The Children Reach Out To a Leper Community

St. Francis of Assisi Chapel

Today Tran sent news from Vietnam that on behalf of the children he traveled with a team to visit people with leprosy. Below are his reflections from the day. When possible his direct words are included with small corrections as Tran speaks Vietnamese and the translation is not always perfect. There was such beauty in his words that many times when corrections in sentence structure could be made I chose not to as the spirit of his words is better then I could ever duplicate. 

Because this place is quit far away all the children could not come for such a visit.  But the children stayed at home and prayed for me. In the evening before the trip the children from all three Children's Rosary groups donated food.  They asked me to share with the poor lepers this. All children gave me everything they had such as milk, biscuits, noodles...I am very happy with that.

Tran also shared that this leper community is very poor and abandoned by society.  Tran and his team gave them a little food and prayed a Rosary with them at St. Francis of Assisi Chapel. Tran brought his guitar to provide music and helped lead the Rosary.  He also brought two relics one of St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Maria Baouardy.

The children also shared the rosaries we had sent them.  Tran writes:
In the morning I gave the lepers rosaries. They loved them and promised daily Rosary. They also asked me to send thank you from their hearts.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Honey For the Heart
New Children's Rosary Group Meets in Vietnam on the Day Mother Teresa was Canonized

Beauty

Today is day six of our nine days of Prayer and Fasting.  There has been such beauty these days.  As we continue giving Our Lord sacrifices and prayers He shows us beauty as well.  
On Sunday something very special happened during Mass at San Fernando Cathedral.  A homeless man came in during Mass and went to a statue of Our Blessed Mother.  He placed before her two small plants.  They looked pretty sad but it was clear this was all he had.  The man had several bags that seemed to contain all his possessions.  He sat across from me during the remainder of the Mass and made great effort to get to his knees.  It was very moving to be praying with him.  After Mass we spoke and I asked him where he got the plants.  He looked off and with a smile said, "they were blessings".  In looking at the two small plants by all earthly measures they paled in comparison to a wedding bouquet that was present above them.  Yet I felt those plants were the most beautiful plants that Our Lady could receive.  The man had carried them from somewhere.  I can imagine with all his bags it must have been such a struggle to keep them safe.  I suspect the plants might actually have been given to him as a gift which he now was giving to Our Lady.  

To catch a glimpse of such a gift brought a smile to my heart and a joy to see a soul so in love with Our Blessed Mother.  This little window into the tender gift of one soul to Our Lord and His Mother was also an invitation to use this time of fasting to share that which might have been spent on myself on another.  Indeed Our Lord has been so good to open so many doors this week to deeper and deeper fasting.  

The gift of this small block by a stranger this week has also been a way to contemplate the many different ways we can extend our fasting.  While many may be fasting on bread and water, Our Lord seemed to be showing us many ways of fasting not all of them involving food.  In this way, even the children can participate and show Our Lord their love through finding that which they can spare for themselves, and sharing it with those that have less.

Please consider joining us for the remaining three days of the fast if you are not already participating.  Each sacrifice given to Our Lord with love has immense merit.  This international week of prayer and fasting was something Pope John Paul II supported and blessed during his Papacy.  As tomorrow is his Feast it is very special that we are participating in something so close to his heart.  For more information about this week of prayer and fasting click HERE.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Children's Rosary Book
Totus Tuus

Month of the Rosary

The children cleaning the Church in
honor of the Month of the Rosary

May I share with you some good news.  In August a third Children's Rosary began in Pakstian at St. Peter Church in Musa Dughal.  This is a small poor Muslim town with some Christian families.  The organization of Churches in these rural areas is that Parishes have many smaller Churches that exist under the care of a Pastor in a larger more central Church.  Each smaller Church is visited by the priest as time allows.  In this case St. Peter's Church, it was often visited yearly around Chritmas time.  The Church had fallen under some disrepair and did not have a crucifix.  

Cleaning the Church

Babu Chand, father of 5 and the group leader for our other two Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan, introduced the Children's Rosary to this Church with the permission of the Pastor.  The children wanted to begin a group and the first meeting was held on August 9th 2015.  As the Church needed a great deal of work, the children set to helping to clean and paint the Church.  Flowers were brought in and the group leader even had a wooden cross made for the Church so as he said, "it would be more beautiful".  In many ways it felt like St. Francis at work in this Church.  The group at St. Peter's Church began small but more and more children wanted to be a part of it and now 36 children participate.

Two children who are part
of the Children's Rosary at
St. Peter's Church

The children were still on summer break when the Children's Rosary began in their Church.  Thus they were able to meet daily each afternoon at 2PM.  The group leader Babu Chand would travel by bike to the town each day.  As school has now started the group now often meets weekly or more frequently as time allows.  The group leader shared with me this week that, 
"As the month of October is declared the month of the Rosary, before starting this holy month we cleaned the church and then started the Rosary".  He sent along the pictures of the children sweeping and tidying everything up in the church in honor of this Holy Month of the Rosary.  Such a beautiful sweet gift that shows the respect and love the children have formed for the Rosary and their dear heavenly Mother and Father.  They take care of the Church as they see it as God's home which should be lovingly cared for and honored. The children also enjoy taking their rosaries in hand and going to visit poor families or those that are sick and praying with them.  The village people find great joy in these visits from the children and the Rosaries they give them to use in their families.

Good news came this week for the children.  The group leader shared that a special invitation has been extended to the children who are part of the Children's Rosary.  They have been asked to lead a Children's Rosary at 11AM local time on October 5th at a large regional event.  People will be attending from throughout the Province.  Children from the three Children's Rosary groups will be attending.  The children hope to share the Children's Rosary with more children from more distant towns and villages at this event.

In addition to the Children's Rosary groups in Pakistan we have many Children's Rosary groups meeting this month around the world.  A schedule of some of the groups meeting over the next several days is included below.  Please consider joining the children in prayer.  The children always pray for those unifying prayers with them.

Friday October 2nd (First Friday)
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Butanpura Pakistan 6AM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School in Orange TX 7:05 AM CT
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's School in Pontiac, IL 9AM CT
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Pine Bluff Wisconsin10 AM CT
Children's Rosary at St. Augustine Church in Iba Estate Lagos, Nigeria 1PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Peter Church in Musa Dughal Pakistan 2PM local timeChildren's Rosary at St. Joseph Parish in Adrain, Michigan 5PM
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Butanpura Pakistan 9PM local 
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Ashraf Town Pakistan 6PM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Luke's Parish in Ogallala, Nebraska
Saturday October 3rd (First Saturday)
Children's Rosary in Cebu Philippines meets each Saturday.
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Butanpura Pakistan 6AM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Mary's Church in Corvallis, Oregon 9AM PT
Children's Rosary at St. Agnes Church in Naples FL 9:30 AM ET
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Sharon, MA 9:30 AM ET
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of LaSalette Parish in Sulphur, Louisiana 9:30 AM CT
Children's Rosary at S. Michael the Archangel Parish held in the Kibera Slum in Langatta Nairobi, Kenya to meet at 10 AM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Rushden, Northants England 10 AM ET
Children's Rosary at Holy Family Parish in Syracuse, NY to meet at 10 AM ET at the Daughters of St. Mary Chapel
Children's Rosary at St. Bridget Church in Cheshire, CT 12:30 PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Peter Church in Musa Dughal, Pakistan 2PM local time
Children's Rosary at Sacred Heart Church in Middleboro, MA 2PM ET
Children's Rosary at the Daughter's of Charity Convent Bridgeport CT 2PM ETChildren's Rosary at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Bristol, CT 2:15 PM ET 
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Tacloban City Philippines 3PM local timeChildren's Rosary at St. Thomas Becket Church in Cheshire, CT 3PM ET
Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, CT 3:30 PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Peter's Church in Higganum, CT 4PM ET 
Children's Rosary at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Natchitoches, Louisiana 4:30 ET 
Children's Rosary at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Shrub Oak NY 4:45 PM ET
Children's Rosary at our Lady of Fatima Parish in Hartford, CT 5PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Richmond, Virginia 4PM
Children's Rosary at Mary Queen of the Universe Parish Comstock, TX 5:15 CT
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Ashraf town Pakistan meets 6PM local time
Children's Rosary at Immaculate Conception Church in North Delta, British Columbia 4PM PSTSunday October 4th
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Butanpura Pakistan 6 AM local time
Children's Rosary at Our Lady and St. Patrick Church in Nottingham, England 9AM local time
Children's Rosary at Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Nairobi, Kenya 6AM ET
Children's Rosary at St Thomas Church in Thomaston, CT 11 AM ET
Children's Rosary at Holy Trinity Church in Harlan, Kentucky 11:30 AM
Children's Rosary at St. Augustine Church in Iba Estate Lagos, Nigeria 1PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Bernard Church in Mount Lebanon, PA at 2PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Peter's Church in Musa Dughal Pakistan 2PM local time
Children's Rosary at the Daughter's of Charity Convent in Bridgeport CT 2PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Joachim Parish in Madera California 5:30 PM ET
Children's Rosary at Assumption Church in Umoja, Kenya 2PM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Ashraf Town Pakistan 6PM local time
Monday October 5th
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Butanpura Pakistan 6AM local time
Children's Rosary at St. Joesph Church in Wakefield MA 9:30 AM ET
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Grace Home for Children in Meru, Kenya at 10 AM ET

Children's Rosary Pakistan 11AM local time (Meeting of regional groups)
Children's Rosary at Holy Trinity Academy in Shenandoah, PA 12:20 PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. Augustine Church in Iba Estate Lagos, Nigeria 1PM ET

Children's Rosary at Ave Maria Quasi-Parish in Ave Maria Florida 4PM ET

Children's Rosary at Holy Family Church in Gladstone Michigan 4:30 PM ET
Children's Rosary at St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac New York 4:30 PM ET
Children's Rosary at Rose of Mystica House in Edmeston, NY 4:40 PM ET
Children's Rosary at Our Lady of Victory Crestview, Floriday 6PM CT
Children's Rosary at St. Joseph Church in Ashraf town in Pakistan 6PM local time

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start the Children's Rosary
Children's Rosary Book
Children's Rosary Song Video

Going Out To Pray With the Poor

The Children's Rosary groups continues to grow in Pakistan with a second Children's Rosary group in St. Joseph Church in Ashraf Town.  This group meets daily. The children of this group felt moved to not only meet and pray in the Church but also to go out and pray with the sick and also the poor families.  As they go out each day to pray with a different family they share the very little they have giving away the rosaries that have been shared with them.  The group leader has told us that these families are so grateful for the rosaries.  The children check in with the families they have prayed with and they find the families are continuing to say the Rosary daily.  The children are slowly transforming this town with their prayers and the joy and comfort they bring. 

The picture above is of an older man whom the children prayed with one afternoon.  The children all gathered before him kneeling together to pray. 

The Children's Rosary in Pakistan is a beautiful unfolding story.  Please see how it all began and continues to spread.

First Children's Rosary in Pakistan  link

More good news from Pakistan  link

Our Lady surprises the children  link

It is spreading... Link

Praying with a sick family Link