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.

Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Children Unite in Prayer During the Pandemic

The Children's Rosary is a prayer group movement where children meet together in Churches, schools or in orphanages to pray the Rosary. Since the pandemic has hit, many schools and Churches are closed. Yet the children are not blocked from picking up their rosaries. The Children's Rosary from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Connecticut would have met at 3:30 PM today in the Church. With the current pandemic, the children could not meet together at the the Church to pray. Yet, the children still knelt in prayer at 3:30 PM united from where they were. Five families who participate in the group united in prayer.

Four families were in their homes and one family prayed outside at the Shrine of Lourdes in Litchfield, Connecticut.

The children look forward to when they once again can meet together and pray but for now they are connected in prayer through the Rosary! We thank the children for their dedication to prayer. Our families and world are in so much need of the children's prayers. We hope these children will be an inspiration to other families and children to begin Children's Rosary prayer groups in their parishes and schools. Find out more at this: link.

Monday, September 23, 2019

New Video Released which Explains How to Run a Children's Rosary Group Meeting in a School

Watch our new Children's Rosary video which takes you though step by step how to run a Children's Rosary in a school.

A meeting is demonstrated in three locations: within the classroom, in a chapel and outside. We hope you will find this helpful in starting a Children's Rosary in your local school.

Watch the Video HERE

Monday, September 2, 2019

EWTN Interview Focuses on Implementation of the Children's Rosary in Schools

We are excited to share a recent episode At Home with Jim and Joy on EWTN about the Children's Rosary. The focus on the show centered on implementation of the Children's Rosary in schools. Principal Nathan Wright from St. Francis Xavier School in Birmingham, Alabama and first grade teacher, Julie Cannova, speak about the fruits they are seeing from having a weekly Children's Rosary at their school. They are joined by, Blythe Kaufman, founder of the Children's Rosary and hosts Jim and Joy Pinto.

To watch show click HERE

Saturday, June 11, 2016

St. Jean Vianney's Thoughts on Public Prayer

Recently in reading the book the Curé d'Ars to the children, I came upon this beautiful little portion about the power of coming together in prayer which I wanted to share:

"He (St. Jean Vianney) preferred public prayer to private prayers. "Private Prayer," he used to say resembles straw scattered here and there over a field; if it is set on fire, the flame is not a powerful one; but if you gather those scattered straws into a bundle, the flame is bright, and rises in a lofty column towards the sky: such is public prayer."

Indeed we hope these Children's Rosary groups meeting around the world will be like bright lights going up to heaven. The photo above was taken of eight Children's Rosary groups meeting together at St. Anthony Parish in Ogbodu Aba, Nigeria. If you would like to consider starting a Children's Rosary group in your parish more information is provided HERE.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Rebuilding Our Church

Children's Rosary at Noor Pur Church in Pakistan

This week we received these pictures of our newest Children's Rosary group in Pakistan. This group has formed at the Church in Noor Pur Pakistan. They held their first meeting on December 20th 2015.

This new Children's Rosary group has formed in Noor Pur town which has approximately 90 families total. Those in the town had heard about the Children's Rosary and asked our group leader in Pakistan to come and help begin a group in their town, too.

What has been extremely beautiful to see is that in the towns where new Children's Rosary groups are forming there has been physical cleaning and restoration of the Churches. These Churches were often rarely used because priests were only able to visit one or two times a year. However once a new Children's Rosary group formed there was regular meetings for prayer in the Churches so new attention was turned to cleaning and improving the Church structures. In many cases the children are helping sweep and clean. Sometimes they are even painting.

Several of the Churches have even had new crucifixes made where there were none. Indeed the physical rebuilding of the Churches has mirrored the renewal of prayer led by the children. Often the children hold their Children's Rosary in the Church but then go out and pray with the poor and sick families in the towns in Pakistan. They are welcomed and often their visits initiate a return to prayer of the Rosary daily within these families. The Children's Rosary group then checks back on the families and those that they have prayed with only to find they have continued their prayers and have found great comfort.

Indeed whole towns are being transformed through the prayer and humility of these children and their enthusiasm. This is all happening peacefully within Pakistan. This latest Children's Rosary group brings our total to 8 groups within Pakistan. They join our Children's Rosary groups in at least 13 countries. Indeed these are hopeful times. The children in their innocence are showing the way with rosaries in hand.

Other Posts You May Enjoy Featuring Our Children's Rosary Groups in Pakistan:
First Children's Rosary in Pakistan
More Good News from Pakistan
Second Children's Rosary Group Forms in Pakistan
Annual Convention of Children
Going Out to Pray with the Poor
Hear From the Children

Monday, January 11, 2016

Thank You Grandparents

Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church
West Hartford, CT USA 1/10/2016

This weekend brought a close to the Christmas season but it was not without some final gifts from Our Lord. These gifts were unexpected and brought with them great joy and consolation. The gifts began on Saturday when we met a lovely mother and her two children after daily Mass. Her little ones were gathered around the manger looking at Jesus. At first I thought they were children who had come to our Children's Rosary but upon getting closer I found they were a new family to me. Quickly I introduced myself and humbly invited her two little ones to our Children's Rosary. Initially I was thinking about our meeting for the following day at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish but I also mentioned the meeting we would be having later that day at St. Peter Claver Church in West Hartford. To my happy surprise they were free and wanted to join us later that day for the Children's Rosary.

At 3PM my three children and I were at St. Peter Claver Church, it seemed that settling the kids down to quiet prayer was almost mission impossible. As we gathered in this wonderful space the Church has for praying before the tabernacle, still there seemed some rough housing amongst my kids. Trying to regain some semblance of order we began the Rosary. A few minutes later our new friends arrived whom we had met that morning. The children quickly took their places kneeling with my children. Nathan was just 6 years old and his sister was around 3 years old. Their mother also knelt on the ground. With the new children present we started the Rosary over again. At first little Nathan seemed shy to lead but when he was invited to lead with my daughter who was older he seemed to find the courage and took his place with Alina in front of us to lead the decade. We quickly could see that Nathan knew his prayers very well. Next it would be his sister's turn and we suggested they lead together. The two were so precious together. Their soft voices encircling our hearts and bringing smiles to our faces. I looked over at my daughter who had been in the middle of the disruption earlier now had a big smile on her face. Her own voice became more tender as well in the responses. Everyone it seemed was smiling. Something interesting also happened, little Nathan was so much enjoying leading that with each decade he asked if he could help lead. To see this little soul so excited to lift his prayers up to God was so beautiful I am still relishing it. As we left, I asked the mom if the children pray the Rosary each day. She said yes! Her parents pray the Rosary with them each night as she works evenings. They were not there to see the children leading us in prayer so beautifully but their efforts had yielded beautiful fruits.

Our next gift was that this little family who brought such joy to our Children's Rosary Saturday was able to join us on Sunday, too. They were joined by 8 other children. Three of the children spoke Polish as a second language. One of the little girls was new to the group and had wooden rosaries in her hands. I told her I liked them very much and she said her grandmother had lent them to her as she lost hers. One of the little girls also shared with the group that her mother was expecting a baby. We all marveled to think of this little baby at his or her first Children's Rosary. We loved to imagine this little one being covered in the prayers of the other children. Never too early to start attending 8-)

Sometimes it is hard to see the fruits of our efforts to bring children to prayer but this weekend Our Lord was opening a window so we could see the many graces flowing.

Please know the children prayed for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who were unifying prayers with us.

In a special way may I thank Our Lord for His generosity of grace and gifts. In addition I would like to thank grandparents for their help. They hold an important role to help pass on the faith. We have seen this in our own family and it was very clear this weekend as well.

Thank you to all the grandparents who run Children's Rosary prayer groups and also those that bring their children to meetings.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
A Grandmother's Experience with the Children's Rosary
The Power of the Prayers of Grandparents

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

There is Still Time to Find Just the Right Christmas Gift

This time of year can get pretty hectic. At Mass on Monday the priest emphasized this point by mentioning that with hospital calls and so much happening with Christmas fast approaching he didn't even have time to take a shower or put on socks. He held out his foot to show his bare ankles. He further said he was so busy he couldn't even find his comb so he had resorted to using his dog's comb. We were all laughing but indeed things can become busy as one wants to make sure no one has been forgotten and everyone is remembered with something special. The problem is finding that something special that will mean something to the person receiving it. A few years ago, we began a little family tradition of saying Rosaries for family and friends. This has continued to grow so that our time approaching Christmas and the 12 days of Christmas is consumed with prayer. The added benefit to giving spiritual presents to loved ones is that as one spends this intense time of prayer we are all receiving grace, too.

Last week we had two friends over for dinner. The kids wrapped up the presents we had for them. As our friends gathered in the living room the kids began to giggle. They thought it was so exciting to share the gifts they had helped to present. The gifts included the prayers we had said for our friends. Each prayer was written on a colored paper shape. Some of the shapes were stars, the moon and a manger. The name of the person who had said the prayer was written on the back of the shape.

The laughter seemed contagious and even I was laughing, too. There was a feeling that maybe some of the laughter was nervousness. As we all wondered what our friends would think when they opened the boxes. I was surprised that little thoughts entered my mind. Questions came wondering if they might be disappointed or wonder if we didn't care enough to buy them something. I was actually very surprised these thoughts came as we waited for the boxes to be opened.

Then as the boxes came open and each person saw what was inside, there was excitement. It was just as the children had hoped, our friends loved their presents. They were so touched that so much time had been spent praying for each of them and their families. For each of us were re-learning about Christmas. The kids were watching and learning. I was learning. Each time I take a chance and move in the direction of gathering treasures for friends from Our Lord I am never disappointed. Another area we are re-learning is the fact that Christmas in not just one day. It is 12 days and it ends on Epiphany. That means all the Christmas gifts and cards do not need to be in each persons hands on December 25th. Rather it is just the beginning of the celebrating. In this way, the pressure of a December 25th deadline to remember each person is alleviated. If you are reading this and feel stressed that so much is left undone or you wished you had done things differently this Christmas. Don't worry there is still time. The shelves are not empty in Heaven. Take as much as you want for your loved ones. One last thought, if you ever feel paralyzed that there are too many people in your life that you would want to pray for so hence it might be better not to start. Let me share, I had that thought several weeks ago but in prayer I could feel Our Lady saying, begin start with one person. Our Lord does not work at 10,000 feet he works person to person. And so let us work in the same way. Do not worry that you may not have time to pray for everyone...just rejoice with each soul you can pray for. You may be surprised by how many souls you can cover in prayer.

Thank you all dear friends. All the members of the Children's Rosary are being remembered in our Christmas Novena and on December 25th a Mass has been requested for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary. God Bless you all.

Other posts you may enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
We Took You All With Us to the Papal Mass
Avenue of Grace

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Praying with the Saints and Angels

This past month at our Children's Rosary at St. Thomas the Apostle no other children came except my own. As Kostin was getting up from his seat to take his place kneeling before the altar he began singing a tune with the words, where two or three are gathered in my name. This unexpected little phrase lifted my spirits and made me smile.

It was interesting as we saw that we were alone a thought came, let us fill the room by inviting angels and saints. By name we took turns calling out to individual saints and inviting them. Kostin invited St. Constantine and St. Helen. We invited many saints including St. John Paul II, St. Therese, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Rafael. We asked that no space remain empty, that all the angels would fill all the remaining area in the chapel. We also in a special way invited Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Trinity. It actually was spectacular. The kids looked out as they took turns leading the Rosary from the podium and seemed to be looking at the seats with a renewed awe. To imagine the saints kneeling in prayer with us and angels filling the room was magnificent. We were all a bit humbled and Kostin seemed to pray a bit louder than normal, presumably so everyone could hear. During the second decade an older women came into the chapel and knelt down at a seat. She joined us in prayer. This may have been the first time that no other children came other than Alina and Kostin. Yet we were somehow very happy things turned out as they did. More and more the children and I like to invite different saints to pray with us not only at our Children's Rosary but also during our evening family prayer. We trust our prayers are heard and enjoy the wonderful experience of developing friendships with the saints as we pray together.
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How to Start a Children's Rosary
Avenue of Grace
Praying for the Intercession of the Saints

Saturday, October 3, 2015

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