Friday, September 20, 2024

Preparing for the Feast of the Archangels on September 29th 2024


Today in prayer I was reminded of the upcoming Feast of the Archangels which has always been a day of grace for the Children's Rosary. For my own part, as founder of the Children's Rosary, I have a special devotion to St. Michael and the Angels. The Chaplet of St. Michael is one of my favorite prayers. For years this is what I prayed as I walked to daily Mass. I ceased doing this only because of my joint problems in my hands that seemed to worsen holding a prayer book while I walked. In thinking about the feast, I was reminded of a gift we received 11 years ago on the Feast of the Archangels. On September 29th 2013 an interview aired on EWTN about the Children's Rosary. This was the first mention of the Children's Rosary on EWTN. By the grace of God many other interviews have followed as well as the regular airing of the Children's Rosary on EWTN. Yet that first interview was special and there has yet to be another one that has seemed to touch hearts in quite the same way. 

In anticipation of September 29th 2024, the Feast of the Archangels, I would like to begin a 9 day Novena (September 20-29th) which will include the daily prayer of the Chaplet of St. Michael. Humbly I invite others including members of the Children's Rosary to join in praying the Novena.

The intention of the Novena:
May St. Michael and the Archangels as well as all the choirs of angels:
*Help to protect the Children's Rosary including all the members. 
*Help to spread the Children's Rosary throughout the world. 
*Help to support, guide and strengthen the members of the Children's Rosary, that we may be the extended hands of Jesus and Mary in this world.

This 9 day novena will help to prayerfully prepare us for the annual 9 Day Novena of Prayer and Fasting that has become a tradition for the Children's Rosary. This will begin on September 29th and end on October 7th (the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary). 
Chaplet of St. Michael


The Chaplet is begun by saying an Act of Contrition(see at bottom of page for prayer) followed by:
V. O God come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, Make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father...
First Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the first Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Seraphim, may the Lord make me worthy to burn with the fire of perfect charity. Amen.
Second Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the second Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Cherubim, may the Lord vouchsafe to grant us grace to leave the ways of wickedness and run in the paths of Christian perfection. Amen.
Third Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the third Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Thrones, may the Lord infuse into our hearts a true and sincere spirit of humility. Amen.
Fourth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the fourth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Dominions, may the Lord give us grace to govern our senses and subdue our unruly passions. Amen.
Fifth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the fifth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Powers, may the Lord vouchsafe to protect our souls against the snares and temptation of the devil. Amen.
Sixth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the sixth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Virtues, may the Lord preserve us from evil, and suffer us not to fall into temptation. Amen.
Seventh Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the seventh Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Principalities, may God fill our souls with a true spirit of obedience. Amen.
Eighth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the eighth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Archangels, may the Lord give us perseverance in faith and in all good works, in order that we gain the glory of Paradise. Amen.
Ninth Salutation: One our Father and three Hail Mary's in honor of the eighth Choir of Angels. By the intercession of St. Michael and the celestial Choir of Angels, may the Lord grant us to be protected by them in this mortal life and conducted hereafter to eternal glory. Amen.
At the end say one Our Father each in honor of  St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and Our Guardian Angel.
The chaplet is concluded with these prayers
O glorious Prince St. Michael, chief and commander of the heavenly hosts, guardian of soul, vanquisher of rebel spirits, servant in the house of the Divine King, and our admirable conductor, thou who dost shine with excellence and superhuman virtue, vouchsafe to deliver us from all evil who turn to thee with confidence and enable us by the gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
V. Pray for us, O Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ.
R. That we may be made worthy of His Promises.
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who by an act of Goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has appointed the most glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of Thy Church, make us worthy, we beseech You, to be delivered by his powerful protection from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him into the august presence of Thy Divine Majesty. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the Chaplet:
An Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment, but most of all because they offend Thee my God who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

New Book Release

We have chosen the paired Feast days of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows to formally release the new book, A Soul Prepared through Suffering. This book draws souls to a greater simplicity of spirit often associated with St. Thérèse the Little Flower and St. Jean Marie Vianney. This book is for those in the trenches of suffering and for those yet to be put to the test, for it prepares people to understand that suffering shared by a loving God works in ways nothing else can. As God is the director of each of our stories, you may see yourself reflected in this book and find it helps each time you go through it in a different way. Put in the time for this 40-Day journey, and you will find you are different on the other side.
This book is a must read. ~Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme 
Diocese of Maiduguri, Nigeria
Imprimatur Granted by Archbishop Leonard Blair of the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT, USA

To Order Book Click HERE


Friday, September 13, 2024

Glastonbury Pilgrimage 2024

 

On the 14th July, the Clifton Diocese organized its annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury, one of England’s most sacred Christian sites. Glastonbury is known for its rich Christian heritage and legendary connections to Joseph of Arimathea. The pilgrimage is a significant event that brings together Catholics from across the South West to honour the Virgin Mary, specifically Our Lady of Glastonbury.

The day began in the parish church of St Mary’s with Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and confessions whilst pilgrims also gathered in the Abbey grounds for prayers of healing, or a picnic with family and parishioners. At 2.15 pilgrims and clergy lined up to process through the Abbey grounds ahead of the statue of Our Lady of Glastonbury. Several families from our Parish in Trowbridge processed behind our Children’s Rosary banner and we were delighted to be joined by some families from across the diocese. The children joyfully prayed and sang as they processed  through the streets of Glastonbury and back into the Abbey grounds, where the pilgrimage culminated in a large open-air Mass celebrated in the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, by our newly appointed Bishop Bosco. The pilgrimage is a powerful reminder of the enduring Christian traditions tied to Glastonbury and offers an opportunity for pilgrims to connect more deeply with their faith and heritage in a place steeped in religious history. 


It is wonderful for the children to witness so many people praying the Rosary and I think it was equally a sign of great hope to other pilgrims to witness the next generation literally taking up the (Children's Rosary) banner and developing a love for Our Lady and the Rosary. ~ Sinéad, Children's Rosary group leader Trowbridge, England




Thursday, September 12, 2024

Children's Rosary in Pakistan Celebrates Queenship of Mary


We wanted to share the lovely pictures from Pakistan taken on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary in August. A special platform was constructed to carry a statue of Mary. 
Our Lady was adorn with a crown and candles and flowers were included on the platform.


Members of the Children's Rosary accompanied the statue in an outdoor procession. 



Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Children's Rosary Materials Arrive in Kitgum, Uganda

 We are excited to report that Fr. Okot from Uganda has received materials to help launch the Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Kitgum Mission parish. Twelve boxes of handmade rosaries were sent on behalf of the Children's Rosary as well as a package with 70 Children's Rosary books as well as Child Consecration books and other Children's Rosary materials. While we have many Children's Rosary groups in Uganda, this would be the first in the Gulu Archdiocese of Uganda. This is a northern diocese near the border with South Sudan. 



Sunday, September 8, 2024

Celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 2024

 

Members of the Children's Rosary at St Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, Connecticut, USA, met today on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The children in the picture above hold roses that were placed at the foot of Our Blessed Virgin Mary during the Rosary. They also hold Children's Rosary spiritual bouquet cards. The children took these cards and will be filling them out with little acts of love and prayers for Mary. To see the Spiritual Bouquet cards and get the pdf download to print and use them, click HERE.

We ended the prayer meeting with some treats to celebrate Our Lady's Birthday. The children were able to take the sweets home with them.


Friday, September 6, 2024

Children's Rosary Has Partnered with My Catholic Will

Hi Friends,

The Children's Rosary is partnering with My Catholic Will. Use the code Childrensrosary to make a will 100% free.

If you click on this link https://mycatholicwill.com/childrensrosary you can also make the Will Free. It is valid in the United States.

Thank you

Blythe Kaufman

Sunday, September 1, 2024

A Mass Was Offered on September 1, 2024 for Seminarians

A Mass was offered on September 1, 2024 for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month, we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are their future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help with their prayers.  It is our goal to feature a different seminarian on the first of the month every month by inviting him to share something of himself and giving all our readers the opportunity to pray for him. This month, we are featuring Andrew Schmitz, a seminarian from Los Angeles, California, USA. 


My name is Andrew Schmitz, and I am twenty-seven years old. I am a second-year seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, currently studying philosophy at the Catholic University of America. I live and receive formation at the Saint John Paul II Seminary. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and attended the University of Notre Dame for my undergraduate studies. Before Seminary, I worked in the management consulting industry here in Washington, DC, where I discerned a call to the diocesan priesthood. 


Growing up, my family attended Mass every Sunday and saw our parish as the center of our spiritual and social lives. I even routinely played Mass with my siblings as a young boy! Upon entering college, I was set on pursuing a career in business and starting a family. For three years, I sought the “normal college experience” but had reduced my faith to a matter of routine and obligation. Later on, a set of philosophy courses I took challenged me to choose between Christ’s saving Truth and worldly doctrines of subjectivity. Of even greater significance, thanks to God’s grace, I had made several friends who aided me in turning away from sin and pursuing virtue. I ultimately started attending daily Mass and frequenting the sacrament of Confession more often. My upbringing, and the social, spiritual, and intellectual parts of my life were finally converging. 


When I moved to DC, I got more involved in activities with Catholic young professionals and began hosting apostolic activities at my apartment. While I was happy with my job and life in the city, I sensed a restlessness in my heart. I felt God was asking me to use my talents and desires in more direct service to Him as I matured in my faith. While all people are called to holiness, I was attracted to the ministerial priesthood and its full, direct, and explicit witness of the Truth. I ultimately was accepted to Seminary and entered formation just one year ago! 


As a priest, I hope to bring this saving Truth of the Gospel to souls encountering the everyday happenings of ordinary life. Great joy is achieved in pursuing a life of self giving and commitment - I want to share this with others! Our world so badly needs this Truth and is quickly ripening to receive it. It’s a great time to be a seminarian and a Catholic. Thank you for your prayers!  


We humbly ask that you please keep Andrew Schmitz in your prayers.