A Note From Fr. Timothy
The Miraculous 54 Day Rosary Novena
August 15th is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On this day we celebrate Mary being divinely preserved from the corruption of the grave at the end of her earthly life and taken up into heaven. We believe this gives evidence to and results from Mary’s unique relationship with Jesus and her own Immaculate Conception. As we celebrate this day, it helps us recognize the love Jesus has for his mother in preserving her from sin and any other corruption of the tomb.
Mary’s Assumption into heaven in both body and soul is also good for us! I believe that partly because of her unique situation in heaven amongst all the saints Mary is more easily able to appear to her children on earth. In fact, apparitions of Mary have appeared throughout history around the globe to many different people. There are a couple dozen or so Marian apparitions that have been approved by the Church for public veneration, and there are hundreds more for which the Church has not yet made a decision, positive or negative.
One of those apparitions took place in Naples in 1884 to a young girl named Fortuna, who was suffering from three separate incurable diseases. She and her family had finished a novena of rosaries for healing when Mary appeared in triumphant form, seated upon a throne with the Christ child in her lap, holding a rosary in her hand. Fortuna addressed her as “Queen of the Holy Rosary” and pleaded for her intercession. Mary responded by encouraging her to pray three novenas (27 consecutive days) of prayers of the rosary for her petition. Upon completing that, Mary appeared again and asked her to pray three more novenas (27 additional days) in thanksgiving. When she finished that, the girl was healed. This 54 day rosary novena has inspired many to pray the rosary and experience for themselves and others the favors of Mary and the grace of God.
We will be starting a Miraculous 54 Day Rosary Novena on August 15th with the praying of the rosary before the 5:30 p.m. Mass at the Church of St. Paul. Everyone is invited to join us to begin this Marian celebration with a beautiful and powerful Marian devotion. We will have prayer guides for the novena available that day or at the offices or on the taocatholic.org website at any time. We will observe the transition between the first three novenas of petition and the second three in thanksgiving with a Holy Hour and rosary at St. Joseph on Sunday, September 11th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. with a soup supper following. The 54 days conclude on Friday, October 7th – another Marian feast day when we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary – with a Living Rosary prayer at St. Michael at 6:30 p.m. These events are sponsored by Praying for our Youth and Children Committee and they encourage you to include prayers for the spiritual and physical safety of our youth as part of your novena request, but you can make any petition or request and rejoice in thanksgiving at favors received through the love of God for you.
Fr. Timothy Gapinski
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