Three neighboring parish communities in the eastern San Gabriel Valley invite men, women and children of all ages to participate in a Rosary Pilgrimage as a special gift of prayer on Mother's Day, May 9.

Organized in 1977 by three mothers, the Mother's Day Rosary Pilgrimage unites the parishes of St. Christopher Church in West Covina and St. Louis of France and St. Joseph in La Puente.

Accompanying participants as they travel from church to church will be a statue of Our Lady of Fatima surrounded by paper flowers. Each church will begin the prayer service with a procession honoring Our Lady of Fatima and recalling her instructions to pray for peace in the world.

There will be time to pray part of the rosary together followed by a short meditation discussion by Oblate of Virgin Mary Father David Kueter. The pilgrimage concludes with benediction at St. Joseph.

According to organizer Lorraine Kueter, people attending the rosary pilgrimage have gone to some or all of the church locations. "Some can't do all three with their schedules," she says. "But we have seen many people follow the whole thing through."

Likewise, Kueter says that many non-Catholics have participated in the event in the past. "It's all about the power of prayer," she says explaining that the meditation discussion at each church acts as an explanation of what the rosary is to non-Catholics.

Rosary pilgrimage times and locations are: 3 p.m. at St. Christopher Church, 629 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina; 4 p.m. at St. Louis of France Church, 13935 E. Temple, La Puente; and 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 550 N. Glendora Ave., La Puente. For information, call Kueter at (626) 917-1531.