Join Us for a Special Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting!

Please join us for a special Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting! This will begin on March 17th and conclude on March 25th. As we have shared, this year something remarkable will happen. The Annunciation, which traditionally falls on March 25th, is also the day Good Friday is celebrated. The Catholic Church transfers celebration of the Annunciation to April 4th this year. Yet, 9 months from March 25th is Christmas so even though celebration of the Annunciation is transferred, one is aware of the wonderful connection of these dates. Indeed, it is a recognition of the moment Our Lord said, "Not as I will but as you will" (Matthew 26:39), and Our Blessed Mother said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy will" (Luke 1:38). It is our hope that through this Novena of Prayer and Fasting we might each be able to join our voice to those of Our Lord and Our Lady and say, "Thy will be done" will our whole heart.

In anticipation for the Novena, the children have been busy making hearts. Each person participating in the Novena will have their name placed on a heart. We will be bringing all of these hearts on the evening of March 16th when the Children's Rosary will host the Relics of the Passion. Included in this special Year of Mercy Tour of the Relics of the Passion is a piece of the True Cross. The relics will be coming to a Church named after St. Helena, the person who is credited as discovering the True Cross. For all those who would like to participate in this Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting, you are invited to send your name to be placed at the foot of the Cross on March 16th during the visit of the relics. We will pray and offer up all those names during the evening of prayer. We are inviting all those in the vicinity of St. Helena Church in West Hartford, CT, USA to join us that evening at 7 PM ET. For those who live far away, please unify your prayers with us. We would like to have as many children involved with hosting the Relics of the Passion as possible on the evening of March 16th.

An exciting surprise: first class relics of all 12 Apostles will also be present for the evening of March 16th!!!!

 Novena March 17-25 

1) Pray one Rosary each day meditating on the life of Christ

2) Fast for 9 days

We feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to begin our fast at the Cross and end with the Cross.  

While some may be able to do a bread and water fast for the nine days, others may find the Lord calling them to some other sacrifice.  The Lord will ask something of each of us. For children, some may be drawn to a level of fasting but careful discernment should be taken with their parents to help find a special sacrifice to give to Our Lord.

Let us fast and pray that we may say Thy Will Be Done on Good Friday and like never before join Our Lord at the cross and bask in His mercy.

If you would like to participate in the Year of Mercy Novena of Prayer and Fasting and have your name placed before the relic of the True Cross on March 16th, please email Blythe Kaufman at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com to give your name.

Please also email Blythe Kaufman if you have a child who would like to help with the Relics of the Passion Visit on March 16th at St. Helena Church in West Hartford CT. The event will begin at 7 PM. Children involved will be asked to come at 6:15 PM. 

Novena of the Miraculous Medal

Image taken by a member of the Children's Rosary
at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother,
penetrated with the most lively confidence in your
all-powerful and never-failing intercession,
manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal,
we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena,
if they be beneficial to our immortal souls,
and the souls for whom we pray.

(Here form your petition)

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been 
the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity.
Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that
purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so 
that our every thought, word and deed may tend to 
His greater glory.
Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial
that we may recover by penance what we have lost
by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode 
where you are the Queen of angels and of men.
Amen.
(source: EWTN)

The Children's Rosary would like to humbly invite you to join us in praying the Novena of the Miraculous Medal (November 16th -24th).  These are the same dates the novena is being prayed at the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal in Philadelphia, PA USA.  In a special way may we pray for the intentions of Our Blessed Mother and a fulfillment of her plans for each of us and the Children's Rosary prayer group movement.

Thank you all. 

* Please note that the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal decided to hold the yearly novena a bit early ending on November 24th.  The Feast is actually the 27th of November so if you would like to extend the Novena 2 extra days ending on the 26th this would also be wonderful as well.

Other Posts You May Enjoy
How to Start a Children's Rosary 
Parents Need the Prayers of their Children
Theme song for the Children's Rosary Prayer Group Movement

Novena of the Most Holy Rosary

Novena (September 29th-October 7th) 

The prayer below is to be said daily for 9 days.

Dear Blessed Mother Queen of the Holy Rosary,

We entreat you today to place your hand in ours and gently guide us and our families to your Son.  Through the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary may we come to imitate the ways of your Son and grow daily in the virtues.  May through this time together in prayer may we come to a deeper friendship and love with the Holy Trinity and you Our Mother.  Through this Novena of prayers we humbly place an intention before you *_______ and ask you to bring it before your Son.  Blessed Mother Mary we love you and ask that you place the Rosary spiritually around us that we and our families might be protected from evil and led on the straight path to the Kingdom which awaits us.

(Pray one Hail Mary, one Our Father and one Glory Be daily)

*Intention

(As the Children's Rosary just finished a week of 9 days of prayer and fasting which yielded many blessings and gifts we would like to humbly suggest that we join together for the intention of THANKSGIVING TO OUR LORD).

Novena to St. Charles Borromeo

Feast November 4th

PATRON OF CATECHISTS 

St. Charles Borromeo was a humble priest despite his rather influencial position as nephew to the Pope.  He became a priest and was elevated to Cardinal of Milan.  During the years of the plague in Milan 1576-77 he showed great care for the victims.  St. Charles also was involved in the education of children and seminarians.  The novena included below is taken from the Ursuline Manual.

O glorious St. Charles, the father of the clergy, and the perfect model of holy prelates! You are that good pastor, who, like your divine Master, gave up your life for your flock, if not by death, at least by the numerous sacrifices of your painful mission. Your sanctified life on earth was a spur to the most fervent, your exemplary penance was a reproach to the slothful, and your untiring zeal was the support of the Church.

O great Prelate, since the glory of God and the salvation of souls are the only objects of solicitude to the blessed in heaven, vouchsafe to intercede for me now, and to offer up for the intention of this novena, those fervent prayers which were so successful while you were on earth.

You are, O great St. Charles, among all the Saints of God, one in whose intercession I should most confide, because you were chosen by God to promote the interests of religion, by promoting the Christian education of youth. You were, like Jesus Christ himself, always accessible to little ones; for whom you broke the bread of the word of God, and procured for them also the blessings of a Christian Education. To you, then, I have recourse with confidence, beseeching you to obtain for me the grace to profit of the advantages I enjoy, and for which I am so considerably indebted to your zeal. Preserve me by your prayers from the dangers of the world; obtain that my heart may be impressed with a lively horror of sin; a deep sense of my duty as a Christian; a sincere contempt for the opinion and false maxims of the world; an ardent love for God, and that holy fear which is the beginning of wisdom.

[Mention your request]

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Queen of Apostles, pray for us.

St. Charles, pray for us.

St. Charles, imitator of Christ,

St. Charles, faithful follower of Christ crucified,

St. Charles, replenished with the spirit of the Apostles,

St. Charles, consumed with zeal for the glory of God,

St. Charles, the light and support of the Church,

St. Charles, Father and Guide of the Clergy,

St. Charles, most desirous of the salvation of souls,

St. Charles, a model of humility and penance,

St. Charles, most zealous, for the instruction of youth, pray for us.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. Charles. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Preserve Your Church, O Lord, under the continual protection of Your glorious Confessor and Bishop, St. Charles, that as he was eminent for the discharge of his pastoral duties, so his prayers may make us zealous in the love of Your holy name: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We are very excited to have a Children's Rosary in a school named after St. Charles Borromeo in Louisiana, USA.  A recent picture shows the children at prayer at St. Borromeo School.  We thank St. Charles for his intercession and help bring a Children's Rosary to his School and humbly ask that he watch over these children and help to spread the Children's Rosary throughout the world especially in his home country of Italy. Amen.

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

Children's Rosary: Novena to the Holy Spirit

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 as in the first Pentecost bringing us a renewed Spirit of prayer and love of God and neighbor. 

The Friday after Ascension Thursday is the day Mary and the Apostles began the very first novena to the Holy Spirit.  May we too begin a novena calling down the Spirit to blow through our hearts, families, and parishes as in the first Pentecost bringing a renewed Spirit of prayer and love of God and neighbor.

The Children's Rosary annually prays a novena to the Holy Spirit during the nine days preceding Pentecost.  It is my hope and prayer that both our children and parents may join in the prayers.  In the Acts of the Apostles we are told that Jesus promises "you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And when He had said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." (Acts 1:8-9)  

Ascension Thursday marks the departure of Jesus but we are assured that the Advocate is coming and this news is one of hope. This year our parish of St. Thomas has chosen various ways to celebrate Pentecost.  One of those is to invite the parish to pray this novena in their homes.  Last year members of the Children's Rosary from the parish prayed this novena and this year the whole parish is joining this prayer effort.  This in itself is a beautiful testament to the power of the Holy Spirit and the graces which are bestowed upon those who seek the assistance of the Spirit. The novena prayer above is to be said daily for nine days beginning tomorrow May 10th. 

Mother's Day Novena

The following is the same prayer being said during the Novena at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.The Novena runs from May 3rd through May 11th. Mother's Day is May 12th.

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank you for our mothers to whom you have entrusted the care of every precious human life. Grant that every woman may come to understand the full meaning of that blessing. Watch over every mother who is with child. Grant her love for her unborn baby. Give her courage in times of fear, understanding in times of doubt, and hope in times of trouble. Grant her joy in the birth of her child.We beseech you to send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to all mothers who sorrow for children that have died. Help grieving mothers to rely on your tender mercy and fatherly love for all your children. We ask your blessing on all those to whom you have entrusted motherhood. May they ever follow the example of Mary, mother of Our Lord Jesus, and imitate her fidelity, her humility, and her self-giving love.

We ask this through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

AMEN.

Divine Mercy Novena Starts Today!

Good Friday is the day that Jesus asked Saint Faustina that a 9 day novena to The Divine Mercy be initiated.  He gave her a different group of souls to pray for each day.  Along with those intentions the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is said as well.  This novena leads up to Divine Mercy Sunday instituted by Pope John Paul II.  I am attaching a link to the Divine Mercy Novena and how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  

Novena to The Divine Mercy

The Diary of St. Faustina is such a treasure of beautiful ways Jesus calls us to come to the fountain of His mercy.  I am including a few of my favorite excerpts:  

In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy. (1588)

Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. (1578)

Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy. (Jesus to souls striving for perfection and holiness - 1488)

I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls. (Diary of St. Faustina 50)

This one seemed especially fitting for today, being Good Friday:

Jesus tells us:

“there is no way to heaven except the way of the cross. I followed it first. You must learn that it is the shortest way.... I am giving you a share in those sufferings because of My special love for you and in view of the high degree of holiness I am intending for you in Heaven. A suffering soul is closer to My heart.” (Words spoken by Jesus to St. Faustina diary 1487)

Leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday, it is my hope to include more reflections and quotes from the Diary of St. Faustina here on this blog.

Thank you all and may Our Lord cover you with His Divine Mercy. Amen.

A Novena of Thanksgiving

The blessings poured down on the Children's Rosary have been too many to number.

Two weeks ago the Children's Rosary book became available to order at Neumann Press.  Many hands were brought together to make this book a reality.  Yet how did so many find their way to this project?  Many requests went up to Our Lord for assistance with this project and those prayers were answered in such a beautiful way. Those who stepped forward to help were from unlikely sources.  Some gave time and talent who were not even Christian.  The artist who did the custom illustrations for the book gave his time as a mitzvah or good deed.  He is a man of Jewish faith.

The cover illustration of Jesus is a painting done by a Mormon man.  When asked if he would grant permission for the painting to be used for our Children's Rosary book the gentleman asked if I knew he was a Mormon.  I told him I suspected he was from the College he attended, but that it didn't matter to me.  He told me he loves Jesus and I told him I do, too.  He then gave us full permission to use the painting free of charge.

Through Divine Providence a chance meeting with the Archbishop of Hartford brought a wonderful partnership where he agreed to not only write the Preface but also to be the Imprimatur as well.

Over the past several months the Lord has continued to shower blessings by bringing the most wonderful people to the Children's Rosary.  New groups have formed and from them others.  Families and children have come to many different Children's Rosary groups offering Our Lady bouquets of prayers to bring before Our Lord.  Today as we conclude our Novena for the Conclave there was an overwhelming feeling of Thanksgiving to Our Lady for her intercession and Our Lord in His three Persons for granting such graces.  

(source: gotowall.com)

Today a Novena of Masses was begun.  Nine Masses will be said by the Capuchin missionary priests in Thanksgiving for what we have been given and the graces bestowed upon the Children's Rosary and all its members. One Mass will be said daily from March 9th until March 17th. Please join us in thanking Our Lord during these 9 days for his Mercy and Generosity to us.

Thank you all.

God Bless!

Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Conclave of Cardinals

Pope Benedict  XVI (Photo:CNS)

Today Pope Benedict stepped down as Supreme Spiritual Head of the Catholic Church and made a surprise statement to his fellow Cardinals:

“I will continue to be close to you the next few days in prayer that you may be full of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope.  May the Lord show you what He wants from you.  Among you is the next Pope.”

Hearing these words of Pope Benedict XVI there was a feeling that we should join with him in prayer for the same intention.  Could there be a better phrasing of a prayer for the Cardinals then the one Our Holy Father spoke from the depths of his heart.  May I humbly ask you to join together beginning tomorrow (March 1st 2013) a 9 day novena of prayer to the Holy Spirit for the intention given to us by our dear Pope Benedict XVI.  We have been given a precious gift and privilege to know the prayers of the Holy Father for his successor may we not lose this opportunity to be one with him in prayer for a most Divinely inspired Conclave.  Thank you all and may the Lord bless you for your love and prayers for the future of Our Holy Church.  Amen.

(photo courtesy of Catholic News Service)

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: that the Cardinals may be full of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope.  May the Lord show them what He wants from them.(mention your additional requests). 

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 to the Holy Spirit obtained from EWTN website)

Prayer to Father Vincent Capodanno

Servant of God

Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM

February 13 1929-Sept 4 1967

Prayer to Obtain a Favor through the Intercession of Servant of God Fr. Capodanno: 

May God who has offered healing and strength through the hands of His only Son, Our Lord, and through Christ’s many servants grant me the favor of His healing and through the intercession of His servant, Fr. Vincent Capodanno, priest, missionary, and chaplain, who always sought to heal and comfort the wounded and dying on the field of battle. May I be granted this request on my own field of battle I pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

IMPRIMATUR

 +Most Rev. Edwin F. O'Brien 

Archbishop, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

A friend at Church had recently seen a program on Father Vincent Capodanno and recommended a documentary about him called the Grunt Padre.  I was intrigued by this heroic missionary and Chaplain from New York and wanted to learn more.  A visit to the Vincent Capadonno website brought the story of a wonderful priest a true inspiration.  The children and I ordered the documentary and after watching the story of his life we decided we wanted pray a novena to Fr. Capodonno and felt that his birthday February 13th would be a good day to start it.  

Included below is a statement given about Fr. Capadonno obtained from http://www.vincentcapodanno.org 

Over here [Vietnam] there is a written policy that if you get three Purple Hearts you go home within 48 hours. On Labor Day, our battalion ran into a world of trouble- when Father C. (Capodanno) arrived on the scene it was 500 Marines against 2500 North Vietnamese Army Regulars. Needless to say, we were constantly on the verge of being completely overrun and the Marines on several occasions had to advance in a retrograde movement. This left the dead and wounded outside the perimeter as the Marines slowly withdrew. Casualties were running high and Father C. had his work cut out for him. Early in the day, he was shot through the right hand which all but shattered his hand- one corpsman patched him up and tried to med evac him but Father C declined saying he had work to do. A few hours later, a mortar landed near him and left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again, he was patched up and once again he refused evacuation. There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or Last Rites, when he suddenly spied a corpsman get knocked down by the burst of an automatic weapon. The corpsman was shot in the leg and couldn't move and understandably panicked. Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly, the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Father C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine- and with his third Purple Heart of the day- Father C. went home. 

- Lieutenant Joseph E. Pilon, MD Christmas 1967

St. John Neumann

St. Neumann
Feast Day: January 5th

PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST JOHN NEUMANN

O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother.

May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House with the light of living Faith in our hearts. Amen.

In a special way we are praying to St. John Neumann as we approach his Feast January 5th.  A new Children's Rosary group will meet for the first time January 5th in Naples Florida at the Parish of St. Agnes.  Two other newly formed Children's Rosary groups will also meet on his Feast: the Children's Rosary at St. Brigid Church in West Hartford CT and the Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury CT.  Additionally the publisher of the new Children's Rosary book is named after St. John Neumann the first saint canonized from the United States. The publisher is called Neumann Press.  So in many ways we are praying to St. John Neumann for his help and also in thanksgiving for the wonderful ways he has already interceded for our group.

Prayer obtained from the website of the Shrine of St. John Neumann