Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose ProgramThe Story of the Silver Rose

Our Lady of Guadalupe has done somuch for her people and Mexico that theColumbian Squires in Monterrey,Mexico, wanted to give something backto her.

The group headed by Brother MiguelMartinez Estrada, Grand Knight AndreasSaucedo and Fray Margil De Jesus ofKnights of Columbus Council 2312 inMonterrey, Mexico, came up with theidea of running a rose to Our Lady ofGuadalupe in Monterrey. They wantedto invite squires from two other countrieson the North American Continent toparticipate. They contacted squires fromLaredo, Texas, to London, Ontario,Canada.

London squires asked to start the relayrunning of the Rose from there throughthe United States and finishing up inMexico.

The first Rose was blessed by BishopJohn C. Cody in London. It was thenflown to New York where it was receivedby Grand Knight Joseph Thomasen,who in turn took it to Supreme KnightLuke E. Hart who then took the Rose toDallas, Texas, and delivered it to districtofficers of the state of Texas. BrotherKnight Jack Collerin received the Roseand sent it to Laredo, Texas where theRose was received by Squires fromMonterrey, Mexico at the InternationalBridge in Laredo.

The Squires then ran the Rose from theInternational Bridge to Monterrey endingthe Rose run at the Basilica of Our Ladyof Guadalupe in Monterrey.

The First Rose was a natural rose. Thesquires wished to make yet anotherrelay run in 1961, but due to thecondition of the Rose it could not beused again. Grand Knight Arthur Mountat Council 1134, Reverend Edward

Gatfield and Bishop John C. Codydecided to make a bronze rose and sentit to Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupein Monterrey, Mexico.

When Fray Antonio de Jesus Sacedonand the squires of Circle 660 inMonterrey heard of the bronze rose, theydecided to call upon Brother MiguelMartinez Montoya (owner of JoyeriaRosine) in Monterrey to make them asilver rose because silver is one ofMexico's precious metals.

The jeweler saw a beautiful bed of rosesin a garden owned by Mrs. ShirlaOstwowk. He asked if he could have arose as a model for the making of the"Silver Rose." Mr. Montoya explainedwhat had happened to the original rosein 1960 and what Canada was doing forOur Lady in Monterrey. Once she heardabout the making of the "Silver Rose"she gladly gave him the rose and thestem to which it was attached as amodel. Subsequently Mr. Montoya madeall of the "Silver Roses" from 1961 to1997.

The first "Silver Rose" was blessed byBishop Alfonso Espino Silva. This rosewas then sent on to New Haven to theSupreme Council Office. The BronzeRose was blessed by Bishop Cody. Itwas received by Supreme Knight LukeE. Hart. Archbishop Francis J. Spellmanof New York so admired both roses hekept them for a special mass beforehaving them flown to Dallas, Texas.There the Knights again sent the rosesto Laredo where they were transferred toMexico in the middle of the InternationalBridge on their way to Monterrey.

From 1961 until the early 1990s, Knightsfrom Mexico, Texas and the Our Lady ofGuadalupe Province of the FourthDegree kept the Silver Rose traditionalive. In the 1990s Supreme KnightVirgil C. Dechant decided to make the

Silver Rose a Supreme Councilprogram. The first effort consisted of oneroute carrying a Silver Rose fromLondon through the central U.S. toTexas for transfer to Mexico. Soon therewere three Silver Rose routes, onemimicking the original route; anotherstarting in Manitoba and moving toBritish Columbia, then down to thePacific Coast before turning east intoArizona and on to Texas; and a thirdroute starting in New York, then downthe eastern seaboard, then to severalsouthern states to Texas. After meetingin Laredo, the three roses weretransferred to Mexico for the closingprayer service at the Basilica inMonterrey on Dec. 12, the Feast of OurLady of Guadalupe.

In 2001 Supreme Knight Carl A.Anderson shaped the program as aculture of life effort at the 119th AnnualMeeting of the Supreme Council inToronto. The annual effort "is a perfectprogram for the Knights of Columbus,"said Supreme Knight Anderson."Through it we honor not only Our Ladyof Guadalupe and express the unity ofthe Order, but we also reaffirm theOrder's dedication to the sanctity ofhuman life. It is to the Blessed Motherthat we turn in prayer as we work to endthe Culture of Death that grips oursociety. As we think in terms of 'OneLife, One Rose,' it is most appropriatethat we turn to Our Lady of Guadalupewho made known her will through JuanDiego and the miracle of the roses."

In 2013, one Rose began its journey inOntario moving through the centralUnited States. A second Rose started itsroute in Manitoba, moving westward toBritish Columbia and then down thePacific coast through California beforeturning eastward to Arizona and NewMexico. The third Rose moved fromConnecticut, moving through the easternUnited States and the south. The fourthRose moved from Virginia south alongthe Eastern Seaboard before movingwest to Texas. The fifth Rose traveledthrough New England and will concludeits journey at St. Mary's Church in NewHaven, birth place of the Order. The

program ends on Dec. 12, 2013, theFeast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Effortsare being made to establish a sixthSilver Rose Route for 2014.

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