to pray the Rosary together on a regular basis. Lighthouse Catholic Media has a wonderful talk on the meaning and power of the Rosary. It is called "Praying the Rosary Like Never Before" by Dr. Edward Sri, and it delivers on what it says. You can download it instantly as an MP3 for $3.50 from the website (www.Iighthousecatholicmedia.org). You won't be disappointed!

(Follow the Bishop at www.facebook.com/AlbanyBishopEd and on Twitter @AlbBishopEd.)

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