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January 22, 2026My husband was raised by his grandmother. After raising her own ten children, she took in him and his two older brothers when their parents couldn’t raise them. The widow of a fallen police officer, this true Cajun woman wore simple cotton shift dresses and could cook for an army with a budget of just a few dollars. Like one of my grandmothers, she could not read, but she sure could pray!
She was in her early eighties when Jay and I began dating; and more times than not, when I was at their house, she was sitting in a rocking chair, a rosary clasped in her hand, her lips moving in quiet prayer. My husband would joke that “Sue-Sue” got them through everything by “burning up those rosary beads,” moving through so many of them a day he was sure they were hot to the touch.
When I showed him this video, I heard his breath catch as he whispered, “Look at those hands.” I could hear the love and longing in his voice. While the video features many hands and rosaries, you’ll know just the scene that caused his reaction when you see it.
There isn’t a doubt in my mind we all have a memory like this – hands that stirred gumbo, felt your head for fever, and taught you how to pray. Every wrinkle of those soft hands bears witness to a memory of love – the same maternal love and care our Blessed Mother has for each of us.
Rosaries said over the decades have been a lifeline for so many through hurricanes, wars, sickness, and loss. This cherished tradition among the faithful in Acadiana offers spiritual strength. With every bead, a prayer. With every prayer, an act of faith. This sacred rhythm of devotion is the heartbeat of a Church that never stops loving, serving, and believing.
The Rosary is not merely a prayer; it is a call to action. The mysteries of Christ’s life remind us of His message of love and service. The Rosary transforms us, cultivating virtues such as compassion, empathy, and generosity. It is this hallowed and Catholic devotion that anchors the 2026 Bishop’s Services Appeal, “Holding the Faith: Decades of Prayer & Service.”
Every gift to the Bishop’s Services Appeal is like a lifted prayer - quiet, powerful, and enduring. Just as the rosary links bead to bead, your generosity links hope to action, faith to works, and strangers to each other as the family of God.
If you do not truly understand the impact of the BSA, see further down how you are served by it. This year, may we each take up the rosary not only with our fingers, but with our lives.