The world needs peace and St. Gregory’s Catholic Church was doing its part to promote that message Saturday when they held a Rosary for American at the downtown park in Smithville.

“We are praying for peace in our country and peace in our world,” organizer Joanne Ramko said. “Peace in our families. We praying to Our Lady to bless us and when we are praying and giving her praise we are also giving glory to God.”

St. Gregory’s Catholic Church was in charge of the noon-time assembly. They prayed the Rosary and sang hymns to their blessed mother, doing songs and prayers in both English and Spanish.

“We are doing divine praises to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,” she said.

She noted the event was part of the America Needs Fatima Crusade. It was 101 years ago that the Miracle of Fatima happened.

“Today in 1917, our Blessed Mother appeared,” Ramko said, adding it was known as the Miracle of the Sun where the Sun came down from its orbit from the sky and swirled.

“Seventy thousand people viewed this miracle,” Ramko revealed of the event that happened in Portugal. “At that time Our Lady’s message was ‘please pray the Rosary for peace’. So we are just following her instruction to pray the Rosary for peace.”

Berenice Alamilla led the Rosary in Spanish and Jim Ladner lead the Rosary in English as people participated from the audience.