Clutching strings of rosary beads, hundreds of Catholics made their way Saturday through downtown Coeur d'Alene for the 19th annual International Rosary March. As they walked along Sherman Avenue from 23rd Street to Independence Point, men, women and children of all ages recited the prayers of the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a centuries-old devotional practice deeply rooted in Catholicism. "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee," recited the walkers, as they were led through prayers by other march participants using loudspeakers, some of them priests. The march's mission is world peace, said Jan Karstettner, a former longtime organizer of the event organized by Immaculate Conception Church in Post Falls. The annual march has grown since it began in 1994, with an estimated 500 participants in Coeur d'Alene this year/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here. (Maureen Dolan Coeur d'Alene Press photo: Students from Immaculate Conception Academy prepare to carry a statue of the Virgin Mary down Sherman Avenue on Saturday)

Question: Is it possible for the countries of the world to ever obtain peace in the future?