Children's Rosary

The Children's Rosary® is a prayer group movement that was begun out of love for Our Lady and Her Son. Jesus tells us "Truly, I say to you unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The Children's Rosary is an effort to begin in parishes rosary prayer groups composed of children and led by children. Through prayer of the Rosary Our Lady will guide our young people while at the same time sanctify families and Parishes.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

New Children's Rosary Group Meets in Vietnam on the Day Mother Teresa was Canonized

Sometimes it seems that things could not have unfolded in a more beautiful way. Such is the case with the new Children's Rosary group in Bien Hoa City, Vietnam. The beginning of the story is bitter sweet as the Pastor, Fr. Augustine, of the Parish where the first Children's Rosary group in Vietnam was formed died just over a week ago.

Prayers poured out for the parish and also the Children's Rosary group that remained in his parish. The 16 year old boy which Fr. Augustine had appointed to lead the group in his parish, wrote to us committed to continuing the Children's Rosary.

A beautiful surprise was how this 16 year old boy, Tran, reached out to the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of God who work with the disabled and orphan children and suggested they too start a Children's Rosary. With very little the children met together. Tran playing the guitar they were able to sing.

children placing roses at the
feet of Our Lady

The children chose to hold their first meeting on Sunday September 4th the day Mother Teresa was Canonized. They began the Children's Rosary by Consecrating the group to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. The children do not have rosaries yet but this did not stop them from praying the Rosary. These children have very little yet roses were able to be purchased to place at the foot of Our Lady at the end of each decade. A gift which surely came at a dear price for them. The children also held candles. A beautiful symbol of the light their prayers create in our world.

A first class relic of Mother Teresa was brought in for the children to venerate and pray before as they said the Rosary. Seeing these children with so little yet so determined to begin a prayer group of their own it seemed they were to receive a very special blessing that day. Mother Teresa had seen to be present with them in a very real way.

children holding candles

Indeed with her relic she was physically there. But one can imagine that Mother Teresa was looking down from Heaven with a smile to see the children kneeling in prayer. Their desire to hold their first meeting on a day chosen to honor her life must have been heart touching for her.

The children took so much care with everything they did. They put the intentions of the Children's Rosary in a frame and also put a picture and relic of Servant of God Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan of Vietnam before the children. The statue which was donated to the Children's Rosary and sent to the children was placed before them as they knelt in prayer. Indeed they tried as best they could with the help of the Sisters and Tran to make everything special. All was tidy and bright the best they could.

Can there be a more beautiful scene to see such love and effort from little ones for God and His Mother? So many of these children carry many crosses of illness, disability, and loss of their family. Yet they come with love and hope. They hold candles and flowers. They kneel together to pray not only for their intentions but for the intentions of their Blessed Mother and for all of us as members of the Children's Rosary. It is a humbling scene to think these children are praying for us. Yet in turn we pray for them and all the other Children's Rosary groups cover them in prayer. Yes, we are linked together in prayer in a wonderful tapestry. We thank all those who unified prayers with the children on Sunday and all who helped the children with their meeting.