The Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Each Year a New Way to honor Our Lady

Reflecting back over the past two years the Feast of the Immaculate Conception has been a highlight. Each year the Feast carries a new joy and a new way to honor Our Lady.

Tonight as the sun sets and evening has moved in thoughts of the beautiful memories gathered over the past two years come to mind.

Last year the Children's Rosary participated in a wonderful Colombian Tradition: the Day of the Little Candles.  For weeks lanterns were hand made with the help of the children and on the eve of the Feast they were set out with candles lit.  The lanterns had windows created in the image of Our Lady.  More pictures and reflections from the night can be read here.

Last year on December 8th brought the consecration of two new Children's Rosary groups. Each was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  One of the new groups met at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, CT.  Perfectly named for the Feast!  After the Rosary the children made cupcakes and spelled out Our Lady's name: Mary. Reflections from their first meeting can be seen here.

Two years ago there was another gift given to Our Lady on her Feast this one from a child.  It was a picture drawn of Our Lady and it was given to Our Lady at Church before prayers of the Rosary and Holy Mass.  The picture you will recognize.  It has now become the symbol of the Children's Rosary.  

With all these gifts one thing is for certain, Our Lady will not be out done in generosity.  Any thing we give with love is warmly received and so much beauty is returned.  Last year 2 Children's Rosary groups met on the weekend of the Immaculate Conception this year 20 groups met on the four days surrounding the Feast.

Mass Offered Today

The children who traveled to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
to lead a Children's Rosary

A Mass was offered today for all the members of the Children's Rosary who traveled to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on Sept 21st and those who helped in these efforts.  On Sept 21st 2013 the Children's Rosary traveled from Connecticut to Washington DC to lead a Children's Rosary for the International Prayer and Fasting Vigil. This special day at the National Shrine kicked off an week of prayer and fasting.  The ride was 6 hours by bus and most children left their homes around 3 in the morning and didn't return home until around the same time the next day.  

Many individuals generously sponsored children and donated money for the bus.  Others helped out on site with coordination and distribution of materials, taking pictures and providing translation into sign language.   The whole day was a wonderful gift to Our Lady.  Many graces and blessings have been showered down thanks to these efforts.  

Today on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception a Mass was offered for the spiritual and temporal welfare of all those individuals who either traveled or helped the children make this trip.

Thank you all for your kind and generous spirit.

An Unexpected Surprise at Good Will

First Meeting of the Children's Rosary
at St. Pius Church in Wolcott, CT

One of our Children's Rosary group leaders recently shared a trip she and her family made to Good Will.  Sandy is the Group leader of the Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Connecticut USA and also helped to begin a Children's Rosary in Steubenville, Ohio.  Sandy who is a wonderful mother of 7 felt inspired to begin another Children's Rosary at St. Pius Church in Wolcott CT and her first meeting was yesterday.  It has been a full week for her with a Children's Rosary the prior weekend at the Basilica where the children led a Rosary before Our Lady of Czestochowa, the traveling Icon from Poland.

This week Sandy and her children stopped at Good Will.  One of the wonderful things about the Good Will store is that the inventory is donated so you never know what you are going to find.  Often what is stocked in the store reflects the type of items found in the homes of those who live nearby.  As Waterbury, CT is a strongly Catholic Community with many Churches and a strong faith occasionally one finds a real spiritual gem.  This day was to be one of those special days.

After perusing through several piles her son commented on a large picture of a dragon.  Her son picked it up and underneath a surprise... an icon of Our Blessed Mother of Czestochowa.  Having just hosted Our Lady the prior weekend both Sandy and her son felt so honored to find their own icon of Our Lady.  The blessings were far from over.    Who might you guess was waiting for them just under some more paintings.....St. Pius.  Just three days before their first Children's Rosary at St. Pius here he was ready to take home.  These were the only two religious items that the children found that day.  A coincidence...possibly but truly a wonderful grace for these little children who were so excited.

An Ice Storm Won't Stop the Prayers of the Children

credit: Hermann Hammer

Over the past several days a destructive snow and ice storm has moved across the United States.  Today it has reached Pennsylvania bringing with it a coating of ice.  A New Children's Rosary was scheduled to meet at St. Joesph Church in Hanover Pennsylvania at 4PM today.  Yet with such dangerous weather conditions travel was not recommended.  With so much excitement about this new group there was still a hope that the weather would not prevent the children from giving Our Lady this beautiful gift.

An idea came... what if the group leader consecrated the group from her home and synchronized all the children safely praying in their homes so that the group could still meet in spirit.  When hearts are united in prayer does distance really matter?

While the children would love to all be shoulder to shoulder kneeling in prayer together there is a wonderful feeling of resilience that no matter what the obstacles we will join together even from a distance and give Our Blessed Mother these precious gifts of prayer from her children.

The group has moved up their starting time to 2PM EST.  Please consider joining these little ones from your home in prayer of the Rosary.  Thank you all for helping to make this first meeting of the Children's Rosary in Hanover Pennsylvania a special one.

Monthly Mass Offered Today for Renewal of Family Prayer

On the 1 year anniversary of the Children's Rosary we began a prayer initiative to renew family prayer. The children began saying novenas to different saints for renewal of family prayer.  Over 780 nine day novenas have been said each to a different saint. Over 500 Children's Read Aloud Bibles have been given out to families to encourage family prayer.  During each Children's Rosary group meeting the children also pray for renewal of family prayer.  A very special way we are trying to bring back family prayer is by offering Masses for this intention. Many Masses have already been requested and going forward a Mass will be offered on the first Saturday of every month for Renewal of Family prayer.  

As Pope John Paul II was fond of saying,  "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live".

A Gift From St. Nicholas to the Children's Rosary

St. Nicholas Patron of all Children

On this beautiful Feast of St. Nicholas, the Children's Rosary has much reason to be grateful. A beautiful gift has come from the Parish of St. Nicholas in Eupen, Belgium.  

Several months ago a prayer request was made from a gentlemen from Belgium.  The children in all the Children's Rosary prayer groups began praying for this intention.  After many weeks of prayer an answer came, one which was unexpected and brought an answer to that which was being sought.  Through this beautiful grace, the gentlemen in reflection felt called to begin a Children's Rosary in his parish.  There were some initial hurdles.  His parish is German speaking with some individuals who also speak French.  Thankfully, his pastor was able to read our Children's Rosary book in Spanish and felt excited to bring this prayer movement to his parish but there was the issue of language.  

Here is where the gift comes in...this wonderful gentlemen from Belgium happens to be fluent in English, German and French.  His command of these languages is so good that he immediately offered to help with the translation of the books into German and French.  Thus opening the door to the Children's Rosary not only to his parish of St. Nicholas but to many parishes throughout the world which speak these languages.  One of the first people he sought help from for the French translation was his 90 year old father.  His father's name is "Nico"=Nicholas.  

So today on the Feast of St. Nicholas there is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for so many graces and blessings which have originated from a Parish in Europe named after this wonderful Saint.

An Arm Full of Prayers to Present to Our Lady

TWENTY CHILDREN'S ROSARY GROUPS TO MEET OVER THE NEXT 4 DAYS

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER

First Meeting of the Children's Rosary in Sulphur, Louisiana USA

December 6th First Friday (Feast of St Nicholas) 
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School in Orange, TX to meet at 7:05AM
Children's Rosary at St. James Church in Madison Georgia to meet at 4PM during Adoration
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Adrian Michigan to meet at 5PM during Adoration

December 7th First Saturday
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Corvallis Oregon to meet at 9AM Pacific time
Children's Rosary at St. Agnes Church in Naples, Florida to meet at 9:30 AM EST
Children's Rosary to meet at Our Lady of LaSalette Parish in Sulphur, Louisiana at 9:30 AM
Children's Rosary at Holy Family Parish in Syracuse, NY to meet at 10 AM at the Daughters of St Mary Chapel
Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Church in East Berlin, CT to meet at 10AM EST
Children's Rosary at ST. Pius Church in Wolcott CT to meet at 10:30 AM EST(FIRST MEETING)
Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Parish in Middleboro, MA to meet at 2PM EST
Children's Rosary at the Immaculate Conception Basilica to meet at 3:30 PM EST
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Hartford CT to meet at 3PM EST
Children's Rosary at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Richmond, Virginia to meet at 4PM (FIRST MEETING)

December 8th (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)
Children's Rosary at St. Francis of Assisi Church in South Windsor CT 8:45 AM EST
Children's Rosary at Our Lady and St. Patrick's Church in Nottingham, England to meet at 9AM local time in England
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle in West Hartford CT 9:45AM EST
Children's Rosary at St. Thomas in Thomaston CT 11AM EST
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church Hanover, PA 2PM EST (FIRST MEETING)

December 9th
Children's Rosary at St. Patrick Parish in Murphys California 4PM Pacific Time
Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist in Mahopac NY at 4:30 PM EST during Adoration

On this beautiful weekend when we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception it is wonderful to have so many children bringing Our Blessed Mother beautiful gifts of prayers.  It is Our Blessed Mother, conceived without sin, who takes these bouquets of prayers and presents them to her Son.  

Thank you all for helping to make these four days grace filled and blessed.

God Bless you all. Amen.

More pictures from the first meeting of the Children's Rosary in Sulphur, LA click here.