Rosary walk and talk brings couple together

By Vivian Gonzalez Marino
NOLA Catholic Parenting

Most of us have heard the saying from Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together, stays together.”

This quote came to my mind one morning as I was cleaning up my daughter’s room and I noticed, through the window, a couple with rosaries in hand, walking and praying.

I see couples all the time walking early in the morning, but this couple was different. I simply watched them in admiration and could not help the feelings of joy and love that instantly flooded my heart. Bottom line – I wanted to know more. Why did they pray the rosary and how did they start praying as a couple?

I knew the woman from the neighborhood, so I called and asked if she was willing to share her story of how this all came about, and she graciously said yes.

My neighbor’s name is JoAnn Testa-Hebert, and she has been married to Jim Hebert for 23 years. She is a native New Orleanian of Italian descent and is a cradle Catholic. Before meeting Jim, she had been single for 17 years.

Having a huge devotion to Padre Pio, she prayed to him for years for her future husband and his well-being. She would pray that he was having a blessed Thanksgiving or that he was having a merry Christmas. Regardless of the holiday or time of year, she always prayed for his health and safety.

In addition, she knew exactly what she was looking for in her future spouse, and her friend suggested she shout it out loud to the Lord. So, she did. She stated she wanted a Catholic man, specifically a widow with grown children, a man she could grow older with sitting next to in church, and a partner with whom they could help each other get to heaven.

Jim and JoAnn had their first date on Dec. 7, 1999, and he took her to Brigtsen’s restaurant, not knowing it was her favorite dining spot. Following the date, he asked her out again for Monday night; however, she politely declined saying that she held a Monday evening rosary at her mother’s home and could not make it. This was something she had done for years.

When she told him this, he said he prayed the rosary as well and proceeded to pull out a worn-out leather rosary pouch from his pocket with a visibly used rosary in it. He kissed her goodnight on the forehead, and she knew from that moment that she would marry this man. He was the man she had prayed for. He met every quality on her list. They were married eight months later.

From the beginning, their Catholic faith has been at the center of their marriage, with the rosary being an integral part of their relationship. They lead a weekly Monday night rosary at their home, and they never travel without saying a rosary on long-distance car rides.

When COVID hit, they started a new routine of walking the neighborhood before 7 a.m. and praying the rosary out loud. As a former Jefferson Parish elementary school teacher and the founder of Jefferson Parish’s theater program, she believes praying out loud is best, because the more senses you can involve when praying, the better.

“God hears the prayers when they are recited out loud,” she said.

During their walks, so many people honk the horn or even stop them to ask for prayers for family members or special intentions. Outdoor workers who notice them praying will bow their heads and even recite prayers as they walk by. As of late, they started saying one decade of the rosary together before going to bed.

Their love of the Catholic faith and their devotion to the rosary is beautiful and inspiring. The devotion to the rosary was there before they met, and once they started dating, they incorporated it into their relationship. It is part of their love story.

I asked JoAnn if it is too late to start this practice in a seasoned marriage, and she said it is never too late. God is just glad you are here; start where you are. Be the one to encourage others by action because people notice. I surely did.

Vivian Marino is a wife and mother of four children living in the New Orleans Lakefront area. She graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican High School, Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in science and earned her master’s in exercise physiology at the University of New Orleans. She has done research at Tulane School of Public Health and worked as a personal trainer. These days, she’s busy raising her children – two boys and two girls. Her favorite things include spending time with her family, weekend dinners with her husband, and praying the daily rosary. She can be reached at [email protected].