Pope St. John Paul II, St. Louise de Marillac, and the Most Holy Rosary for Families

"There are two immediate things which the Catholic families of America can do to strengthen home-life. The first is prayer: both personal and family prayer. One prayer in particular I recommend to families: the one we have just, just been praying, the Rosary. The second suggestion I make to families is to use the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn about the faith and to answer the questions that come up especially the moral questions which confront everyone today. - Pope Saint John Paul II

"The faults of children are not always imputed to the parents, especially when they have instructed them and given good example. Our Lord, in His wonderous Providence, allows children to break the hearts of devout fathers and mothers. Thus the decisions your children have made don't make you a failure as a parent in God's eyes. You are entitled to feel sorrow, but not necessarily guilt. Do not cease praying for your children; God's grace can touch a hardened heart. Commend your children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When parents pray the Rosary, at the end of each decade they should hold the Rosary aloft and say to her, 'With these beads bind my children to your Immaculate Heart,' she will attend to their souls." - St. Louise de Marillac

Years ago when I felt so lost and confused as to what God’s plans were for me I would frequently visit a beautiful church near my home and work called Our Lady of Hope in Potomac Falls, Virginia. I remember a couple of times hearing the voice of a small child singing with its mother. I didn’t know it at the time but I would visit around 3:00 in the afternoon and the child would be singing the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I was awestruck and thought, “What a voice! Just like an angel’s voice!” And then the child and its mother would silently pray the Rosary.

God did help me find my way and He did help me find a loving and devout spouse. From the beginning of our relationship the Rosary has been very special to us. Even though we lived in different states (I was in Virginia and Martin was in Texas) we would recite the Rosary over the telephone faithfully every night. Our son was born a few years after we married. The recitation of the Rosary is a devotion that is so sacred and meaningful to us that we hope for our son to continue and pass it on. May the beads of the Most Holy Rosary bind our child to Mary’s Immaculate Heart always.

This family picture was taken in the fall of 2013 in Norfolk, Virginia. It’s still one of my favorites.