Do you have thirty minutes a month?

This past weekend at our Children’s Rosary at St. Thomas Apostle Church in West Hartford, we had two new members Anna age 6 and Clare age 3.  They were brought by a mom of one of our regular members, Conner. The girls took their place kneeling in front of the Statue of Mary.  During the Rosary they kept reaching out to touch the statue of Mary.  The older sister Anna went and got her coat so it was softer as she would reach forward to touch Our Lady.  Her younger sister followed along as little sisters are fond of doing.  

Connor who usually sits in the pews and places a rose at the end of one of the decades was watching all this very closely.  As we were finishing the rosary I heard Connors voice behind me.  He was saying the prayers.  This was a new and very surprising thing as Connor has a disability.  When I turned around he had his hands together in prayer and was smiling at me as he said the words to the Hail Mary.  I handed the last rose to him as we finished the final decade.  He went forward with his mom and placed it at Our Lady’s feet.  Then he did something which left us all speechless.  He knelt down next to the two girls and put his elbows on the step where the statue of Mary was placed.  He put his hands together and began to say the prayers for the Pope that we say at the end of the Rosary.  His mother asked if he wanted to stay kneeling and he said, yes! 

When we had finished praying I went over to Connor and the girls.  Little Clare looked up at me with the most innocent eyes.  She smiled and looking at the three of them I felt for a moment as if I were looking at angels.  They were silent and only smiled.  I kept repeating to them that they were so special to Our Lady and were our little angels.  Connor was so happy and I asked him if next month he wanted to lead a decade of the rosary.  He pointed at the podium and said, yes.  His mom was beaming, too. 

A photo taken of the children after the rosary.  

Our Blessed Mother is so good to us.  She helps us with our children and through them shows us the beauty of prayer.  Sunday morning was a moment that touched my heart to its depths.  There was so much hope.  To see what Our Lady could do with these little ones.  Oh, that more children were brought to her.  This is my daily prayer.  It is my hope that many of you reading this will ask yourself a question: could I spend thirty minutes a month having a Children's Rosary at my parish?  We have new groups that are forming with mom's of young children and mom's of older children.  We have a grandmother who has begun one of our largest groups.  We also have a young single member without any children in her twenties that started a group.  Currently, we have a husband and father of three who is organizing a new group.  Please pray about it and I will pray for you, too.  Our Lord and Our Lady know who you are and I trust in them that they are speaking to your heart.  

Thank you all for reading this message.  It comes from the heart with the hope that we may all bring joy to Our Lady and her Son.  

God Bless you all abundantly. Amen

How to Start a Children's Rosary