Made official program
In the 1990s, the Knights made the Silver Rose an official program. In 2001, One Life, One Rose was added to the name of the program, recognizing Mary’s role in fighting the culture of death.
Three roses followed three routes that year from Canada through the United States to arrive at the Basilica in Monterrey on December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Five roses follow five routes
This is the first year that the Wisconsin State Council of the Knights of Columbus is participating in the run. There are now five roses following five routes and covering 53 provinces and states.
Wisconsin is on route three. The rose started in Manitoba on April 27, 2014, and entered Minnesota on May 18, 2014.
We will receive the rose on June 8, 2014, at the Mississippi River by La Crosse. We transfer the rose to Illinois on June 29, 2014, at Beloit.
From Illinois, the rose goes to Iowa on July 20, Missouri on August 10, Kentucky on August 31, Tennessee on September 21, Arkansas on October 12, and Texas on November 2.
On December 12, 2014, the five silver roses meet on the International Bridge to Mexico. Runners from the Squires carry the roses to Monterrey and present them to Our Lady at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Route in Wisconsin
The route of the rose through Wisconsin has 19 prayer services. The days, times, and locations are listed in the chart which can be found by clicking here.
If a Knights of Columbus council does not have a prayer service, it could organize a council/family outing to the nearest prayer service.
A council could set up its own rose run such as Council 499 in Superior, which will have a “Marathon for Mary” on June 14. A silver ribbon per mile presents one silver rose to Mary. The prayer service is part of the marathon.
Why the rose run?
Why are we doing this? Venerable Fr. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, probably loves the Knights doing such things as the Tootsie Roll drive, working at food pantries, and helping those in need, but I think that he finds it far more important to be in communication with Jesus.
At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave us Mary, his mother. To Jesus through Mary, we attach our love, our prayers, and our petitions to the rose, our gift to Mary.
And why do we run? What greater way to bond to the silver rose than to give of ourselves.
If we call it our plan, we give God the opportunity to have a laugh. That’s why we pray.
For more information on the Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose Run, click here.
John Sustar is the Knights of Columbus state coordinator of the Silver Rose Run. He may be reached at jsustar@hughes.net