St. Catherine’s Academy of Gattaran, Inc. concluded its 10-day Family Rosary Crusade (FRC) on October 7, completing nine preceding days of Marian devotion and faith formation among students and their families.
The annual Catholic observance began nine days before October 7 and included the praying of the Rosary and Holy Masses during the novena. Through the 10-day celebration, the school invited students and their families to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and rediscover the Rosary as a practice that can be continued within the home.
The October 7 celebration began with a Holy Mass presided over by Rev. Fr. Ramiro P. Geronimo, parish priest of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish (SCAP-Gattaran), followed by a procession of the saints and the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Students, families, teachers, school personnel, and parishioners took part in the celebration.
This year’s FRC carried the theme “Inang Maria: Crowned in Grace, Calling Us to Jesus,” highlighting Mary’s role in leading the faithful closer to her Son.
In his homily, Fr. Ramiro reminded the school community that the end of the 10-day observance should not mark the end of their devotion to the Rosary.
“Today is not the end of our Rosary; today is where the Rosary begins to live in your hearts.”
He encouraged students to bring the Rosary into their homes and help make it part of their family life.
“Take it home! Be the spiritual spark in your households. Gather your parents, your brothers, and your sisters after dinner, even for just one decade of the Rosary.”
Fr. Ramiro reflected on the Rosary as a way of contemplating the life of Christ with Mary. The mysteries lead the faithful through moments of joy, suffering, and hope, helping them recognize God’s presence in daily life.
For Charise Capili, a Grade 12 student, the celebration highlighted the importance of carrying the tradition beyond the school.
“Praying the Rosary is not only a tradition we celebrate in school, but something we can continue at home with our families,” Capili said. She added that gathering together gives families “a chance to pause, pray together, and strengthen our relationship with God through the intercession of Mama Mary.”
The celebration also reflects the continuing pastoral support of SCAP-Gattaran for faith formation among young people and families. The parish’s accompaniment of the school community seeks to strengthen the connection between the life of the parish, the school, and the home, where faith is first nurtured and lived.
This family-centered approach resonates with the Missionary Conversion Path of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, particularly its call to strengthen participation, stewardship, and shared responsibility in the life of the Church. Under the path’s emphasis on “Listening and Aligning,” the family becomes a significant locus of implementation, where the missionary life of the Church is expressed through everyday relationships, formation, service, and witness.
In this context, the Family Rosary Crusade is not only a school tradition but also an opportunity for families to exercise their vocation as participants in the Church’s mission. By gathering their households around the Rosary, parents and young people are encouraged to take part in nurturing faith, transmitting Catholic values, and becoming stewards of the faith entrusted to them.
As the 10-day observance came to an end, the invitation extended beyond the school community: that families continue what they have begun in their homes and allow the Rosary to become part of their shared journey of faith, stewardship, and missionary discipleship.