Holy Rosary Society
The Holy Rosary Society is open to all women of St. John Paul the Great Parish and all area Catholic churches. We promote our sincere love for the Blessed Mother by honoring our Lord through prayer and adoration.
- Founded in 1925
- Pray the Rosary at each meeting
- Communion in a body in May
- Triduum honoring our Blessed Mother in October
- Attend Masses for deceased members
- Donate to youth programs
- Raise funds for needs within the parish through the No Bake Sale and Annual Tag Sale
- Restoration and upkeep of our beautiful Grotto
Please consider joining the Holy Rosary Society. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month in St. Peter Hall at 6:00pm.
If you are interested in joining, please contact Claudia Guisti at 860-307-9696, or Bette Cantu at 860-485-9560 or any current member.
Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
The beautiful Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on the side of the old St. Peter School is a hidden gem on our parish grounds. It was originally erected in the 1950s. Over the years it had fallen into disrepair, and the Holy Rosary Society approached the pastor at that time, Fr. John Granato, about restoring it to its original grandeur and beyond. Fr. Jim Sullivan took charge of the project, using his experience and knowledge as a former partner in the Sullivan Brothers remodeling company. The Holy Rosary Society pledged $5,000 toward that restoration and pledged to tend to the upkeep of the Grotto. Once finished, the fountain flowed again, a prayer bench was installed and new lighting, statues, a walkway and landscaping created a reverent and beautiful prayer space for our parish. Since the dedication in 2015, Holy Rosary Society members have paid for repairs and have kept it decorated each season.
A large plaque is installed in front of the actual Grotto commemorating the dedication on June 7, 2015 following the restoration. There are also 36 plaques installed on the wall in remembrance of deceased past members of the Society, including one that was recently installed for Louise Binelli.
Members are pleased with the way parish property manager, Emil Sorban, maintains the area. Parishioners are encouraged to take a stroll behind the old St. Peter School building to see the grotto and to say a prayer.
We continue to offer the opportunity for families and individuals to remember their families or loved ones, living or deceased, with a plaque of dedication (approximately 12” x 10”). Each plaque is prominently installed on the wall immediately in front of the grotto. The cost per dedication is $1,000. If one chooses, several families can combine resources for a single dedication. Dedications can be worded in several ways. Some examples:
In loving memory of ________;
In loving memory of ________ by ________;
Lovingly dedicated to ________ by ________.
Dedication forms are available HERE or in the Pastoral Center main office at 160 Main St. For more information, please call the parish office at 860-482-4433.