Words from the Children Wednesdays

Answering the Question: 

Why is the Children's Rosary Important

Introducing a new weekly highlight on the Children's Rosary Blog: Words from the Children Wednesdays. As the Children's Rosary is a prayer movement composed of children and led by children we would like to begin highlighting some of the beautiful feedback we have been getting from the children from our different Children's Rosary groups.  

Recently I reached out to the different Children's Rosary groups and asked for their help.  The Children's Rosary will be at the Catholic Marketing Network(CMN) Trade Show in New Jersey USA from August 7th-9th and will have a booth.  As the prospect of creating visuals for the booth seemed daunting and expensive Our Lady brought a wonderful inspiration: ask the children to provide the artwork.  The Children were asked to briefly describe WHY THE CHILDREN'S ROSARY IS IMPORTANT.

The pictures have been coming in by mail from all over the country.  They were all so beautiful in their own unique way it seemed like a perfect way to begin our Words From the Children Wednesdays.  More beautiful original artwork to come over the upcoming weeks.  Please if you are a child and would like to submit a picture or message see our contact information and send it in.  We will be featuring them here.

The drawing above was done by Anna age 6 who helped begin a Children's Rosary with her older sister at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Hartford, CT USA. 

Let's Keep the Holy Spirit Blowing through Our Hearts and Families

This past week has seen breathtaking sites of young people on fire with love for Our Lord at World Youth Day.  Last night many of those young people and and Our Holy Father began their travels home.  This fire that has burned so brightly might if we let it begin to grow dim.  Let us consider this day starting a 9 day novena to the Holy Spirit.  May we blow on these hot cinders in our own hearts and truly set them ablaze.

World Youth Day 2013

A few members of the Children's Rosary will also be traveling 9 days from now to New Jersey USA to participate in the Catholic Marketing (CMN) Trade Show.  By the grace of God the Children's Rosary has an opportunity to have a booth at this Conference.  Catholic Publishers, bookstore owners and many other individuals and organizations will be there.  Through many wonderful blessings the Children's Rosary will be present and it is our hope and prayer that whatever the Lord has planned for this conference will be realized.  May we humbly ask all of you to help these efforts with your prayers.  Please consider saying this 9 day novena to the Holy Spirit that the Spirit might blow through each of us, our family, our parish and the world.  It is a powerful thing to unite prayer from across the globe and that is what we hope to do here.

Thank you all and know that you are all in our prayers!

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Dearest Holy Spirit, confiding in Your deep, personal love for me, I am making this novena for the following request, if it be Your Holy Will to grant it:(mention your request*). 

Teach me, Divine Spirit, to know and seek my last end; grant me the holy fear of God; grant me true contrition and patience. Do not let me fall into sin. Give me an increase of faith, hope and charity, and bring forth in my soul all the virtues proper to my state in life.

Make me a faithful disciple of Jesus and an obedient child of the Church. Give me efficacious grace sufficient to keep the Commandments and to receive the Sacraments worthily. 

Give me the four Cardinal Virtues, Your Seven Gifts, Your Twelve Fruits.
Raise me to perfection in the state of life to which You have called me and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life.I ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. 
(novena obtained from EWTN website)

*May the Holy Spirit blow through our hearts, families, parish and the Children's Rosary and in a special way the CMN Trade Show where the Children's Rosary will be attending from August 7-9th. May Our Lord's Plans continue to unfold all for the glory of God. Amen

For the Sake of 10 Righteous Men the Lord Would Have Spared Sodom

Young Pilgrims at World Youth Day 2013
AP Photo/ Felipe Dana

How Much Mercy has been called down upon our tired world by the prayers of Our Holy Father and 3 million young people at World Youth Day?  The answer is known to the Lord alone but if we look at the mercy Our Lord would show for the sake of 10 righteous men in Sodom then one can surmise that the mercy called down by so much prayer this week at World Youth Day is beyond our comprehension.

In the first reading today Abraham speaks before the Lord and asks the Lord to spare Sodom if ten righteous men can be found within the city.  The Lord responds, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." (Genesis 18:32)

Last night the scene on the Copacabana beach before the arrival of Pope Francis for an evening vigil was full of song and praise for Our Lord.  Many would remain on the beach overnight singing and in prayer in cold temperatures to be present for the Pope's Final Mass of World Youth Day.  To see the Holy Spirit alive in these young people is an image of hope.  How happy must Our Lady and her Son be to look down and see such a sight.  

Thank you Pope John Paul II for your efforts while here on earth to begin such a wonderful event for our young people.  Thank you to Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis for continuing such a beautiful tradition.  As a person who attended World Youth Day in the US with Pope John Paul II in 1993 I feel the fruits of such intense communal prayer are still bearing fruit.

Other Posts you may enjoy:
Pope Francis and the Rosary
Words by Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2013
Pope Francis Places the People of Latin America Under the Intercessory Protection of Our Lady

Words by Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2013

Pope Francis at Mass at the Cathedral of St. Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro
on July 27th 2013

In Pope Francis’ homily from Mass at the Cathedral of St. Sebastian on July 27th the Holy Father speaks beautifully about our call to help our young people.

“Let us help our young people to realize that the call to be missionary disciples flows from our baptism and is an essential part of what it means to be a Christian. We must also help them to realize that we are called first to evangelize in our own homes and our places of study and work, to evangelize our family and friends.

Let us spare no effort in the formation of our young people! Saint Paul uses a beautiful expression that he embodied in his own life, when he addressed the Christian community: “My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you” (Gal 4:19). Let us embody this also in our own ministry! Let us help our young people to discover the courage and joy of faith, the joy of being loved personally by God, who gave his Son Jesus for our salvation. "

The Holy father concludes his homily by once again pointing out Our Blessed Mother Mary as the Star to lead our efforts to reach her Son.

“May the Virgin Mary be our exemplar. In her life she was “a model of that motherly love with which all who join in the Church’s apostolic mission for the regeneration of humanity should be animated” (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 65). May she be the Star that surely guides our steps to meet the Lord. Amen.”

Children's Rosary Today

JOIN US IN PRAYER

The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT will meet today at 11AM ET.  There will be  a small reception after the Rosary provided by the Legions of Mary.  Please consider joining the children in prayer either at the Church or from your home.  The children always pray for those who are unifying their prayers with them.

Thank you all and God Bless!

Pope Francis Places the People of Latin America Under the Intercessory Protection of Our Lady

Pope Francis continues to show his beautiful love for Our Lady.

During his trip this week to Brazil for World Youth Day 2013 he visited the Shrine of Aparecida.  It  is one of the largest shrines in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  He told those present that he had come to place the people of Latin America under the intercessory protection of Our Lady.

Pope Francis went on to say that "it is from Mary that the Church learns true discipleship."

This is not the first time Pope Francis has turned to Our Lady and sought her protection and guidance.  The Holy Father recalled during the visit that he consecrated his pontificate to Our Lady at the Basilica of Mary Major in Rome.

Pope Francis prayed silently in front of the 15 inch statue of Our Lady of Aparecia, the "Black Mary." His eyes began to tear up and he was visibly moved as he prayed before Our Lady.  He later was given a replica of the statue and carried it in his arms.  He made a promise to those present that he would again return to this Shrine in 2017 to honor the 300 year anniversary of the finding of the statue of Our Lady of Aparecia in a nearby river.  

You may also like the following posts:
Pope Francis and the Rosary
Pope Francis Invokes the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pope Francis Urges Families to Pray the Rosary

Mass Offered for Members of the Children's Rosary Today

A Mass was offered today by the Capuchin Friars for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all those who help the Children's Rosary.  We will continue to have a Mass said for the this intention on the 25th of each month. The Eucharist is such a powerful gift from Our Lord and that when I wanted to extend thanksgiving to you all I knew of no better way to express my gratitude.  May Our Lord's love be poured down on all of you this day through the powerful sacrifice of the Holy Mass. 

Thank you all and God Bless you!

Two Children's Rosary Groups to Meet Tomorrow

JOIN US IN PRAYER

There are two Children's Rosary groups meeting tomorrow:  
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT will have their weekly Children's Rosary at 11AM ET.  There will be a reception to follow provided by the Legions of Mary.
The Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist in Hopkinton, MA will have their monthly Rosary at 11:15 AM ET.

Please consider joining the children either at the Church or from your home.  The children always pray for those unifying their prayers with them.

Thank you all and God Bless!

A Request from Kenya: Keep Praying for Us

The Children's Rosary in Nairobi, Kenya had their second meeting on Saturday July 13th.  Once again there were a great many children who attended.  Far more in fact then they had rosaries which resulted in them including most of the older children with hopes in the future to include the smaller children who also wanted to come.  

The group leader Antonine wrote to us that she began the Children's Rosary this month with one hymn for Our Lady sung in Kiswahili the language they mostly use.

She also wrote that she and the children are praying for all the different Children's Rosary groups and humbly asked that we keep praying for them as well.  

Antonine is hopeful that she can purchase more rosaries herself but the need is so large with so many beautiful children who would like to learn and pray the rosary together. If anyone would like to donate rosaries for this group we will be compiling a package for them.  

Please send Rosaries to:
Children's Rosary
c/o Blythe Kaufman
146 Four Mile Rd
West Hartford CT 06107 USA

Thank you all and God Bless!

Our Lady is Going on A Big Trip

Today Our Lady is going on a big trip to begin two Children's Rosary groups in Timor Leste, a country in South East Asia.  Her flight will be a long one as she crosses the globe with 100 Rosaries.  Her distination two parishes on the Island of Timor Leste:  Our Lady of Fatima Parish and St. Joseph Parish.  Many of the rosaries she is traveling with have been made by children and all have been gathered by members of the Children's Rosary with the prayer that children will find a love of Our Lady and her Son through prayer of the Rosary.  

100 Rosaries, many made by children
 ready to be sent to 2 new Children's Rosary groups in East Timor

Over the past two years over 780 Novenas have been said to different saints asking that the Children's Rosary would be the extended hands of Our Lady and her Son and gather a great many souls for Our Lord especially young people.  Today on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel the fruits of so many prayers can be seen.  Our Lady is setting out to bring more of her children to her Son.  

Several weeks ago an inquiry came from a young man from Timor Leste hoping to start a Children's Rosary group.  He is a man of great faith with a Biblical name: Abel.  As we began to correspond he shared his strong devotion to Our Lady and commitment to sharing this love with young people. At first he was considering beginning a Children's Rosary in one parish but then wrote and said he was starting groups in two parishes two hours a part by bus.  He began signing children up for the Children's Rosary and found he had close to 100 children interested in participating. It was beautiful to see this young man named after a shepherd from the Bible gathering so many "sheep" for the Lord.

Whenever possible, if a new group is in need of rosaries the Children's Rosary tries to help and so our network of members went into action to make and gather enough rosaries for these two new groups.  Abel then wrote to us with another request.  Could we send a statue of Our Lady.  While this at first seemed impossible I could not shake the feeling that Our Lady would show us a way.  Today on the Feast of Mount Carmel she provided a perfect statue.  Our pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford offered one of our statues of Our Lady for the group.  It was hollow and relatively light which was perfect for the shipping.  

Through each step of this project children have been in the center.  The Children's Rosary is a prayer movement composed of children and lead by children. Today both Asher, age 6 and Kostin age 9 helped carry our Lady to the post office.  Despite the 95 degree heat they were all smiles.  Happy to share Our Lady with more children and help form two new Children's Rosary groups. 

Thank you Blessed Mother for your unfailing love and assistance.

A Happy Discovery

The Children's Rosary planted a Peace rose for Our Lady on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima over a year ago.  The children prayed that with each petal that formed on the rose 1,000 families would begin family prayer.  On July 2nd Our Lady's rose bloomed for the first time this year.  

Our Lady's Rose in Bloom on July 2, 2013

Then this past weekend we found the rose garden had been in the path of a crane which was brought in to help with repairing the windows of the Church.  The children and I looked all around the grounds and were not able to find the roses planted elsewhere.  It was sad to see them gone.  Then yesterday as the children and I were entering the Church for daily Mass we saw the grounds keeper.  The children asked about Our Lady's Rose.  He responded that the bushes had been cut down but the roses were saved.  Praise the Lord...Our Lady's Rose and those planted with hers had been spared.  They had been dug up and put in buckets with the plans to replant after the construction was over.  A happy end to a story and just in time for Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Feast Today.

Reflections from the Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT USA

Today we were blessed with many adults who joined the children for the Rosary.  With the reconstruction of the lower chapel the children were relocated to the Upper Church to hold the Children's Rosary.  During the rosary the children place a rose before a statue of Our Lady at the end of each decade and ask for the fruit of each mystery.  

After the Rosary ended, Alina asked if she could give the adults who had joined us a rose in thanksgiving.  There were two women who had joined the children today who were originally from Cork Ireland. Both women were all smiles as Alina brought them each a rose.  They quickly told Alina that they love the Rosary and pray it daily.  It was wonderful to see one generation of Our Lady's children sharing their faith with Our Lady's younger children of today. 

An Unexpected End to Our Lady's Rose

On the way into the Church this morning there was an unexpected surprise.  A large crane had been brought in to help repair the stained glass windows of the Church.  Lying in its wake was the Rose garden where the Children's Rosary had planted a peace rose for Our Lady last year.  The rose had been planted on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima with the prayer that with every petal that formed on the rose 1,000 families would begin family prayer.  The rose bloomed several times last summer.  This year the rose was very late in blooming and two blooms opened for the first time on July 2nd.  The timing of this years blossom seemed to perfectly coincide with another gift from Our Lady.  An inquiry from a young man from East Timor, a country in South East Asia, came on the same day Our Lady's Rose opened.  When I asked what Church he belonged to he replied: Our Lady of Fatima.  We were both touched by the timing of the Our Lady's Rose opening.

Today seeing the Rose garden destroyed it was even more special that Our Lady's Rose was able to bloom once this year before its demise. So often I have thought of our time here on earth like the passing of a flower.  One day in full bloom and the next all traces gone forever.  Seeing all the Roses gone this morning there is a renewed feeling of urgency that we make good use of the very short time we have here.  Our moments are fleeting like brilliance of a new blossom open in the sun. 

Here is a little look back at the planting of Our Lady's Rose and some wonderful moments.

All the steps of planting the Rose
were done by the children.

On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima the children held a Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church and then together planted a Peace rose as a gift to Our Lady.

Other posts you may enjoy:
Planting of Our Lady's Rose on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
A Blossom of Love from Our Lady
Our Lady's Rose Blooms on Her Feast Day
Our Lady of Fatima's Rose Opens

First blossom on Our Lady's Rose

Even little Angie just 4 helps
 by watering the newly planted rose.

Five Children's Rosary Groups to Meet Over the Next Two Days

JOIN US IN PRAYER

Saturday July 13th
The Children's Rosary at Holy Trinity Church in Nairobi, Kenya will meet at 3PM local time in Kenya (8AM ET). This group had approximately 40 children at their first meeting last month.
The Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Hartford, CT USA will meet at 4PM ET.

Sunday July 14th
The Children's Rosary at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in South Windsor, CT will meet at 8:45 AM ET.
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT with meet at 9:45 AM ET in the Upper Church.
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT will hold their weekly Rosary at 11AM ET.  A reception provided by the Legions of Mary will follow.

Consider joining the children in prayer either at Church or from your home.  The children always pray for those unifying their prayers with them.

Thank you all and God Bless!

Reflections from the Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, CT

Yesterday the weather was hot and sticky with temperatures in the 90s.  Despite the heat in the Basilica there was a wonderful turnout for the Children's Rosary with several new families joining them.  Deacon McDermott, the seminarian from Holy Apostles helping at the Basilica this year, joined the children for the Rosary which was a wonderful addition.  The Children's Rosary group leader at the Basilica had the good fortune several months ago of stumbling on a wonderful collection of religious statues at a thrift store.  She was able to buy the statues and she and her children washed them all up.  The cleaning revealed they were all in good condition and she decided she would use them for a little free statue raffle at the Children's Rosary.  With her permission I am including the little note she sent me yesterday,

The Statues all washed and clean

"Also at our statue raffle, we had children win statues in such a providential manor. It seems God has His hands in even the little things of life. A little girl who loves to fold her hands just so won the praying hands statue. Her brother thought that was perfect. A family that just said a novena to the Infant of Prague won a statue of Him. God is so good! A boy named after St. Joseph won a statue of him!"

Pope John Paul II to be Named a Saint

Our Beloved Pope John Paul II will soon be called a Saint!!! From the time of his death in 2005 crowds cheered, "Santo Subito"  (sainthood now) and those prayers have been heard and will be realized very soon according to the Vatican. 

Pope Francis announced on June 5th that Pope John Paul II would be canonized.  The date of the canonization has not been announced.

Pope John Paul at the Mass of beatification of Anton Martin
 in Slovenia in 1999 AFP/Getty Images

Pope John Paul II has always been a wonderful intercessor for the Children's Rosary.  The Children's Rosary book was written in large part on his Feast October 22, 2012.  The book is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Our Blessed Mother and in gratitude for the intercession of Pope John Paul II.  As the Children's Rosary just finished our novena to the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of God's Plan for the Children's Rosary and the Children's Rosary book on July 5th there is this wonderful reminder of the powerful intercessor we have in Pope John Paul II.  His love of Our Lady and and young people is felt so strongly even today 13 years after his death.  As one of the thousands of young people who traveled to World Youth Day in 1993 I feel in a way that his hand in the Children's Rosary began with the love and faith he shared with us. May I humbly suggest that on this First Saturday, a day in which we remember Our Lady, we might all begin a 9 day novena to Pope John Paul II.  Might we consider asking Pope John Paul to intercede for the Children's Rosary and our Children's Rosary book along with our families and the concerns we hold in our heart.  May we together pray this beautiful prayer each day for the next 9 days: 

Prayer for Obtaining Graces Through the Intercession of the Servant 

of God the Pope John Paul II

O Blessed Trinity, 

We thank You for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him. 

Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. 

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.

Amen

With ecclesiastical approval CARDINAL CAMILLO RUINI
the Holy Father’s Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome

(credit: novena from the John Paul II foundation)

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

Favorite Prayer of Pope John Paul II

Favorite Quotes of Pope John Paul II

Five Children's Rosary Groups to Meet Over the Next Three Days

JOIN US IN PRAYER

First Friday
The Children's Rosary at St. Peter's Church in Steubenville, Ohio will meet at 4:30 PM ET.
The Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Adrian, Michigan will meet  at 5PM ET in the Main Church.  This group has chosen to hold their Children's Rosary during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
First Saturday
The Children's Rosary at St. Agnes Church in Naples, Florida will meet at 9:30 AM in the chapel.
The Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception will meet at 3:30 PM ET.
Sunday
The Children's Rosary at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT will hold their weekly Children's Rosary at 11AM ET. A small reception to follow provided by the Legions of Mary. 

Consider joining the children in prayer either at their respective Churches or from your home.  The children always pray for those unifying their prayer with them.

A creative expression of love for Our Lady
following a Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception 

Thank you all and God Bless.

You may also like the following posts:
How to Pray the Rosary
How to Start a Children's Rosary
First Saturday Devotion

Our Lady of Fatima's Rose Opens

Our Lady's Rose opens today 7.2.2013
for the first time this year

Last year on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima members of the Children's Rosary planted a Peace Rose at St. Thomas the Apostle Church as a gift to Our Lady.  The children prayed that with each petal that forms on the rose that 1,000 families would begin family prayer.  All spring we have been watching Our Lady's Rose.  While many of the roses in the rose garden at St. Thomas were blooming our small rose was bare.  But then just last week I spied two buds.  Today as I walked to daily Mass the blossoms were gloriously open.  After a day of heavy down pours yesterday it was clear the blossoms had just opened as there was no damage to the two beautiful flowers.  

Our Lady had another beautiful gift in store for the Children's Rosary group today.  It came with an inquiry about the Children's Rosary.  The individual contacting us was from East Timor a country in South East Asia.  He was excited about the idea of starting a Children's Rosary.  When I wrote to him and asked his parish he said, Our Lady of Fatima.  Both of us were deeply touched to realize the beautiful timing of his inquiry and the opening of the Rose planted last year in honor of Our Lady of Fatima.  Another wonderful gift was to see this new connection in Asia after Our Holy Father had released his missionary prayer intention for July which was: "That throughout Asia doors may open to messengers of the Gospel."

The plans of Our Lady and Our Lord are so beautiful that as they unfold there is a wonderful excitement and joy at the realization of how intricate they are and impossible to predict.

The Peace Rose being planted as a gift to Our Lady
on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima 2012

Little Peter one of the members of the Children's Rosary
helped with the planting and watering of Our Lady's Rose