In the cover story of the Feb. 25 issue “Trending: The Rosary,” John Burger reported that these new public rosaries “are being organized and attended almost exclusively by men.” This is truly a testament to Our Lord’s faithfulness to his people, that his movements through his mother, to restore his people unto himself, should make use predominantly of men.

But it’s here where I must depart from Burger’s claim that it is “most surprising.”

It seems of little surprise that Our Lord should revive a public rosary devotion, or that he should choose to do so by raising up men as its primary organizer and participant.

What more proper antidote to the cultural and spiritual dissolution of our times than to restore defiled femininity, by raising up voices to the praises of Our Lady most undefiled? What surer way of restoring defiled masculinity, than to make those voices overwhelmingly masculine?

Dr. Tim O’Malley is right in noting that it’s “important to remember … that the Church teaches that prayer and worship are for the glorification of God first and then for the sanctification of men and women,” and that “prayer can’t be overtaken by the protest.”

Yet, today, even the mere espousal of Christian belief in the public square may be considered a protest of the secular, and rightfully quashed.

Therefore, these rosary gatherings will be called politically motivated protests regardless, so such concerns shouldn’t alone be the cause of their discouragement.

— Paul Binotto, Bridgeville, Pennsylvania