PERRYVILL – The annual May Procession will be held on the grounds of Saint Mary’s of the Barrens on Sunday, May 4, at 1:00 p.m. The procession will form in front of the historic church, which is the home of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The Rosary will be recited as the group processes to the grotto on the Rosary Walk. At the grotto, roses will be presented to Our Blessed Mother by the First Communicants, and written petitions received from members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal from throughout the United States will be presented to Mary by the eighth-grade Confirmands. A dogwood tree display covered with petals, representing members’ prayer requests, will be placed at the grotto.
Assisted by the St. Vincent de Paul Parish Choir, familiar Marian hymns will be sung. All will join in a prayer service. Reese Zoellner, the Prefect of the “Children of Mary” Sodality of St. Vincent High School, will have the honor of crowning the statue of Our Blessed Mother. The May Court attendants are Allie Patrick, Callie Clements, and Kaitlyn Buerck, along with their escorts, Jace Hennemann, Clayton Gremaud, Noah Hager, and Ethan Hotop, who are members of the high school St. Vincent de Paul Society. The Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus will present a sword salute during the crowning ceremony.
Fr. Clay Kilburn, C.M., Spiritual Director of the Association of the Miraculous Medal, will be the Presider, and a “Tribute to Mary” will be given by Fr. Jim Osendorf, C.M.
Fr. Jim is a member of the Congregation of the Mission, Western Province. He was born in Long Beach, CA, and was ordained a priest in 1980. His past assignments include teaching at St. John’s Seminary College in Camarillo and serving as a chaplain for four years in the United States Navy at Parris Island (one of the Marine Corps boot camps) and in Bahrain. He is currently the Superior for Saint Mary’s of the Barrens Church in Perryville, Missouri.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket due to the limited seating at the grotto. In the event of inclement weather, the procession will be held inside the Shrine Church. For more information, please contact the Association of the Miraculous Medal at 1-800-264-MARY (6279) or ammfather@amm.org.
Following the May Procession, a Spanish Mass will be held inside the National Shrine Church at 3:00 p.m. Fr. Toshio Sato, C.M., and Fr. Mike Walsh, C.M., will celebrate this Mass. The celebration will include live music and an investiture in the Miraculous Medal.