A Crown for Our Lady

This week we received this beautiful picture of Scarlett-Maria, age 7, Crowning Our Lady. Scarlett-Maria is from Hale Barns, England, United Kingdom and is interested in starting a Children's Rosary prayer group at her parish. 

We wanted to share this crowning as well as the one we held during our Children's Rosary prayer group last weekend at St. Thomas Church in West Hartford, Connecticut USA. The youngest child attending the Rosary was chosen to crown Our Lady. This was Ingrid. 

Ingrid seemed very pleased with her efforts and looked at Our Lady with her crown of fresh flowers. 

Families continued to be spread out in the chapel during the Rosary but we were very excited to be able to hold a procession and May Crowning. 

For step by step instructions on how to plan a Crowning of Mary click HERE. 

Planting on the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer

Some years ago a priest told me that he always planted his garden on May 15: the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer. Living in Central Connecticut USA, we can have spring fronts that can kill tender plants. Thus to be safe, many wait until the mid May to plant. While we did some early spring planting of hardy veggies, today we planted our summer crops of winter and summer squash, peppers, cucumbers, basil, and swiss chard. We had started many plants from seed inside such as tomatoes. It was a very exciting day to plant in earnest. Since I have a disability with my joints that has left my hands unable to do gardening our kids help tremendously in the garden. 

This year we have something new. It is an enclosure to keep out all the critters who traditionally take most of our yield. It is entirely enclosed. 

We have named it "Our Lady's Victory Garden". We wanted to share some pictures of it and also the plants growing inside it and in our other garden beds. Along the center of the enclosure are grow bags full of garlic that have been growing since last fall. Along the back of the enclosure are several trellises. One has sugar snap peas and the other was just planted with cucumbers that will climb. Two of the long raised grow boxes have tomatoes, and peppers. The other two boxes have various other veggies including leeks, beets, snow peas, carrots and radishes. Along the side perimeter of the enclosure we have mounds of dirt where squash seeds were planted today. We also have another exciting addition this year. We have a bee hive within the enclosure. The box to contain the bees was painted last week and we anticipate a delivery of bees in the next two weeks. We are hopeful that the bees will help to pollinate all the flowers and vegetables in the yard. 

Today was not only a planting day but also a harvest day. We picked our first "Easter Egg Radishes". These are named Easter Egg Radishes for the beautiful assortment of pale colors. These were part of our dinner tonight! 

Many blessings on this beautiful feast of St. Isidore the Farmer. 

Need Statue and Rosaries

This was the title of an email we received on May 3rd from a Children's Rosary group leader in Pakistan. Babu Chand informed us that two new Children's Rosary groups had formed; they were in need of rosaries, and one group requested a statue. At first I did not see that fulfilling his request for a statue was feasible. Yet two days later when we went to the Post Office box for the Children's Rosary a large box was waiting. We were surprised to find a large statue inside of Our Blessed Mother.

It seemed this statue was sent even before we received the email requesting one. The donation was beautifully providential. A donation has also been made to help with shipping costs, but we anticipate additional funds will be needed to ship the statue. If anyone is able to help us, please make donations electronically HERE.* Babu Chand sent a picture of the children in one of the new groups below. Since they do not have rosaries, he had them do drawings. 

*Please note that we do not need purchased rosaries. We have many rosary makers that are helping supply us with the rosaries needed to send to groups. For those who want to help our efforts, please help with donations to help us ship materials. Thank you all very much for helping the children!

Join Us for a Novena to the Holy Spirit Beginning May 14, 2021

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.

Children's Rosary Collection Available to Order in Canada

We are excited to announce that Sunrise Marian Distribution is carrying our Children's Rosary collection. This includes our Children's Rosary book in English and French. The books are being sold individually as well as in a discounted 10 pack. Additionally, they are carrying our Children's Rosary DVD, CDs, T shirts, Christmas Cards and our new Child Consecration book. 

To view the collection click HERE.

First Meeting of the Children's Rosary at the Catechetical Training Institute in Shendam, Nigeria

A New Children's Rosary formed today. They held their first meeting in the Chapel of the Catechetical Training Institute in Shendam, Plateau State, Nigeria. Fr. Paul Miapwap the Director of the Institute wrote today with pictures of the first meeting. Fr. Paul is pictured above in white. He joined the children in prayer and said that Bishop Philip Davou plans to also come to some meetings and pray with the children. 

The new group will meet each Tuesday and Thursday at 5PM local time. Recently we sent Fr. Paul over 11,000 rosaries to help in spreading the Children's Rosary in Nigeria. Today some of those rosaries were given to the children. Thank you to all who helped to make this possible.

To learn more about starting a Children's Rosary at your parish or school click HERE.

Ideas for the Month of May 2021

Consider planning a May Crowning with your Children's Rosary group. Click HERE for step by step instructions. 
Plan a Marian Consecration starting May 10 and concluding June 12, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Learn more at www.childconsecration.com
The Children's Rosary has three special videos for May. Each provides a different idea to make your month of May extra special. With some Churches closed or at limited capacity, families may enjoy planning a home Marian Procession, making a home altar/shrine, or helping Our Lady through a 9 hour novena for her intentions.
Ideas for the Month of May: Plan a Home Marian Procession
Ideas for the Month of May: How to Make a Home Altar
Ideas for the Month of May: Hail Marys Each Day
Please consider sharing these videos with friends and family.