BALTIMORE, Maryland, November 14, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Outside the hotel where the U.S. bishops convened for their annual fall meeting, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas led a group of more than two dozen pro-life Catholics in praying the rosary.

As a cold, damp wind blew off the harbor just a few steps away, Bishop Strickland knelt on the brick pavement, remaining on his knees the entire time as he sought God’s intervention to renew the Church.

With his rosary in hand, Bishop Joseph Coffey of the Archdiocese of the Military Services soon joined those gathered around Bishop Strickland and prayed.

“As we enter into these glorious mysteries, celebrating the glory of your Son, and celebrating your glory that is always a reflection of the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, help us to turn from sin and share in the smallest glimpse of that glory, as you strengthen us to live the Truth of the Gospel,” began Bishop Strickland, introducing the Glorious Mysteries.

“O blessed Virgin Mary, help us to humbly come before you and follow your call to turn from sin and to live a life of grace as you have told us through Fatima, from Akita, from Knock, and from so many other apparitions in our world,” he continued. “As we in the Americas honor you as Our Lady of Guadalupe, help us to reach out to all of the Americas, proclaiming the truth that you share with us that your Son is King of the Universe, and that we are called to live in His Life.”

Bishop Strickland said that the first Glorious Mystery “takes us back to the origin of the faith that we are called to live in our precious Catholic Church.”

“We believe in the Resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. We know that He lived, died, and rose, and that resurrection was the seed of faith — the strong power and strength — that allowed the apostles to journey toward Pentecost and to be strengthened in the love and grace that would found the Church.”

“Help us to believe and know that the truth of the Resurrection is still our truth,” he implored God the Father. “There is no doubt, there is no question that Your Son lived, died on the Cross, and rose from the dead — body and blood, soul and divinity — that He gave His life, and that He rose from the dead, and that He appeared in His resurrection to let His disciples be strengthened, by placing their fingers into His pierced side.

“Help us to know that from that side flows the life of the Church, a continuing stream of grace and love, blood and water that flowed from Your side on the Cross and was renewed in Your resurrection to be the power to change the world.

“O Blessed Virgin Mary, as we offer this rosary as you have called us to as your children, help us to do so in great humility,” prayed Bishop Strickland. “And [may] the Resurrection of Jesus Christ ... call us all from sin to deeper lives of faith.”

As he continued to lead the rosary, Bishop Strickland’s faith-filled prayer inspired those present to likewise trust in the Gospel.

“Before You died on the Cross, you instituted Your blessed Sacrament,” said Strickland. “Lord, help us to reflect as we offer this second mystery of the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary, Your Ascension. Help us to be more and more aware that you are eternally on the throne of the Father, that You are seated at His right hand with the Holy Spirit — all three, Father, Son, and Spirit, offering Your light and grace to all humanity, to those of us created in the image of God.”

Bishop Mark Brennan leading the rosary outside the U.S. Bishops Fall Gathering. Photo: Doug Mainwaring / LifeSiteNews

On the previous day, the newly installed Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, Mark Brennan, had led the same group in prayer in frigid weather.

Many of those gathered to pray the rosary on both days as the U.S. Bishops met inside are devoted to Our Lady of America.