Our Lady of the Cape

The following is an excerpt on the chapter about Our Lady of the Cap from our book,"The Many Faces of Mary book II."

Build a new church!
What could Father Désilets do? In 1873, the villagers of Cap-de-la-Madeleine swelled to 1300! Through the Mother of God, there was a new, deeper awareness of Church and its treasures. Word spread past their borders to neighboring parishes. In 1878, hearing of this success, the Bishop sent Father Désilets an associate, Father Louis Eugène Duquay. Well, now all he had to do was build a larger church!
As his parishioners were poor and the soil was sandy, the only solution was to demolish the old church and use its stones, and transport additional stones from the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Sainte Angèle. Parishioners prepared the stone for transportation the following winter. In those days, boats did not travel in the winter on the St. Lawrence; but they would be able to cross the river, and transport the stones on horse-drawn sleighs, if it was solidly frozen. It had always worked in the past. This was man's plan! But it seems God had something else in mind. Things were not going to be that easy. The winter of 1878-79 was very mild. The weather was so unusually balmy, the river had not frozen over, nor was it showing any promise of doing so.
Father called all the parishioners into the church and asked them to plead with Our Lady to form a bridge of ice for the sleighs, carrying the stones, to cross over. Every Sunday, after Mass, they prayed the Rosary, petitioning Our Lady to intercede, with the Lord. Each day, Father Duquay prayed the Rosary at the Altar of the Confraternity of the Rosary. Father Désilets promised Our Lady, if She would grant them this favor, they would dedicate the small church to Her.
Months slowly passed by, with no hope in sight. Before they knew it, it was March; and with March - Spring! Spring, and no ice in sight! But suddenly a high wind began to break up ice blocking the mouth of the St. Maurice River to the south and the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. The ice began to drift downstream to the Cap-de-la-Madeleine, covering the river several hundred feet from the church.
On March the 17th, Father Duquay asked parishioners to attend the High Mass he would be celebrating in honor of St. Joseph, on his Feast Day, March 19th. They would petition him, as foster father, to intercede with his Son Jesus, to form a bridge of ice for the stones to cross over. Then he invited some of the men to survey the situation. At the river's edge, they saw the river covered by a thin layer of ice floating among drifts of snow. They went from place to place, with no success, covering one thousand feet. Then they spotted two guides heading upriver to the south shore. Only Fathers Désilets and Duquay dared join the guides, the ice was so dangerously thin.
Having arrived at the south shore, one of the guides crawled forward, feeling his way along the icy water for a piece of ice that could carry his weight. Some men joined him and together they formed 1600 ft of ice along the river, wide enough to allow two carts, carrying stones, to pass one another. The men returned to the sacristy. It was 11 p.m. They considered the possibilities, slim as they were, and decided the best course was to pour water on the thin bridge of ice that had formed. As it continued to freeze, they would pour more water on it, with the hope it would result in the ice becoming thicker and thicker. Then when the ice bridge was thick enough for carts carrying stones to cross it, the transport of the stones would begin.
March 18th, day before St. Joseph's Feast Day, the men were walking on the thin ice bridge, throwing water on it. Now, considering it was March and the very balmy weather they were facing, it was a miracle in itself that the men could walk on the thin ice. They kept pouring water, until a layer of six inches formed on the ice. Seeing that, they continued pouring water, with the holy stubbornness of the French Canadians that helped them survive, over the centuries.
March 19th, the first cart crossed over, carrying stones. Other carts followed, until by Sunday 175 carts had crossed, carrying enough stones to build the new church. Father Duquay ordered the work to cease. It was Sunday! The Lord had answered their prayers. It was time for them to offer thanksgiving to the Lord for, indeed, He had performed a miracle on their behalf. All were of one mind and one spirit in proclaiming this was indeed through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. That day, the bridge was dedicated with the name it carries till this day - The Bridge of the Rosary. Fifteen days later Father Désilets received a letter from his Bishop: "The Good Lord really made possible the transportation of the stone for your church. It shows once again what faith can do, even provide a way to carry 300 meters[1] of stone from one side of the St. Lawrence River to the other."
[1] Each meter measures 39.37 inches. Consequently he is talking about approximately 1000 feet of stone.
For more information on our book "The Many Faces of Mary and the dvd on Our Lady of the Cap click here."

Our Lady of Czestochowa

The Following is a short excerpt from the Chapter on Our Lady of Czestochowa from our book, "The Many Faces of Mary book II."

Our Lady Travels the World
It is easier to determine that St. Luke painted the image which is now in Czestochowa than to track the history of the image down through the ages. Everything we tell you of the early history of the movement of the image of Our Lady is from tradition. The first movement out of Jerusalem occurred when the Romans came and destroyed the city in 70 A.D. It was brought by zealot Christian women up to the mountains, where it remained, to the best of anyone's knowledge, for 300 years. Now, it had to have an enormous amount of meaning to the daughters of Jerusalem, who cared for it over the centuries. Great pains were taken to insure that it was protected against all who came against the Church and the early members of the Church. They hid the image in caves, and through various underground tunnels to safe havens. They did this under the threat of imprisonment, torture and death, if caught.
In the year 326, or thereabouts, Queen Helena arrived in the Holy Land to gather relics of the early Faith, including parts of the True Cross, one of the Nails, part of the Crown of Thorns, as well as the sign above the Crucifix of Jesus, which read, "INRI, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" and the firsthand image of the Blessed Mother of God, painted by the evangelist St. Luke. This was certainly an important relic to bring back to her son Constantine.
When St. Helena arrived in Jerusalem, she was put in contact with the holy ladies who had been unofficial custodians of the only original painting of Our Lady in existence for all those centuries. The fame of St. Helena must have preceded her to the Holy Land, because she was given charge of this most important painting without hesitation. She brought it back to Constantinople along with other relics, and presented them to her son. He was so taken back by the beauty of the image, but also the sadness, he had a church built in Her honor, dedicating it to the Holy Name of Mary. Did Constantine spend time with Our Lady here in this Church? Did he try to imagine, looking at the eyes of this most magnificent painting, what She was feeling as She recounted the sufferings of Her Son? Did She speak to him there? Did he listen and act on Her words?
The Church and the image drew pilgrims from hundreds of miles around. They came and prayed; they petitioned Our Lady. Our dear Mother Mary blessed those who venerated Her image in that place. Healings and miracles took place. People from far and wide came to the church for healings and conversions. Dear Mother Mary answered all their prayers. The image of Our Lady became famous throughout the country.
So powerful was the image of Our Lady in Constantinople, that the people venerated Her in this church for centuries. The future emperors of the Byzantine Empire[1] gave Her the same honor and respect that St. Helena and her son Constantine had done during their lifetimes. As a matter of fact, they used the painting to protect them from an onslaught by the Saracens in one of their many failed attempts to conquer Constantinople.[2] In this instance, the people of the town had so much faith in the power the Lord Jesus had given to Our Lady in this image, they carried the image throughout the city and around the barriers surrounding the city. The Saracens could see the power of God in this image of Our Lady, and fled in fear. It is reminiscent of the Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi[3] when St. Clare of Assisi held up the Monstrance with Our Lord Jesus present, to ward off an attack by Saracens on her convent. They looked up at the Monstrance, saw the power of God in it, and ran for their lives. They never returned to San Damiano or Assisi again.
Our Lady Goes to Poland
Over the centuries, the Byzantine Empire lost more and more of its territory, and more and more of its power. Factions attacked from all sides weakening the empire. Infighting among the rulers also helped to bring about the demise. But most likely, the most significant factor, which led to the decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, was it turned its back on Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. History does repeat itself, make no mistake about that! We have seen more instances of great powers brought to their knees when they have walked away from Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. The Byzantine Empire was no exception. There was a complete breakdown in religious practices. Some of the emperors hated Christianity, and actually went out of their way to destroy any vestiges of devotion, statues, relics and sacred objects.
However, the image of Our Lady was so important, and of such spiritual value to the nobility of Constantinople, they hid the image inside the palace of the emperor. Actually in some cases, the wife or daughter of the emperor hid the image for safe-keeping. Then, during the next five hundred years, mothers would bequeath the image to a daughter or son who had not lost his faith, and still honored the Sacred Painting; and they would give it as a wedding present, or on some similar occasion, to another child, until such time as the city of Constantinople was in danger of being destroyed by the Moslem hoards.
If we were to take a look at the Byzantine Empire, at the time of its inception, it covered a great span of countries. In 550 A.D., it encompassed all the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy, Greece, the Holy Land, southern Spain, and Northern Africa. In 1050 A.D., in the midst of its decline, it only controlled Italy, Greece, and Antioch. In 1453, it fell to the Ottoman Turks, and by the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, the Byzantine Empire was no more.
Tradition tracks the movement of the Sacred Painting of Our Lady from Constantinople to Russia. The reasoning for this was that "...the Christian Faith moved through Bulgaria, Moravia, the Czech Republic and finally to Russia."[4] The next question we would naturally ask is, "Well, how did it get from Russia to Poland?" Our research tells us that there was a great deal of inter-marriage between Russian autocrats[5] and Polish royalty. A most appropriate dowry gift to be given was the Sacred Image of Our Lady. So the painting was protected and circulated over the centuries by the nobility, first of Russia, and then when the Ukraine collapsed and became part of the kingdom of Poland, it wound up in a castle in Belz, a region which had been in Russia and then became part of Poland. Upon the death of King Casimir the Great, the throne was put into the hands of Prince Ladislaus.
When Ladislaus assumed the throne, his first act was to recapture all the castles which had been controlled by the Russians. Upon the capture of the castle at Belz, he gave great respect and honor to the Sacred Image of Our Lady. At this point, the Sacred Image was raised to the level of a Shrine. A special place was given to the image within the castle, and great reverence was paid to Our Lady.
[1]The Byzantine Empire evolved from the Roman Empire in the 5th century.
[2]The Ottoman Empire finally captured Constantinople in 1453, signaling the demise of the Byzantine Empire.
[3]Read more about this Miracle of the Eucharist in Bob and Penny Lord's book, This Is My Body, This Is My Blood, Miracles of the Eucharist.
[4]The Glories of Czestochowa and Jasna Góra - O.L. Czestochowa Foundation - Worcester, MA
[5] absolute rulers

For more information on the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa and our book, "The Many Faces of Mary Book II," click here

Our Lady of Pompeii

The following is an excerpt from our book, "The Many Faces of Mary book II." about the chapter on Our Lady of Pompeii

The Miracle of Pompeii
Seldom in history do we find a Shrine and a village that owes its existence to one man and his dream. As unique as this is, rarer still is a Sanctuary village with the ancient heritage of pre-Christ Pompeii. As this book is about Our Lady and the miracles that came about through her intercession, you will see how She played an integral part in guiding one man to build Her Shrine, a Sanctuary where the needy could come, with their cares and worries and She would answer them. But before we go into the wonders of Our Lady of Pompeii, we must delve into the heart and soul of one man, a knight who loved His Lady and wanted to do Her honor.
Where you find the extraordinary, you will find the Holy Spirit guiding the way. And so it was with Blessed Bartolo Longo, who was in the Hands of the Spirit in his personal life, as well as the founder of one of the most famous and visited Sanctuaries in the history of the Church, especially by Italians and pilgrims from all over the world.
As we seek him, we find him being guided by the Holy Spirit. His biographer says of him: "Bartolo Longo was guided by the Spirit as much through the desert as the rich harvest, and through the dark night as in the radiant midday light. He was conscious of this adventure and he wanted to live it to the full." He wanted to live it to the full! But living it to the full, not even he realized how far he would go. Before the consecration of the new church, in 1891, he wrote:
"For fifteen years we were continually astonished by the phenomenon that was occurring inside of us without clearly understanding its laws or the nature and force of its purpose. What was that secret impulse, persistent and untiring, that for so many years had driven us to build this church?"[1]
(Author's Note) It reminds us of our Holy Family Mission and the replica of the Holy House we built in Arkansas. For eleven years we searched and searched for the right place to build our center of evangelization and finally there it was not of our choice but that of God; but like with Bartolo Longo, it was not to be accomplished without blood, sweat and tears spilling onto the pages telling our story.[2]
Bartolo Longo - from Satanist to Saint
But first, let us speak of the man through which this all came about. Bartolo Longo was born in Latiano (Brindisi) on February the 10th, 1841 to Dr. Bartolomeo Longo and Antonina Luparelli.[3] His parents were well-to-do, which would enable him to receive a fine education. As they were devout Catholics, most especially his mother, he and his siblings grew up with a deep love for Mary. The Rosary was implanted in Bartolo's heart, as a youth, as his family prayed the Rosary together, every evening, meditating on the Life of Jesus and Mary. From his earliest years, one could see the characteristics which would catapult him into greatness. He was charismatic. He excelled in every thing he endeavored. He fared well in his studies. Exposed to music at an early age, he loved to play the piano and the flute, even becoming the conductor of the school band.
But his parents' influence would not be always with him. The time came when he would enter the university! As is true in many universities, down through the ages, Bartolo was bombarded with deadly liberal, atheistic, anti-Christian heretical courses, especially in a philosophy class given by a fallen-away Priest. Subsequently, Bartolo fell into the trap and began his sad walk away from the Catholic Church. He was so completely taken in by his professor and all the hate he was spewing against the Faith, Bartolo too began to rant and rave against the Church.
But his heart was always seeking the Divine. The ex-priest took away his anchor in the storm[4] and of need, he found another. Only this one would help him to sink into the mire of decadence. Falling in with students who were deeply involved with the occult, he too began to delve into mysticism with his fellow cultists, attending séances. He got so involved, not being a half-measure kind of person, he was ordained a Priest in a Satanic cult. As his cult attacked the Church, her Priests, Bishops and Religious, as well as the Holy Rites of the Church, he too piped in; and with all the charisma and training, he had received preparing him for a career in law, he was able to convince others to stray away from Jesus and His Church.
God waited patiently, but not allowing him to continue harming his soul and that of others, God, through the night and day praying of his mother for his soul, allowed Bartolo to fast so severely, he dangerously jeopardized his health. Not only his physical health, but his mental as well. He soon found himself sinking farther and farther into a deep depression. His exposure to the horrible rituals and practices he witnessed in the cult, so devastated him he suffered a mental breakdown. But only for a short period, as Jesus could not resist Bartolo's mother's pleas. Still away from Mother Church, he was close to despair, when he heard a voice resembling his deceased father's voice calling to him: "Return to God! Return to God!"
The day finally came in Naples, when in 1864, Bartolo finally concluded his education, receiving a diploma to practice law, which he did in Naples until 1871. All the Rosaries said, all the supplications by his mother, Our Lady stepped in and sent him to Professor Vincente Pepe, a good friend who taught near Naples. When Bartolo shared his experiences and the rituals of the cult, the professor became so repulsed and enraged, his outburst stunned Bartolo. Desperately crying out for help, Bartolo admitted he was deeply troubled.Vincente introduced Bartolo to a Dominican Priest, well versed in the theology and philosophy of .St. Thomas Aquinas - Father Alberto Radente. By the grace of God and the intercession of Mother Mary, this dear Priest would serve as confessor and spiritual director, as well as friend to Bartolo. Father helped him to relinquish all ties with the Satanic cult, once and for all. He prepared him to receive the Sacraments by giving Bartolo an extensive course in the Faith. Jesus said, "This kind can be cast out in no way except by prayer and fasting."[5] God sent Bartolo a prayer warrior in Father Radente. He prayed and fasted for his young charge. I wonder if he knew how great would be the task this young man would undertake for the glory and honor of Jesus and Mary and succeed.
[1] referring to the Chapel in Pompeii, which he built
[2] You can read more about Bob and Penny Lord's journey of faith in their autobiography - The Journey and the Dream
[3] In Italy and in many parts of the world, the wife maintains her single name, even unto death. You can see obituaries announcing the demise of a wife as: Maria Rossi, wife of Salvatore Penna (for example).
[4] Jesus and the Church
[5] Mk 9:29

For more information about Our Lady of Pompeii click here

For more information about "The Many Faces of Mary Book II click here"

Our Lady Who Cried

Our Lady of Tears, Siracusa, Sicily

The following is an excerpt from our book, "The Many Faces of Mary Book II."

Our story begins in Syracuse on the 29th of August, 1953, Five months before, Antonina and Angelo Jannuso were married. Because they were a struggling young couple, with Angelo a poor worker earning the barest minimum wages, they accepted his brother's gracious invitation and moved into his small house on Via degli Orti di E. Giorgio. The day of their marriage, they received a plaster plaque of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as a wedding present. Although they were what we would call, lukewarm Catholics, barely doing their Church duties by going to church on Sundays, they reverently placed the plaster plaque on the wall above their bed.
Soon after they were married, they discovered they were to know the blessing of giving birth to a child. The couple was overjoyed, but typical of the hardworking poor class of Sicily, things were not going to be easy. They discovered Antonina had toxemia. This not only caused her to have excruciating convulsions, the convulsions, at times, resulted in her suffering bouts of blindness. On the day of the miracle, August 29th, Antonina was blinded, due to a seizure resulting from her convulsions. She was totally blind from three in the morning until eight thirty that evening, when her eyesight was totally restored.
She later wrote that she turned to the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary over her bed, to give thanksgiving to Our Lady for her returned eyesight, when to her utter astonishment what did she see, but the plaque of Our Lady was crying. She called out to her sister-in-law and aunt who, when she recounted what she had seen, thought she was delusional due to her illness. She said she then insisted they look closely at the image of Our Lady. They reluctantly did as she asked. When they moved closer to the image, they too saw the tears flowing from the eyes of Our Lady, and attested to the fact they, as well, saw some tears run down Her face unto the headboard of her bed. Needless to say, upon witnessing the image crying, they had mixed feelings - fright mixed with awe and wonderment. They immediately set out to advise the neighbors. They removed the plaque from the wall and carried it outside so the neighbors could see what they had seen. The neighbors could do nothing less than confirm that which they too had seen. The image of our Lady was shedding tears!
As you can imagine, word soon got out. Visitors came from far and near to witness the miraculous phenomena for themselves. People are always looking for the supernatural! Not only the inquisitive came but a well-respected gentleman in the neighborhood, one Mario Messina came; and after he too noticed the tears spilling from the eyes of the image, he removed the plaque from the wall to see if possibly the tears were not coming through the plaster plaque from a hidden reservoir. Upon examining it, he could do nothing but affirm that he could see no evidence disputing the miraculous formation of tears on the plaque. They dried the plaque and tears quickly formed on the dry surface.
As the crowds swelled, jamming themselves into the small house to see the image, the authorities, with the Jannusos' permission, removed the plaque from the wall and hung it on the outer wall of the house to satisfy the curiosity of all those who had heard of the miraculous occurrence. Seeing the numbers increasing, rather than lessening, and finding it more and more difficult to maintain any semblance of order, the local carabiniere[1] decided to bring the plaque to the local police station. The image continued to weep, even as it was being conveyed carefully to the local police station. But once inside the station, forty minutes had not passed when the image ceased weeping. Consequently, it was restored to its rightful home - the home where the Jannusos lived.
Now, the people had not moved from outside the little house. So, at 2 a.m., on Sunday, August the 30th, the plaque, which had resumed crying, was placed on a pillow for all to see and venerate. Monday, the plaque was pinned to the wall. Whereupon, the people began collecting tears on handkerchiefs, pieces of cotton and all sorts of bits of cloth. Our Lady, kind and obliging Mother that She is, was able to assure Her children that in truth a miracle had come about - for them! As it was not securely attached to the wall, they decided to bring the plaque to the house across the road and have it placed on an Altar fashioned just for this purpose. The crowds continued to come. As they approached the image of Our Lady, they went down on their knees and began praying the Rosary. That done, the Rosary was finished; the plaque was gently carried back to the Jannuso home.
[1]Italian gendarme

For more information on Our Lady of Tears click here

Holy House of Loreto

The following is an excerpt from the chapter on the Holy House of Loreto from our book, "Heavenly Army of Angels."

The Angels move the Holy House to Italy
December 10th, 1294, in the area of Loreto, Italy (across the Adriatic Sea and southwest of Tersatto,) shepherds reported seeing a house in the sky, flying across the sea, supported by Angels. They reported, one of the Angels (Michael) wore a red cape, and seemed to be leading the others. They saw our Lady and the Baby Jesus seated on top of the house. The Angels continued inland, about four miles, and landed with their precious house and its Royal Passengers into a wooded area called Banderuola.
The news spread, quickly drawing many people to pilgrimage to the House in Banderuola. But they were not all working on the same agenda. Robbers came to waylay, rob, and beat the pilgrims. The faithful stopped coming, and the house quickly fell into neglect.
The Angels, who had been put in charge of protecting the House, lifted it again and set it down on a small hill in the middle of a farm. The only problem was, this land was owned by two brothers, named Antici, who began fighting immediately over ownership of the house.
So the Angels moved the house, a third time, to another hill. They placed it in the middle of a road, the site it occupies now, and has for the last 700 years. Tradition tells us that as soon as the house moved off the brothers' property, they became the best of friends. The Angels had moved the Holy House three times in one year.
The people of Recanati and Loreto didn't know exactly what they had there. They knew it was a church, and it had appeared miraculously. They knew about its movement, from place to place, the first year it was there. They'd heard reports of the multitudes of miracles taking place as a result of praying at the church. That was about as much as they knew. But in 1296, that was all to change. Two years after it had landed in Loreto, our Lady appeared to a very holy man, Paul of the woods, a hermit. She explained the origin of the house, and concluded with these words,
"It remained in the city of Nazareth, to the great consolation of Christians until, by the permission of God, those who reverenced this Holy House were expelled from the city by the arms of the infidels. And since no honor was any longer paid to it, and it was in evident danger of being profaned by the infidels in contempt of the Christian name, it seemed good to my beloved Son to translate it from Nazareth to Illiria (Yugoslavia) by the hands of Angels, and afterwards, to remove it to your land."
Paul of the Woods took the story to the people of Recanati, who, being aware of the miracles that had taken place at the House, sent a group of sixteen men, first to Tersatto, and then to Nazareth, to check out the authenticity of the House. The team of experts took with them, all the measurements and full details, of the House in Loreto.
Experts set out to verify the authenticity of the Holy House
The team's first stop: Tersatto. The villagers verified, indeed, that the House had been there and (as with the House in Loreto) it had had walls of a reddish colored stone and were about sixteen inches in thickness. When they measured the facsimile that had been built in Tersatto, in remembrance of the Holy House, they discovered that it measured the same as the Holy House in Loreto - thirty-one and a quarter feet long by thirteen feet four inches wide by twenty-eight feet high. They spoke of it having one door which, again as in the House in Loreto. was seven feet high with a four and a half foot wide opening. It too, had had one window. They described the earthenware vessels that the Italians, too, had found in the House. Their depiction of the statue of the Holy Mother and the Infant Jesus could not have been more perfect.
The investigators went on to Nazareth. There they would discover whether the House was really that of the Annunciation. The measurements of the foundation, in Nazareth, were exactly the dimensions of the House in Loreto and the facsimile that had been built in Tersatto. After a period of about six months, the investigators returned to Loreto, and affirmed the authenticity of the House.
In the years that followed, more inquiries were made. They found coins beneath the House, not only from the area of Nazareth but also from the period it resided in the Holy Land. Stones and soil, used for the grouting of the house, were found to be identical with those found in Nazareth, from that level of civilization.
When you journey to the Holy Land, you can still visit homes very similar to this house of the Holy Family. In Nazareth, people still live, like the holy carpenter and his Family, in modest one room homes where they eat as well as sleep. They have only one cupboard, just as Mary had, to keep cups and plates. As you look at her cupboard which is still in the Holy House in Italy, to the left of the altar, it is difficult to come to terms with the truth that in this humble, unpretentious house, the True Royal Family, our Holy Family ate and slept, prayed and shared, were Family!
As we brush against the ancient stone walls of the House, we can almost touch Mother Mary as she goes about her duties as a Wife, a faithful one. As our eyes travel to the window (the Angel's window), across from the altar, we can hear Mary, the Daughter, obeying the Will of Her Father. We can cry and laugh, hope and pray with our Mother, a loving, caring and protective Mother. Sometimes a Sister, sometimes a Mother, always a Friend, Mary is so touchable, so one of us, so like us in all things except in sin. We could spend days at this shrine, just meditating on the importance of this house in our lives, as we dare dream and walk through the thirty years Jesus spent here.

For more information on our book, Heavenly Army of Angels click here
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Pray the Rosary

Since May is the month of Mary and she has urged us to "Pray the Rosary." We thought we would add an excerpt from our book, "The Rosary the Life of Jesus and Mary," on how to pray the Rosary.

You may want to pass this on to your friends that do not know how to pray the Rosary.
On Monday and Saturday, pray the Joyful Mysteries; Tuesday and Friday, the Sorrowful;

Thurday the Luminous Mysteries

Wednesday and Sunday, the Glorious; or say all 20 decades each day.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
2. Recite the "Apostles Creed". (holding the Crucifix)
3. Recite the "Our Father". (Large Bead)
4. Recite 3 "Hail Marys". (Small Beads)
5. Recite the "Glory Be to the Father".
6. Say Fatima Prayer and Short Prayer to Mary (optional)
7. Announce the First Mystery of the Joyful Mysteries
8. Recite the "Our Father". (Large Bead)
9. Say 10 "Hail Marys" (Small Beads)
10. Recite the "Glory Be to the Father".
11. Then pray the Fatima Prayer (optional)
12. Then pray a Short Prayer to Mary (optional)
13. Announce the Second Mystery of The Joyful Mysteries
14. Repeat 7-8-9-10-11-12
15. Then repeat the same prayers as you meditate on all the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious Mysteries.
16. After the five (or fifteen) decades are finished,
Pray the Hail Holy Queen
17. Pray the Memorare
18. V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
R. That we maybe worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY
O God, Whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayers of the Holy Rosary

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."
THE APOSTLES' CREED
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven; sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen."

THE OUR FATHER
"Our Father, Who art in Heaven; hallowed by Thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen."

THE HAIL MARY
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

THE GLORY BE TO THE FATHER
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

THE FATIMA PRAYER
"Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy."

A SHORT PRAYER TO MARY
"Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us, or Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us, or Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us, or
Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us, etc
any other title of Our Lady you would like to use"

THE HAIL HOLY QUEEN
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs; mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.
O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God
That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ."

THE MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence I fly unto thee O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother.
To thee, I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. AMEN

The Joyful Mysteries

First Joyful - The Annunciation
Second Joyful - The Visitation
Third Joyful - The Birth of Jesus
Fourth Joyful - The Presentation in the Temple
Fifth Joyful - The finding of Jesus in the Temple

The Luminous Mysteries

First Luminous - Baptism in the Jordan river
Second Luminous - Marriage Feast at Cana
Third Luminous - Proclaimation of the coming of the Kingdom of God
Fourth Luminous - Transfiguration
Fifth Luminous - Institution of the Holy Eucharist

The Sorrowful Mysteries

First Sorrowful - Agony in the Garden
Second Sorrowful - Scourging at the Pillar

Third Sorrowful - Crowning with thorns

Fourth Sorrowful - Jesus carries the Cross

Fifth Sorrowful - Jesus dies on the Cross

The Glorious Mysteries
First Glorious - The Resurrection of Jesus
Second Glorious - The Ascension
Third Glorious - Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
Fourth Glorious - The Assumption
Fitth Glorious - The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

For more information on our book, "The Rosary, the Life of Jesus and Mary." click here

You also may be interested in obtaining some of the famous St. Clare of Montefalco Rosaries, click here for more information

Saint Joseph the Worker

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker - "Go to Joseph"

We are placing the Litany of St. Joseph here for you to use
We pray it everyday and we have never been let down by St. Joseph

Christ have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Christ graciously hear us
God, the Father of 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
St. Joseph, pray for us
Illustrious Son of David, pray for us
Light of the Patriarchs, pray for us
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us
Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us
Watchful Defender of Christ, pray for us
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us
Joseph most just, pray for us
Joseph most chaste, pray for us
Joseph most prudent, pray for us
Joseph most valiant, pray for us
Joseph most obedient, pray for us
Joseph most faithful, pray for us
Mirror of patience, pray for us
Lover of poverty, pray for us
Model of workmen, pray for us
Glory of domestic life, pray for us
Guardian of Virgins, pray for us
Pillar of families, pray for us
Solace of the afflicted, pray for us
Hope of the sick, pray for us
Terror of demons, pray for us
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us

V. God made him the master of his household
R. He gave him charge over all his possessions

Let us pray
Father, You entrusted our Savior to the care of Saint Joseph. By the help of his prayers may your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

For more information on St. Joseph, we suggest our DVD on Blessed Brother Andre