News from the CMN Conference July 2016

Dear Friends,

We are at the Catholic Marketing Network Conference(CMN) this week. This is a three day event where Catholic bookstore owners, writers, Apostolates, priests and so many more come together to pray and also share news of what they are doing.  Bookstore owners also have the opportunity to buy materials for their stores.This is the fourth year the Children's Rosary has been able to have a booth at the CMN.  

On Saturday we began the trip from Connecticut to Chicago, Illinois for the conference.  Our first stop was the National Shrine of Divine Mercy where we held a Children's Rosary at Grandparents Day.  The children were able to kneel before the outdoor shrine and lead the Rosary.  Please know that we prayed for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who were unifying prayers with us. We prayed in a very special way for grandparents. Pilgrims visiting the Shrine from around the world participated in the Rosary led by the children.  The shrine had four buses of pilgrims visiting that day so there were many in attendance.  The Shrine also has a holy door in honor of the Year of Mercy. We went through the door and while doing so prayed in a special way for all the members of the Children's Rosary.  

Our next stop was Syracuse, NY where we celebrated Mass in the morning with one of our Children's Rosary group leaders at Holy Family Church. Our visit was short as we were back on the road.  As night was coming on we entered Cleveland, Ohio and as we left the car we could hear Church bells ringing.  To our complete surprise the Cathedral was across from our hotel and by God's grace we had the opportunity to walk through yet another Holy Door (and yes we prayed for all of you!!)

Our final day of our road trip ended outside of Chicago and brought the opportunity to join attendees of the CMN conference on a short pilgrimage to Mary Town.  This is the National Shrine to St. Maximilian Kolbe.  It was our surprise to see yet another Holy Door.  Yes every day of our trip it seemed we had the blessing to walk through one.  Each time praying for all of you.  God is truly good all the time and we praise Him for such blessing and Mercy.

National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe

So with so many doors of Mercy open we humbly began the Conference full of joy and a trust in God's Divine Providence.  The children and I were physically very tired from such a trip but our weakness it seemed was what we needed to trust all the more that Our Lord would provide the strength we needed.  

Just as we were coming home last night from the Shrine to St. Maximilian Kolbe we noticed in the schedule that the Children's Rosary was in the program to open the following day with a Children's Rosary before Mass at 7AM.  This was a beautiful unexpected gift.  The children knelt in prayer this morning to open the conference.  After Mass we went to the Children's Rosary booth.  The picture of the booth is above.  The Children's Rosary groups each marked as little lights against the view of the world at night, hung behind us.  So indeed you are all with us here at the conference.  Your lights giving witness to the prayers of the children truly illuminating this dark world. Tonight in reflection it seems so fitting that Our Lord would show not just one time but three times that His door of Mercy is open.  We have only to walk through.  The children it seems in their innocence and openness to prayer are leading the way with Rosaries in hand.

Again thank you to all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary.  Please know we are praying for you. We humbly ask for your prayers.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the two days that remain of this Conference and the several days of travel back to Connecticut.  We meet a great number of people at these conferences and there is a feeling that each meeting is for a reason.  We pray that all these little seeds and connections will bear fruit.  

Thank you all.

Your Friend in Christ,
Blythe