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.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Add Your Light to Illuminate the Darkness

Many might not be aware but we have a special map on our www.childrensrosary.org site. This is called a View from Heaven. It is the view that we imagine Our Lord and Our Lady have when they look at the world. Instead of seeing the lights of homes and cars they see the lights of prayers. When a Children's Rosary group meets a blue twinkling light flashes on the View from Heaven map while they are praying. There is an invitation under the map to "join in prayer". By clicking the "join in prayer" button you can add a gold twinkling light for thirty minutes. We humbly ask each Children's Rosary group to pray for those unifying prayers so if a group is meeting the children are asked to pray for those joining in prayer.

Even when a group is not meeting we hope to have a gold light twinkling flashing. While people come and go on the site not everyone hits the join in prayer button. We have found that if a light is twinkling then people are more likely to begin praying and click join in prayer.

We have a hope that the light on the View from Heaven will never go out and Our Lord and Our Lady will always find someone in prayer. To this end we have begun asking people to become "Core Lights" these are people who have committed to adding their light each day. They click the button and for thirty minutes pray. They simply say at the beginning of their time that they wish to unify prayers with the members of the Children's Rosary praying and by clicking the button they join those also unifying in prayer on the map.

We try to have Masses said for the "Core Lights". Today on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross a Mass is being celebrated for the sanctification of those who are "Core Lights" on our Children's Rosary website. If you would like to become a "Core Light" please email Blythe at blythe@childrensrosary.org

Thank you.

We made a little video that helps show the concept of the View from Heaven. It is available to view HERE. It is only 2 minutes.

One can also watch it narrated in Spanish HERE.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Children's Rosary - Joyful Mysteries Available to Download

On the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary we are excited to share with you that the Children's Rosary - Joyful Mysteries is available to download.

Individuals and groups can now also download our theme song "Rosary Children" as well.

Click HERE to view download options. The Joyful Mysteries CD features the classical Marian Hymn: Basque Carol as well as a new song about St. Catherine of Siena.

The Children's Rosary physical CDs are still available to order through EWTN Religious Catalogue. These are available at a great savings. All three CDs are available for $15.00. To view our whole collection of materials available through EWTN Religious Catalogue click HERE.

EWTN Religious Catalogue Great Britain also carries our materials.
To view click HERE.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Today I saw something hopeful...something beautiful

Today I saw something hopeful...something beautiful. It was not this sunset. This is a picture from several months ago that one of my children took. What I saw today was during a Children's Rosary. We had a small group. Two of my children were there and another family. The other mother brought her new born baby and her 3 year old daughter. Her daughter who has been coming for a number of months has show so much growth at each passing meeting. At first she only would kneel for a short time with the other children and then she wanted to go back to her mom. Gradually over our meetings she stayed the whole time kneeling before Our Lady. She timidly would place a rose before Our Lady and now with great confidence she goes and places a rose very carefully at the foot of Our Blessed Mother at the end of the decades. Last meeting she stood up with the older children with the important role of holding the Children's Rosary book. This she held for the other children to look at as they were leading. Today she again took her place next to one of my sons at the podium to hold a Children's Rosary book. Although both my son's know the prayers they liked having her there to hold the book and also show them the pictures that go with each mystery. Toward the end of the Rosary, I asked her if she could say the words "Hail Mary" and then Kostin could continue leading. At first she was too shy to do this so Kostin in a very soft voice would say Hail Mary and then she with an even fainter voice said "full of grace". As the decade continued she continued to add her part: full of grace. There was something beautiful about a sweet innocent child participating in the angelic salutation to Our Lady. Indeed, Our Lady is full of grace.

Today this was all the little girl in our group felt comfortable saying but this was enough. The rest of the prayers were said by one of my sons as they led but for all of us her two words drew attention to a beautiful part of the prayer. During the last few Hail Mary's, her little voice could be heard adding a bit more to the prayer. Indeed today I saw something hopeful...something beautiful. The beauty came not only from the little one but also from the tenderness of the older children whose prayers seemed all the more heartfelt because they accompanied a littler soul just taking her first steps in prayer.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Pilgrimage to the National Marian Shrine Mariamabad

We received some pictures today from the Children's Rosary in Pakistan. Some members of the Children's Rosary made a pilgrimage to the National Shrine Mariamabad in Pakistan.

In reading more about Mariamabad I found out that this is a site of annual pilgrimage for the September 8th Feast of the Birth of Mary. Mariamabad came into existence in 1892. The land of approximately 150 acres was purchased by a Capuchin Bishop for Christians to live and work. The name Mariamabad means City of Mary in the language of Urdu. The tradition of making this pilgrimage dates back to 1949. This is one of the oldest Catholic settlements in Pakistan.

Approximately 1 million pilgrims visit the site each year. There is a prominent Statue of Mary and a grotto. We are including some pictures that were sent to us today from the pilgrimage visit.

Wishing You All a Happy Feast of the Nativity of Mary

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 8th 2018

Today we will hold our Children's Rosary at St. Peter Claver Church in West Hartford, Connecticut. My son Asher made something sweet to share with those who attend. He made cupcakes and put an M on each in honor of Mary. We have been trying to have a little treat at the end of each meeting. Over time we have seen that the children very much like having a little time to talk and also have a snack. Usually we try to make chocolate chip cookies but today being the Nativity of Mary we decided on cupcakes. The flowers in the picture are the ones we will bring to place before Our Lady at the end of each decade.

We will pray for all the members of the Children's Rosary at our meeting. Consider unifying in prayer with us at 3PM ET. Visit www.childrensrosary.org and click "join in prayer" to add your gold twinkling light to the View from Heaven.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Emptying Oneself

A few days before we left for Dublin for the World Meeting of Families a large portion of the tree in our backyard fell. There was no wind or rain when approximately a third of our Maple tree came crashing down. As we looked at where it fell we realized that it had done no damage. It had not hit our home, garage, fence...even our plantings seems spared. As we looked back at the remaining tree still standing we could see the trunk seemed hollow.
As one of our neighbors was having tree work done, we were able to have it looked at right away. The verdict was the whole thing needed to come down. We were very grateful of the providence of how it fell and the speed by which we had someone to help.

In prayer before we left for Dublin, I thought of this tree which had looked so tall and strong while all the while it was actually just a shell. Our Lord through His care and Providence had seen to bring some of it down with such care that nothing was harmed.
There were many thoughts coming in the days before we left. There was the portion of myself saying, maybe you should just stay home. Wouldn't it be nice to stay home and quietly pray. It had been 10 years since we had made a large trip across the Atlantic ocean. Ten years ago we had traveled to Kazakhstan to adopt two children from an orphanage. Due to a genetic disability, my health especially my joints had declined and more travel for many years was not possible. This summer with my joints still unstable the thought of traveling to Ireland and to a place with large crowds was daunting. Even a simple bump can sometimes cause a series injury with my joints and here I was considering going to events where hundreds of thousands of people would be present such as the Papal Mass.
In prayer as I was thinking about this tree in our backyard, a thought came...empty yourself....surrender. I would have to abandon "self" the part of me that was afraid and wanted to stay home. I would have to surrender and trust. God would take care of us just as the tree seemed hand placed into one of the only places in our yard where no damage would take place.

Indeed, as the trip began we had very little planned. We knew we had our Children's Rosary booth at the Meeting but much of the visit was left open to allow God and Our Blessed Mother to guide us. Through a recommendation of a friend we felt drawn to visit Silverstream Priory outside of Dublin. We spent a couple of days seeing the countryside but most of our trip we were in Dublin and attending the World Meeting of Families. We met so many lovely people and there was great joy in seeing many people interested in starting Children's Rosary groups. I was so grateful to God and the intercession of Our Lady for bringing us to Ireland. I was so thankful we came despite my trepidation before we left.
God it seems needs our surrender. He needs us to empty ourselves so that He can fill us. The phrase that kept coming to mind: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). I am broken and weak and need help with everything. On my own I could not make such a trip. God sustained me and allowed my husband and my children to help me. We were able to share many seeds of the Children's Rosary by giving away Children's Rosary books. But now as it said in the reading today at Mass the growth will be done by God. "Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth." (1 Cor 3:7) Our prayers are needed now and confidence. Please pray with me that all the little seeds that were sown will take root and grow. Let us ask Our Lord with the confidence and love of a child to help bring fruit from the seeds that were planted.

We hope to share in the coming weeks the fruits that come through this trip.

Thank you for your prayers and God bless you.

Happy Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Mass Offered on September 1st 2018 for Seminarians

A Mass will be offered today for all seminarians that they will grow in holiness and lead us all in love. Every month we have a Mass offered for this intention. As our seminarians will be the future shepherds and our children are the future flock, it seemed a beautiful way for the children to help.

We have been periodically featuring different seminarians on the first of the month by inviting them to share something of themselves - a beautiful sharing of faith and love of Our Lord. Today we will be featuring David Donaghue. We met him at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. He is from England and we are excited to be able to share some of his words with you.

David Donaghue
"I am a transitional deacon in my final year of formation for the diocese of Northampton in England. Being at St Mary's College Oscott seminary is very blessed because of our special devotion to the Blessed Mother. We know our need of her intercession and motherly presence as we face the challenges of the 21st century. Personally, the Holy Rosary has been crucial in my time at seminary, I find that it never ceases to help me especially in times of difficulty, I just take to my beads and meditate as best I can. I heard it said that when we hold our rosary, Mary is holding onto us like child reigns, keeping us safe. The simplicity and Christ centeredness of the Rosary makes it a powerful prayer and I believe I could live with just the Holy Mass and Rosary. Thanks be to God for this gift. It purified our minds and enlarges our hearts to love as Jesus loved. Please pray for me that I may be a holy Marian priest. God bless."

We thank David Donaghue for his sharing of faith and we ask those reading this to take a moment to say a Hail Mary for him. Thank you.