Guys on their knees praying in Sydney’s wild weather

Sydney men pray the Rosary outside St Mary’s Cathedral last weekend, 2 July, in inclement weather, part of the wild storms that hit the NSW capital. An online video of the group of around 100 men gathered in prayer went viral and attracted praise from around the world.

An amateur video of men praying the Rosary on their knees in the midst of pouring rain and wild storms currently afflicting Sydney last weekend has gone viral and been seen by more than a million people world-wide.

The 30-second clip of The Men’s Rosary Crusade on the forecourt of St Mary’s Cathedral in the heart of Sydney’s CBD is now taking social media by storm … literally.

Filmed on a phone in atrocious weather conditions, around 100 men prayed the Rosary on their knees for around an hour while torrential rain bucketed down around them.

To date, the simple video has reached almost 1,044,800 people, with 9000 likes, been shared almost 8000 times and attracted more than 12,000 comments and still going.

People around the world responded in overwhelmingly favourable terms about the men’s public witness.

“So beautiful and inspiring, the world is desperately in need of men like you,” one wrote. “God bless you all! So beautiful to see men of faith enduring even the most horrid weather to devote themselves to the Rosary,” wrote another, and “may the Lord shower them with blessings and may their prayers be answered,” commented another.

Daniel Ang, the Director of the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Centre for Evangelisation, said the huge response proves “God really is present in our lives and in our city”.

“Some might baulk at such a scene, but the response it has elicited speaks to the power of Christian witness,” he said. “To see men directing their lives not by mere strength of feeling or comfort but by what they treasure is such a witness and prompts the question of what we give ourselves to, what we believe is the source and end of our life.”

Vowing to gather on the first Saturday of every month ‘rain, hail or shine’, the dedicated group of men didn’t know just how public their display would become.

They have been inspired by an international Catholic movement where men gather on the same day each month to put their faith in the Marian prayer to protect and defend their families.

Mary’s sons: men gather for a group shot after their impressive Rosary. The Men’s Rosary Crusade is held on the first Saturday of every month.

Ivica Kovac, Life, Marriage & Family Officer for the Sydney Archdiocese, said the weather was not a deterrent but had been accepted as a blessing and a great motivator to publicly proclaim God’s mercy through the Holy Rosary. “Men of faith would love to share the ‘good news’ with others and let them know they pray but are often reluctant, so the Men’s Rosary Crusade is providing them an avenue to profess their faith in a most public and loving way by praying for our loved ones, community, country and church no matter what the conditions,” he said.

“The Sydney Men’s Rosary Crusade is held at the Cathedral every month in honour of women “because we love them and want them to know that we are praying for them.

“These men recognise there are thousands of others out there like them in Sydney and Australia, and hope that their public witness through this Rosary Crusade will encourage others to more courageously share the good news in love wherever they may be.”

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