A Lebanese Catholic man has created a giant Rosary out of plastic jugs, rope and wood and floated it upon the Mediterranean Sea. Source: CNA.
Joe Abdel Sater, a swimming instructor in the seaside town of Bouar, built the world’s largest Rosary on the ocean on May 11 – with the help of family and friends – on the feast of Our Lady of the Seas.
The idea came to Mr Abdel Sater during his daily contemplation of the sea.
For six months, he perceived the outlining of Rosary beads on the water’s surface. Compelled to make this vision a reality, he received blessings from the local parish priest, Fr Ferez Tawk, and from the mayor. However, executing such an ambitious undertaking was no easy feat.
“For a month, I puzzled over what materials to use — wood or foam?” Mr Abdel Sater recalled. “How could I secure the Rosary’s shape against the shifting currents?” But, as he put it, “divine providence facilitated things”.
The finished Rosary, stretching 100 meters across the water, is comprised of white plastic jugs representing the Hail Mary beads and larger blue ones for the Our Father prayers. The cross is made of wood.
“I dove down and tied the beads with rope, anchoring them to the rocks below,” Mr Abdel Sater said. “So despite the changing tides, the Rosary’s form remained intact.”
Outfitted with lights, the installation casts a luminous glow at night.
Though forced to temporarily move it ashore due to rough waters, Mr Abdel Sater hopes to soon re-float his unprecedented creation, which he has submitted for inclusion into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Reflecting on the profound symbolism of the floating installation, Fr Tawk noted that “alone, Rosary beads lose their meaning. As Catholic faithful, we’re those beads and our community binds us together through life’s crashing waves.”
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Beacon of faith: Lebanese town builds giant floating Rosary at sea (By Marguerita Kallassy, CNA)
