A Missionary Spirit

On February 6, Asher and I attended a liturgy at St. Maron's Maronite Catholic Church in Torrington, Connecticut. The Pastor, Fr. Fadi Khawand, was very excited to see a Children's Rosary begin at his parish. However he humbly asked that children come to his parish to demonstrate a Children's Rosary and pray with his parishioners in order to expose everyone to the idea. After the Children's Rosary meeting in my own home parish on February 7, I mentioned to Stephanie, the mother of one of our most faithful members at the West Hartford Children's Rosary, about Fr. Fadi Khawand's request. She wrote Saturday evening, February 14, to say that her daughter, Peyton, was available to help. Thus with very little notice we gathered the materials and roses for a Children's Rosary on February 15. Only Peyton was able to come, but she was not intimidated. She led the Rosary prayers beautifully and placed flowers before a picture of Our Lady at the end of each decade along with other adults who were uniting in prayer from the pews. 

At the end of the liturgy that followed the Rosary, Peyton gave parishioners a rose from the Children's Rosary. There were many smiles in the Church this morning, and people were visibly joyful to hear a sweet young voice leading the Holy Rosary. Two families were interested in forming a Children's Rosary at St. Maron's Church. Another parishioner asked that we make a visit to her Church in a neighboring town. Praise God that the response was very good. At the heart of this effort was a child who said yes when asked to help bring more children to prayer. Peyton has a missionary spirit for Our Lord, and after todays experience she was overjoyed to visit another Church and invite yet more children to pray. 

Across from where we sat in the pews during Mass there was a large stained glass window of St. Thérèse the little flower holding an arm full of roses. As I looked at Peyton she seemed a beautiful reflection of St. Thérèse, a patron of missionaries.