Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne will be the first U.S. bishop to lead Rosary Thursday, an initiative of Worldpriest Rosary Apostolate.

He will lead the Luminous Mysteries on Jan. 27, accessible on Zoom, the link for which is available at worldpriest.com/rosary-Thursday.

“The person who is the guest leader does a welcome and introduction and leads guided meditations for each of the Luminous Mysteries,” explained Valerie Parzyck, director of religious education and youth ministry at St. John Vianney Parish in South Burlington who assisted in scheduling Bishop Coyne for the Jan. 27 slot. “There are people in the Zoom meeting from all over the world.”

She said the Jan. 27 program would be “special because this is the first time that a U.S. bishop will be leading Rosary Thursday,” though there have been bishops and archbishops in the past from such countries as Ireland, England and Uganda.

Rosary Thursday takes place on the last Thursday of each month, and the founder, Marion Mulhall of Dublin, Ireland, invites a priest or bishop to lead the rosary for the intention of the sanctification of priests worldwide.

Parzyck worked with Mulhall last year on the Rosary Relay — an annual event on the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — while working for the Diocese of Burlington in the Pastoral Ministries office. It will take place this year on June 24. “On this day, various locations from around the world choose a time and a set of mysteries to pray. It is scheduled so that the rosary is unceasing for 24 hours all around the world all for the intention for the sanctification of priests,” she explained.

“It’s a big deal to have the first US bishop” lead Rosary Thursday, she said. “Marion asked me back when I was still at the Diocese if I thought Bishop Coyne would be interested, and I asked him. He said ‘Sure.’”

For more information, go to worldpriest.com.