October is the month of the rosary

Here's a find from Facebook, it's called Come Pray the Rosary
It joins you with others who are on the site, and starts whenever you want, accompanying your prayers with beautiful views of the Holy Land Shrines for each mystery and heavenly music.

My story is on National Public Radio

Beacause I shared the story of my family's Catholic faith here, I was asked by Minnesota NPR reporter Molly Bloom to share my stories of commuting to New York City. I commuted to Manhattan from Long Island (2 1/2 hours one way) for a year when I was in graduate school at Fordham way back in the mid eighties, but this story remained in my memory.
"The first day I took the train, I had a conversation with a religious sister who told me to say the rosary on the train for those who were in my car. She said it was the best use of my time. She was right, and I do. "

My experiences with the rosary

In honor of the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, read my story on how the rosary has become woven into the fabric of my life in my story, "A Mother's Mysteries" on Rosary.com.
Cross posted at Catholic Mom.com and Catholic TV

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

15 Promises for those who say the Rosary

These promises were given by our Blessed Mother to St. Dominic.

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary will be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. Those who recommend themselves to me by the recitation of the Rosary shallnot perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
HT Spiritual Woman

Recourse to Mary in time of sorrow

Thank you to all my friends and family who are embracing us with love and prayer during the wake of my mother. The large crowd who attended last night's wake was truly touching We will begin tonight's viewing by reciting the Luminous Mysteries of the holy rosary at 7:15.

Her funeral is tomorrow at 10AM in St Philip Neri Church 344 Main Street, Northport, NY 11768.
If you can't come, please pray for us as we walk through a valley of tears.

St. Alphonsus di Liguori"This world being a place of merit, it is rightly called a valley of tears; for we are all placed in it to suffer, that we may, by patience, gain our own souls unto life eternal. When our crosses weigh heavily upon us, let us have recourse to Mary, who is called by the Church the Comfortress of the afflicted; and by Saint John Damascene, the Remedy for all sorrows of the heart.
Ah, my most sweet Lady, thou who wast innocent didst suffer with so much patience; and shall I, who deserve hell, refuse to suffer? My Mother, I now ask thee this favour—not, indeed, to be delivered from crosses, but to bear them with patience."

Glories of Mary, (Tan Books: 1978), 497-8.
HT Mary Vitamin

Rosary.com re-opened

Blessed Solemnity of the Assumption!
In honor of this great feast, Chris Cash of The Catholic Company has announced the re-opening of Rosary.com Since the Rosary is one of my favorite prayers I am thriled!

More than just a Rosary store, it also will offer resources and articles on the Rosary.
Go over and visit today in honor of Our Lady's Assumption.

Campfire Rosary

Tonight was a partly cloudy day with vivid green leaves and interesting skies. My husband's family came to help us plant some of our perennials from our former home into the weed mass that was our garden. Now, many of the weeds (by no means all) are replaced by old friends: Echinachea, Hydrangea bushes, Tiger lilies, Siberian Iris, Archangel, Black-eyed Susans, Forsythia bushes, Laurel, and Hollyhocks (a velvety deep red).

We were tired but grateful when, after dinner we were reluctant to give up the outdoors simply because it was dusk. An alluring sunset inspired us to do a quick search for firewood, and set up chairs. Soon we had a circle of twelve chairs around a roaring campfire, and talk led to praise songs then Marian hymns, which led to a rosary in Spanish for my father-in-law and my mother. What comfort we felt in the cool spring darkness, surrounded by the songs of tree frogs, crickets and the brook, reciting the ancient prayers to Our Blessed Mother, who hears her children's calls for the peace and healing of their loved ones. Who but her children can invoke her name and be instantly wrapped in her mantle of love?

If you have never done so, treat your family to a campfire rosary this summer.

May Feelings II

Remember the incredible video last of year, May Feelings which skyrocketed to the top of You Tube? Well they made another, called May Feelings II. Enjoy.

Amazing rosary video

See if you recognize more stars than I do; Eduardo Verastegui sings the "Salve Regina" and Immaculee Ilibagiza prays the prayer which saw her through the Rwandan genocide.
Copy the code and pass it on!

St Bernadette Soubirous

This February 11th was the 151st anniversary of the apparitions of St Bernadette at Lourdes.
Thirty years after her death, her body was exhumed and found to be in a perfect state of preservation; her skin is even soft to the touch. Read about this miracle at Catholic Online.
The world needs the message of prayer and penance even more now than then. The Holy Father had declared a year of jubilee to celebrate the anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The girls and I have been very sick for three weeks, and tonight we watched "The Song of Bernadette" and prayed the rosary (a day late, we lost track of the date) in thanksgiving for our slow return to health.
Please pray the rosary for our president and for the world.

Rosary Rally

On Friday both St Joseph and the Academy of the Holy Family participated in a Rosary Rally downtown Baltic. We walked the streets praying the Joyful Mysteries, and Fr Ignatius, FI told us that when we pray the rosary, we are holding Mary's hand, and she will lead us to Jesus.

The procession led us to St Mary's Church, where Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament awaited us.

To Jesus through Mary.

Ave Maria!

The story of the video "50 Reasons"

A group of 50 high school friends in Madrid organized themselves to "give back to the Church who has given so much to us", by saying why they pray the rosary in this month of Mary.This video, seen more than 150,000 times on YouTube, has become the most viewed video in Spain. Increible!So much for the death of the Church in Spain.
Read the entire article here in Spanish. If anyone finds it in English, kindly let me know.
HT Air Maria

50 Reasons to Pray the Rosary

Pray at the tomb of Saint Pio

Almighty God,
you gave the Capuchin priest,
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina,
the immense privilege of sharing in a unique way the Passion of Thy Son.
Grant me, through his intercession the graces that I ardently desire . . . .,
And above all, at the hour of my death, grant me the grace
of being reconciled to the Will of Jesus,
and united with Him in the glory of His Resurrection.
Glory to the Father . . .

Your prayer requests can be placed at the tomb of St. Padre Pio by clicking on this link

Every evening, at 10:30, the Frati Cappuccini will be gathered to the grave of the blessed Padre Pio to recite the Rosary according to the intentions of all those people that ask to be remembered in the prayer. At that time, this, your application, will be deposed on the grave.

If you find possible, anywhere you find to yourself, spiritually unite to us with the Holy Rosary.

Please click the above link to complete the online form. The "send" button is at the lower left of the form

HT A Catholic Mom in Hawaii