New Children's Rosary: A Beautiful Story of Prayer

Shortly after the Feast of the Holy Rosary in October I was contacted by a lovely mom who wanted to start a Children's Rosary in Naples Florida USA.  We began corresponding and praying about the formation of this new group. In the middle of November,  Valerie emailed me that she wanted to say a novena to a saint that had not already been invited to join the Children's Rosary through a 9 day novena.  Members of the Children's Rosary have already prayed to 660 saints but many more remain who have yet to be invited to intercede on our behalf.  Immediately a name came to mind for Valerie: St. John Neumann.  He was the first Saint from the United States of America to be Canonized.   Just weeks before I had heard of this saint for the first time.  He was the saint to whom the Neumann Press was dedicated.  As the Neumann Press was working with us to publish our new Children's Rosary book I thought it wonderful to pray to St. Neumann for his help with all aspects of this new book.  Valerie was excited to pray to St. Neumann but began first with a novena to Our Lady and then followed with one to St. Neumann.  

St. John Neumann

While Valerie was praying to St. Neumann she relayed to me some wonderful experiences.  Last Saturday evening while setting up for the Latin Mass to be celebrated the following morning she was asked to place some relics on the altar.  As she was walking to the altar she noticed she was holding the relic of St. Neumann.  She kissed the relic and placed it on the altar.  The following morning she noticed that the priest had removed the relics and said he wanted to wait to display them until after Advent.  So by the sequence of events the previous evening she was to be the only person to kiss the relic that weekend to her knowledge.  Yesterday while on the way to daily Mass at St. Agnes she accidentally took the wrong turn and came across a sign which read St. John Neumann.  It was in reference to the local high school named after him but the sign said only St. John Neumann.  Later yesterday, Valerie heard from the Parish that she was given permission to have the first Children's Rosary on Saturday January 5th at 9:30 AM in the chapel.  This was wonderful news as Valerie was hoping to have the monthly Children's Rosary on the first Saturday of the month as Our Lady's Immaculate Heart is honored on this day every month.  Tonight as I sat down to draft a post to announce this new Children's Rosary group and their first meeting,  I thought, maybe I should check if there is a special feast on that date.  As I searched January 5th and Feast up popped many links which listed January 5th the feast of St. John Neumann.  

Valerie had been praying so hard for the blessing to be given the opportunity to have a Children's Rosary at her Parish.  To find out the date she was given to start the group was on the Feast of the very Saint to whom she had asked for assistance is a gift to be sure.


As more new Children's Rosary groups form I am overcome with how each one is unique and each one is blessed in its own way.  Our Lady and her Son have many plans and as we continue to pray and seek their guidance along with the intercession of the angels and saints we are aware of the beauty of these plans.

If any one is feeling that they would like to have a Children's Rosary at their parish consider beginning one.  Give Our Lady your yes in prayer and she will help you.  See our post on how to start a Children's Rosary and please let me know of your efforts  at blythe.kaufman@gmail.com and I will do anything I can to help.  We also will have a Children's Rosary book available soon which will also help those interested in beginning groups.

New Children's Rosary in West Hartford, CT USA

A New Children's Rosary is forming at St. Brigid Church in West Hartford CT USA.  Their first rosary will be held on Saturday December 8th 2012. 

It is so exciting that the first meeting of the Children's Rosary at St. Brigid Church will be on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It is a most precious blessing that they are allowed to begin such an undertaking on a date so dear to Our Mother.  It truly humbles the soul to think what an honor it is to give a gift such as this to Our Lady.       

The new group will be meeting from 3:15-3:45 EST at St. Brigid Church. The address is 1088 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford CT USA.

If you have any questions please contact Clara at: crgaudet01@yahoo.com

All are welcome to join either in person or in prayer from your homes.

Children's Rosary Today in Friday Harbor, WA

The Children's Rosary at St. Francis Church will hold their third Children's Rosary today, December 2nd.  This new group met for the first time on the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary on October 7th 2012.  Friday Harbor is part of the San Juan Islands of Washington State, USA. 

This wonderful new group meets monthly at 10AM PST on the first Sunday of the month. 

As today is the first Sunday of Advent it is particularly special that the children will usher in this season in prayer with Our Lady.
Consider uniting your prayers to those of these small children this morning. 

Thank you Blessed Mother for bringing these children together in prayer of the Holy Rosary.  Under your guidance may they progress in holiness and Dear Mother please guard their purity and innocence.  Amen

Day of the Little Candles

Lanterns in Quimbaya, Quindio Colombia

The Day of the Little Candles or Día de las Velitas is a custom practiced all over Colombia in honor of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The way each state in Colombia celebrates the Day of the Little Candles varies according to the region. 

Lanterns in Quinchia, Risaralda Colombia

We feel extremely blessed that our Aupair- Angie from Colombia, also a member of the Children's Rosary, has offered to share this custom with us here in West Hartford, CT USA.  The picture of Our Lady depicted in a lantern was taken in Angie's hometown of Quinchía, Risaralda Colombia.  Festivities start in her hometown on November 29, with the Aurora Rosary (called like this because it is done at 5:30am), and from every night until December 7th (the night before the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception).  On the evening of December 7th, lanterns are put in front of homes and in the streets with candles inside.  There are processions to honor the Immaculate Conception.  They carry a statue of the Virgin Mary through the streets finishing at the Church where they end by saying the rosary.  

Each of the nine days a different group of people is in charge of the novena, for example the first day the butchers are in charge of it, the second day traders, etc. The last day (by tradition) corresponds to all drivers of any type of transportation.

Angie has been with our family for 11 months and not only has been a tremendous help with the children  but also prays three rosaries with the children daily. She has been such a blessing to our family as my disability prevents me from helping the children with many things. 

Below is step by step instructions on how to make one of these lanterns to be used on the Day of the Little Candles.  

Choose a template or model with figures that you like, whether the Virgin Mary, flowers, Christmas figures etc.

Then proceed to draw the figure

The figure is carefully cut

Use colored tissue paper and paste it into the spaces left in the lantern

Stick the ends to form the lantern

Finally, the lantern is ready to put the candle inside and light our homes

The Children's Rosary feels honored and blessed to be able to join in this Colombian tradition to Honor Our Lady's Immaculate Conception.  Check back after December 7th for pictures of the candle lighting to be held  in West Hartford CT USA!

Día de las Velitas

Faroles en Quimbaya, Quindio

El día de las velitas es una tradición originaria de Colombia y es una de las más observada. Se celebra el 7 de diciembre, en la víspera de la Inmaculada Concepción.

Faroles en Quinchia, Risaralda

Dicha tradición comenzó el 8 de diciembre de 1984, con la declaración de la bula Ineffabilis Deus del Papa Pio IX:

“…la Virgen María fue la mas bendita, desde el primer momento de su concepción, por una gracia y un privilegio singular por nuestro Señor Todopoderoso…” (Catechism of the Catholic Faith, 491).

 Esta se costumbre se lleva  cabo en toda Colombia, variando de acuerdo al departamento. En mi pueblo natal, Quinchia (Risaralda), inicia el 29 de noviembre con el rosario “de la Aurora” (llamado así porque se hace a las 5:30 am), y a partir de todas las noches hasta el 7 de diciembre, se realizan procesiones en nombre de la Inmaculada Concepción, llevando a cuestas la Virgen María por las calles hasta llegar a la iglesia, donde se realiza la respectiva novena.

Cada día un grupo diferente de personas está a cargo de la novena, por ejemplo el primer día lo hacen los carniceros, el segundo los comerciantes, etc. El último día (por tradición) le corresponde a todos los conductores de cualquier tipo de transporte.

He estado en los Estados Unidos por 11 meses y durante ese tiempo me uni al grupo de Children's Rosary. Los niños estaban emocionados por aprender acerca de las tradiciones que celebramos en Colombia en honor a la Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción.  Quiero compartir con ustedes está tradición tan especial, explicando paso a paso cómo hacer los faroles para dicha noche:

Se elige un molde o modelo con figuras que sean del agrado de la persona, ya sea la Virgen María, flores, figuras navideñas, etc.

Luego se procede a hacerse el trazado respecto de la figura.

Se corta cuidadosamente la figura.

Se utiliza papel de colores y se pega en los espacios que se dejaron en el farol.

Se pegan los extremos para formar el farol.

Y de esta manera, el farol está listo para poner la vela adentro e iluminar nuestros hogares.

Revisen el blog después del 7 de diciembre para ver las fotos del alumbramiento de las velas en honor a la fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepción. Los faroles se encenderán en West Hartford CT EE.UU. por los miembros de Children's Rosary.

Celebración del día de las velitas en Estados Unidos
www.rosariodeninos.org

Immaculate Conception Novena

 In anticipation of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th) consider saying this novena from November 29th through December 7th.The following is the same prayer being said during the Novena at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.

La Purísima Inmaculada Concepción
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1678, now in Museo del Prado, Spain.

Immaculate Conception Novena 

Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of Your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception.

Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

(NCCB, Sacramentary, December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, (p. 752-753).

Church Teaching on the Immaculate Conception:

“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin”. (Catechism of the Catholic Faith, 491).

Litany to St. Joseph

Litany of Saint Joseph

Lord, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

God our Father in heaven

have mercy on us

God the Son, Redeemer of the world

have mercy on us

God the Holy Spirit

have mercy on us

Holy Trinity, one God

have mercy on us

Holy Mary

pray for us

Saint Joseph

pray for us

Noble son of the House of David

pray for us

Light of patriarchs

pray for us

Husband of the Mother of God

pray for us

Guardian of the Virgin

pray for us

Foster father of the Son of God

pray for us

Faithful guardian of Christ

pray for us

Head of the holy family

pray for us

Joseph, chaste and just

pray for us

Joseph, prudent and brave

pray for us

Joseph, obedient and loyal

pray for us

Pattern of patience

pray for us

Lover of poverty

pray for us

Model of workers

pray for us

Example of parents

pray for us

Guardian of virgins

pray for us

Pillar of family life

pray for us

Comfort of the troubled

pray for us

Hope of the sick

pray for us

Patron of the dying

pray for us

Terror of evil spirits

pray for us

Protector of the Church

pray for us

Lamb of God, you take away 

the sins of the world

have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away

the sins of the world

have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away 

the sins of the world

have mercy on us

V. God made him master of his household

R. And put him in charge of all that he owned.

Let us pray.

Almighty God,

in your infinite wisdom and love 

you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,

the mother of your Son.

As we enjoy his protection on earth

may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen