All Catholics of the Diocese of Peoria are invited to join Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria on Sunday, May 3, for a Marian prayer event that includes the screening of a new DVD featuring the reflections and prayers of 21 young celebrities on the subject of the rosary.

One of the celebrities contributing to “Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel” — the new video produced by Family Theater Productions of Hollywood — will be present and give a witness talk on the importance of the rosary.

The gathering begins at 3:30 p.m. with a procession. In addition to the showing of a segment of the video, the service will also include Marian hymns and the praying of a decade of the rosary. A reception with light refreshments will follow at the Spalding Pastoral Center.

The May 3 event is part of the Diocese of Peoria’s preparation for a Year of the Most Holy Rosary to be observed from Aug. 15, 2009 to May 31, 2010. Bishop Jenky announced the special year last summer to “re-invigorate the venerable practice of meditating on the Gospel through the prayers of the holy rosary.”

That is also the goal of the DVD, which features sports and media celebrities emphasizing the power of daily prayer of the rosary.

Celebrities involved in the project include 2006 World Series pitcher Jeff Suppan; five-time major league All-Star Mike Sweeney; actor Matthew Marsden (“Rambo” and the upcoming sequel “Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen”); TV host Matt Gallant (Animal Planet’s “The Planet’s Funniest Animals”); humanitarian, author and Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculee Ilibagiza; Ali Landry, actress and former Miss America; and Eduardo Verastegui, star of the motion picture “Bella.”

Family Theater Productions is a member ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which is assisting the diocese with the Year of the Rosary, including a major closing event planned for May of 2010.

The DVD was released on Feb. 7 in conjunction with Holy Cross Family Ministries’ yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Father Patrick Peyton, CSC. A Catholic media pioneer and sainthood candidate, Father Peyton is known as the “rosary priest” who made popular the slogans “The family that prays together stays together” and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.”

The May 3 screening is free and open to the public. Copies of the video will be available for viewing and purchase at the reception.

For more information on the event and preparations for the Year of the Rosary, contact the diocesan Office Most Holy of Family Life at (309) 671-1550. More information on the new DVD, including a trailer, is found online at www.rosarystars.org.