ROGERS — The Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose Program — “the Running of the Rose” — occurred in 20 churches around Arkansas this fall, with members of the Knights of Columbus acting as guides.
The international event began in Canada in May and will conclude Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico City. The program includes runners or drivers carrying a life-size silver rose from Canada through 10 states to Monterrey, Mexico. Stops are made throughout the trip to hold prayers services and Masses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The silver rose came to Arkansas Oct. 18 with its first event in Horseshoe Bend. It also made stops in Jonesboro, Wynne, Pine Bluff, Benton, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Little Rock, Jacksonville, Heber Springs, North Little Rock, Russellville, Charleston, Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Springdale.
Adrian Dominguez, Knights of Columbus district deputy for Rogers, Bentonville and Bella Vista said, “I am very honored to have the ‘Running of the Rose’ in all parishes with active councils here in Arkansas. Having the silver rose as the symbol of the Knights’ commitment to the pro-life cause and having Our Lady of Guadalupe claimed as the patroness of the pro-life movement for our order brings all councils united in one cause — the dignity of life from conception to natural death.”
The last three events of the program took place in northwest Arkansas before the silver rose was delivered to Oklahoma to continue on to its final destination. On Thursday, Nov. 4, St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers held a bilingual evening service of an hour of adoration. On Nov. 5, the services included a noon Mass at St. Stephen Church in Bentonville. The Silver Rose program concluded Nov. 6 with a morning Mass at St. Bernard Church in Bella Vista. At each event, members of the Knights of Columbus honor guard accompanied the silver rose.
In his homily at the St. Stephen Church, pastor Msgr. Scott Marczuk explained the ancient tradition of the blessing of roses by the popes to present as gifts to Marian shrines in Europe. These natural roses were soon recreated in gold by famous artists of that period. Today the tradition continues through creation of the silver roses by Mexican artists. The design for the roses is based on Juan Diego’s cloak of roses for Our Lady of Guadalupe and its subsequent miracle.
What started in 1960 as a project of the Columbian Squires of North America – young men associated with the Knights of Columbus — the silver rose’s original purpose was to honor the Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. The first rose used was real, but decomposed a year later. Since then artists have made roses each year from bronze or silver.
Starting in May in London, Ontario, three silver roses travel simultaneously through 31 jurisdictions and Mexico. During this year, the “Running of the Rose” will include the central United States, as well as the west and east coasts. The men of the different Knights of Columbus jurisdictions carry the roses from destination to destination.
At the conclusion of the program, the separate journeys of the three roses will end in Texas as they are handed over to Knights from Monterrey, Mexico, at the International Bridge. From there the roses travel to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City for the Dec. 12 feast day.
