How the Legion and the Knights began bringing Our Lady’s Rosary Festival to the heart of Down and Connor.
The Rosary Festival is organised by the Legion of Mary and the Knights of Saint Columbanus. These groups have come together to spread the works of mercy and good news across Belfast and further afield. The festival grew out of the Annual Rosary Procession in Belfast, which has been proudly held for several decades and organised by the Legion of Mary.
In 2023, the week-long Rosary Festival culminated in the Annual Procession. The efforts of all those involved led to an increase in attendance, from about 150 in 2022 to over 800 attendees in 2023. For more history and information about our values, please read on.
The Legion of Mary,
established in Dublin in 1921, has for decades been a pillar of prayer, devotion, and evangelisation in Belfast. Known especially for its commitment to Our Lady and the Rosary, the Legion has faithfully organised the Annual Rosary Procession in the city for many years. Their zeal and constancy have been the seedbed from which the wider Rosary Festival has grown.
The Knights of Saint Columbanus,
founded in Ireland in 1915, are a lay organisation dedicated to promoting and defending the Catholic faith, supporting the Church, and carrying out charitable works in the community. Their motto, Instaurare omnia in Christo (“To restore all things in Christ”), underpins their involvement in the Rosary Festival, ensuring that faith is not only professed but lived in public witness and service.