Finding strength in the Rosary with Father Joseph-Anthony Kress

Each fall for the past three years, thousands of Catholics have streamed into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., clutching rosaries and lifting their voices in prayer as part of the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage. At the heart of this growing movement is Father Joseph-Anthony Kress, a young Dominican friar whose passion for the Rosary has taken him from the grotto of Lourdes to the streets of the nation’s capital. As the promoter of the Rosary for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph and leader of the Rosary Pilgrimage, Father Kress has become a tireless advocate for reclaiming this ancient devotion as a source of unity, healing and spiritual strength in the modern Church.

Our Sunday Visitor: Father Joseph-Anthony, could you share a little of your own vocation story and how the Rosary has shaped your life as a Dominican?

Father Joseph-Anthony Kress: I first began thinking about the priesthood in high school and continued to discern in college. While studying abroad, I visited Lourdes. It was there, in the sanctuaries of Lourdes, that I had a profound encounter with Our Lady through the Rosary. That experience became a turning point for my vocation. I even purchased the Rosary I wear on my Dominican habit today in Lourdes — it’s a reminder of those beginnings and the Blessed Mother’s role in leading me to her Son.

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