On a rainy spring day in Vienna, the Philippine-Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES) gathered for a dual milestone: the 10th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass of the organisation and the launch of a monthly Rosary Crusade for the Philippines.
It was no ordinary starting point at Vienna's Franziskanerkirche. Beneath its vaulted ceilings rests Father Petrus Pavlicek, a Franciscan priest who in the rubble and exhaustion of post-war Austria did not reach for a weapon, but for a rosary. With it he called a war-weary nation to its knees through a Rosary Crusade. With hundreds following him he led one of the most powerful movements of prayer for the withdrawal of occupying forces and the restoration of national freedom for Austria.
In that very setting, the PACES Rosary Crusade was gently offered as a monthly act of prayer for the Philippines to have peace, unity and progress; and for truth, love of country and justice to prevail. It is planned that PACES members and friends will gather every second Saturday of each month for a rosary prayer. The next one will be held on 13 June at 11:00 a.m. in the MISSIO chapel. It was a promise that even as daily life unfolds in Vienna, there are hands folded in prayer for struggles unfolding back home in the Philippines.
The prayers themselves echoed the Catena Legionis spirit of interconnected devotion and the Legion of Mary’s joyful apostolate. As the Joyful Mysteries were reflected, prayers became a testament of faith for the country’s future, in the same persevering hope once manifested in Father Pavlicek’s movement.
From this beginning, the group moved to join a regularly scheduled mass at the nearby chapel of MISSIO Österreich , the Austrian branch of the Pontifical Mission Societies. As part of the global MISSIO network, the institution represents an ecclesial framework of linking local churches to global communities through prayer, education, and material support.
Watch the Livestream of the MISSIO mass here:
The officiating priest warmly welcomed the Filipino group and briefly cited in his homily the Philippines’ history on the 1986 EDSA People Power in which civilians held and prayed the rosary while a change of government was taking place. He concluded by blessing PACES, commended its decade of commitment, and prayed that its mission would continue to bear fruit in faith.
In the intimacy of the Franciscan church to the wider embrace of MISSIO, PACES' ten-year journey has moved through the recurring cadence of the Rosary. May our prayers voyage outward, gathering hope and delivering it where hands can no longer reach.
For more information how to join the next Rosary Crusade, get in touch with us:
-- By Pamela Lira (Photo Credit: Nelia Lobrigo)
