In the great history of the Catholic Church, few popes have had the lasting impact and influence of Pope St. Pius V. You might have never heard of him, but this was a Pope who witnessed the crises of the Church amidst the Protestant Reformation and the growing strength of the Ottoman Empire. Today’s short […] PS – IT WAS GREATLY FROM THIS EPISODE IN HISTORY THAT DON BOSCO FOUND A FIRM FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD HIS STRONG DEVOTION TO MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS Source: Meet Pope St. Pius V: The Legendary Rosary Pope (Prof. Roberto De Mattei & Fr. Edward...
By Cl. Paul Dungca, SDB EAO, 7 October 2021 (Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, 3 PM, GMT 8+) — In the event dubbed “International Youth Rosary,” nine countries gathered together to pray the holy rosary to honor our Lady. It was joined by priests, sisters, brothers, and young people. Almost 180 people joined the Zoom Meeting, while others participated via Online Stream. The activity was spearheaded by young people who likewise lead the rosary using their respective native languages. They were: Inviolata Coo (Indonesia) – Introductory prayers in Bahasa Indonesia, Maria Vicky Bautista (Australia) led the 1st Mystery in English, Phuong Trinh (VIE) for the second mystery in Vietnamese. In Filipino, John Paul Almerez led the third moment. The fourth was in Tetum by Pedrosa Guterres (East Timor). Barbara Moe Pwint Phyu (MYM) led the fifth mystery in Burmese, with the same language, N Min Htun from Myanmar concluded the rosary. The participants responded in English. A reflection on the power of the Holy Rosary was given by Fr. Dennis Paez, SDB after the second mystery. “The rosary is not just a prayer, it is a weapon,...
Miguel de Cervantes & the Battle of Lepanto SARAH METTS Miguel de Cervantes, who would one day write the great novel Don Quixote, was born in 1547 in Spain. His family had at one time held influence in society. By the time Cervantes was born, his father was poor and often had to travel in search of work. After studying under the Jesuits in Seville, Cervantes began a career as a soldier, and would find himself in the middle of one of the most important Christian military battles of all time—the battle of Lepanto. By the 1500s, the Ottoman Empire’s naval fleet had become very powerful. They controlled most of the Mediterranean and often attacked parts of the Spanish and Italian coastlines, forcing the Christian inhabitants into slavery in North Africa. On Sunday, October 7, 1571, a group of naval forces from Spain, Naples, Sicily, Venice and Genoa, led by Don Juan of Austria, met the Ottoman forces in the Gulf of Lepanto, off of Western Greece. Cervantes’ own ship, the Marquesa, was part of the Christian fleet. When the fighting began, Cervantes was very sick, but when his captain insisted he should stay below, he replied, “up to now...
We Salesians at the Marian Shrine in Stony Point, NY, are moving forward in being proactive and organizing events that center on our common core – youth and devotion to Mary – especially the Help of Christians. We present the following new opportunities to you in order that you may keep us in your prayers and if you are in the NY/NJ area it would be great if you could participate especially in bringing groups of young people in your apostolate to these spiritual opportunities. October 9th: Our Lady of Fatima Statue will visit the Marian Shrine. Eucharistic Adoration begins at 1:30 pm at our Mary, Help of Christians Outdoor Altar Procession with the Blessed Sacrament to Our Lady of the Rosary Statue Recitation of the Holy Rosary. Our desire is to make sure that young people are an important part of this event since we are Salesians. October 23rd: Rise Up! Lowly but Chosen – Mini-conference for youth and young adults (14-22) from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. We will have this event in our Youth Center Gym – a live band, testimonies, and motivational speakers, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the opportunity for Confession. This event is $20.00 per person....
Pope concludes Month of Prayer with Rosary in Vatican Gardens Pope Francis leads the Holy Rosary in the Vatican Gardens at the conclusion of the “Marathon of Prayer” for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resumption of work and social activities. By Christopher Wells Pope Francis was joined by first communicants and young people who have recently been confirmed, as well as by newlyweds and expecting couples, scouts, families, and religious, as he prayed the concluding Rosary for the month-long Marathon of Prayer. Month of Prayer At the end of April, Pope Francis asked all Catholics throughout the world to pray throughout the month of May – traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary – for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic and for a resumption of everyday work and social activities. Each day of the month, a different Marian shrine led the faithful in a Rosary that was broadcast around the world. Pope Francis himself kicked off the Month of Prayer by leading the Rosary from St Peter’s Basilica on 1 May, praying before the image of the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). On Monday, 31 May, the Holy Father chose the Vatican Gardens...
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