Silver Rose Tour

Brothers,

Thank you very much for your participation in the very successful 2014 Silver Rose Tour across Arizona, from July 27 to August 22, 2014. The Silver Rose was viewed by 5,476 people, at 23 separate locations in the Yuma, Tucson, Sierra Vista, and Phoenix communities.  In particular, I would like to thank District Deputies John Gordon, Tom Bayham, Larry Powers, and Bob Julien for their leadership in organizing this program in their communities. I would also like to thank PGK Brother Gregg Neff for his help in Yuma. There are many more people to thank, so I thank all of you for supporting this important spiritual program in honoring our Lady of Guadalupe and our Order’s dedication to the sanctity of human life!

Vivat Jesus!

Larry Becker

State Deputy

The Silver Rose Program

Five Silver Roses have been making their way across North America, from Canada to the United States to Mexico. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose - One Life, One Rose Program concludes on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Monterrey, Mexico.

2014 marks the 54rd year of the program which began in 1960 as a project of the Columbian Squires of North America to honor the Blessed Virgin under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. The program has continued since then as a project of Squires Circles, councils and Fourth Degree assemblies in several jurisdictions.

In 2001 Supreme Knight Carl Anderson expanded the program by beginning the “Running of the Rose” from the 119th Annual Meeting of the Supreme Council in Toronto. This is “a perfect program for the Knights of Columbus,” said Supreme Knight Anderson. “Through it we honor not only Our Lady of Guadalupe and express the unity of the Order, but we also reaffirm the Order’s dedication to the sanctity of human life. It is to the Blessed Mother that we turn in prayer as we work to end the Culture of Death that grips our society. As we think in terms of ‘One Life, One Rose,’ it is most appropriate that we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupe who made known her will through Juan Diego and the miracle of the roses.”

Today five Silver Roses travel through North America exemplifying Knights of Columbus devotion to Our Lady and commitment to the Culture of Life.

One Rose begins its journey in Ontario moving through the central United States. A second Rose starts its route in Manitoba, moving westward to British Columbia and then down the Pacific coast through California before turning eastward to Arizona and Utah. The third Rose moves from Connecticut, through the eastern United States and the fourth Rose begins in Virginia moving south through Florida and then turning westward along the Gulf Coast. The fifth route covers the New England states, beginning in Maine and moving through New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and ending in Connecticut. Unlike the other Roses, the New England Rose will not travel to Texas. It will end its journey on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12, at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, birth place of the Knights of Columbus.