August 14, 2020 by Kathleen Heckenkamp
Besides the extreme hardships of World War I, there had been, in Portugal, a very keen religious persecution in the form of anti-clericalism which pervaded the country after the establishment of the Portuguese First Republic in 1910.
"Catholic churches and schools were seized by the government, and the wearing of clerics in public, the ringing of church bells, and the celebrating of popular religious festivals were banned. Between 1911-1916, nearly 2,000 priests, monks and nuns were killed by anti-Christian groups." ( From Catholic New Agency: "everything-you-need-to-know-about-fatima-part-1")
As well, it must be remembered that during the month of August, the Children of Fatima were deceived by the local mayor, Arthur Santo, who was also an Apostate Catholic and Mason. He conned the children to accept a ride from him to the shrine for the visitation of Our Lady on August 13th. Instead of taking them to the Cova de Iria as promised, however, this evil man kidnapped them and inflicted upon them some of the worst mental torture possible for a 6,7 and 9 yr old by threatening them with death via boiling oil immersion to get them to confess to a conspiracy of lies concerning the Apparitions at Fatima!
As these children were told previously by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the month of July that they would have much to suffer and that in fact, Francisco and Jacinta would soon be taken to Heaven, these children had no doubt this is what Our Lady was asking of them to suffer i.e. to receive the palm of martyrdom that August 13th!
Instead of despairing in prison with the adult prisoners as the mayor gleefully hoped, this little band of prayer warriors rallied the prisoners together for a group rosary kneeling right there in the dank prison cell with the courage of soldiers in battle! They bore these sufferings for the conversion of sinners as Mary had asked and they were willing to become martyrs if need be!!!
We must remember this fearlessness and gallantry for God and Our Lady that these Children of Fatima exhibited, when we are being faced with quarantines, curfews, lock-downs, and mask mandates!
Previous to this kidnapping, on July 13, 1917, Our Lady Fatima told the children:
“Continue to say the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, to obtain the peace of the world and the end of the war, because only she can obtain it.”
She had repeatedly asked the children together to pray the rosary for the end of the War during the six months of her visitations. Despite the atmosphere of anti-clericalism and the oppressive acts of the agents of Freemasonry, every month on the 13th, the crowds grew until it is believed 70,000 people were present for the October visitation in which Mary performed the Miracle of the Sun!
The Catholic Faithful back then still knew and believed that praying together in groups was a powerful weapon against the sworn enemies of the Church and they had the reassurances of the Church’s pontiffs and Church History to prove it! And as a result, they were rewarded with the greatest public miracle in the history of the World!
The popes, in bygone eras, have encouraged this exhortation of public group prayer especially by persuading the people to have recourse to Our Lady through the rosary in groups and publicly!
Saint Louis de Montfort, in his book, The Secret of the Rosary, states:
In his bull on the Rosary, Pope Gregory XIII says very clearly that we must believe (on pious faith) that the public prayers and processions of members of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary were largely responsible for the great victory over the Turkish navy at Lepanto which Almighty God granted to Christians on the first Sunday of October 1571....
Pope Pius IX encouraged Catholics:"Give me one million families praying the Rosary and the world is saved."
He also said, "If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, in your country, assemble every evening to recite the Rosary."
Pope St. Pius X said, "Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world."
Clearly, these Pontiffs were not just encouraging the people; they were imploring the people to pray the Rosary together in groups.
Even Saints have promoted this! St. Louis Marie de Montfort, in his The Secret of the Rosary said...
"When people say the Rosary together it is far more formidable to the devil than one said privately, because in this public prayer it is an army that is attacking. It is very easy to break a single stick, but if you join it to others to make a bundle, it cannot be broken. In union, there is strength."
(In the picture above one can see the “Miracle of the Doves” that had occurred as a result of the outpouring of devotion and love that the Portuguese Catholic Faithful showed Our Lady in 1946 with prayers and processions- - once again, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s physical expression of grace showered to the faithful as a result of public prayer and devotion!)
St. Louis Marie de Montfort’s list of group Rosary benefits in his chapter, FORTY-SIXTH ROSE: GROUP RECITATION ...
Parish recitation of the rosary before or after Mass in front of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of tabernacle is extremely efficacious in drawing down graces upon the Faithful.
In Part 2 of this article, the History of the Block Rosary will be addressed…. It is our hopeful intention to inspire all people to at least pray the Rosary with their families daily, even better to form groups in their neighborhoods or in their parishes which is known as Block Rosaries…to be continued…
(This lovely painting of "Our Lady of the Rosary" surrounded by Mother Mariana, Mother Taboada and other Conceptionist Sisters can be found in the Upper Choir of the Monastery in Quito, Ecuador)
“The Rosary has been instituted by St. Dominic to appease the anger of God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
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