Catholic school students and

heir families throughout the archdiocese of Los Angeles will be able to take a virtual journey

o several Marian shrines around

he world without leaving the Los Angeles area at “Family Rosary Pilgrimage: Around the World with Mary” set from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 8 through 11 in the gymnasium of Rancho San An

onio Boys Home, 21000 Plummer St., Chatsworth.

The event begins on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and leads up to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.

The journey is open to all hroughout the archdiocese and neighboring dioceses.

Catholic schools are invited to journey as a group via buses.

Several shrines of church-approved Marian apparitions will be represented, including Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico; Our Lady of Lourdes, France; and Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal.

The student pilgrims will be issued a “passport,” which will be

stamped as they visit each “shrine.” A section of the gym will be set up as a theater featuring oral and audio-visual presentations. Guests may also view a display of historical and unique rosaries, an experience of the life of Christ from the 20 mysteries of the rosary and exhibits on the history of the rosary and on the rosary’s major promoters.

Recommended time to experience the virtual pilgrimage is two hours.

Volunteers are needed to help set up the exhibits, greet the children and staff exhibits, among other tasks.

Holy Cross Family Ministries and its local member ministry, Family Theater Productions, Hollywood, will sponsor the event. Holy Cross Family Ministries is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

The event is in observance of the yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Rev. Patrick Peyton, CSC, the founder of Holy Cross Family Ministries, Catholic media pioneer and sainthood candidate. He was known as “the rosary priest.” Beth Mahoney, mission director for Holy Cross Family Ministries and the co-facilitator of the Rosary Bowl in May 2007 in Pasadena, is the facilitator and chair of the planning committee for the event. For more information, to volunteer and for schools and groupto reserve a time, call (800) 8740999, ext. 2023, or e-maiFamilyRosaryPilgrimage @hcfm.org.