Holy Rosary Church

During the rich and extensive course of Christian history, many different forms and expressions of prayer have developed.  While most of us are familiar with the more sedentery ways to pray, there are also a number of prayers-in-movement available to help us expand our contemplative skills and draw closer to the Lord.  Pilgrims walking the Way of the Cross in the Holy Land or the faithful chanting litanies in a religious procession are just two examples of the many forms of prayer-in-movement.

Walking-in-meditation following the pattern of a labyrinth is another ancient expression of prayer-in-movement dating back to the Middle Ages.  Many of our great cathedrals have a labyrinth embedded in their floors.  For example, the cathedral at Chartres, France, has a labyrinth that is hundreds of years old.  This famous religious landmark continues to attract visitors from around the world seeking to join in the ancient contemplative practice of meditation-in-movement.

In Chicago, a labyrinth has been acquired by St. Peter’s in the Loop Church at 110 W. Madison Street.  Everyone can participate in this wonderful prayer-in-movement tradition on Wednesday afternoons starting at 2:00 p.m.  A room for solitary meditation is also available on the lower level next to the labyrinth.  Visitors can walk the labyrinth or pray quietly until 5:30 p.m. when a contemplative prayer service begins.  If one of your new year’s resolutions is to expand your prayer life, then why not try it for yourself?  All are invited to walk the labyrinth and learn a new way to meditate, contemplate, and pray.