I'd love to hear your Rosary stories

[twosweetgirls]

I’ll start with mine, because seriously, you can’t find stuff this good on t.v.

Since becoming Catholic and realizing how the Rosary has revolutionized my walk with and toward Jesus, I’ve been making one-decade Rosaries and giving them away. In my parish (which is HUGE) everyone knows me as The Rosary Girl.

So anyway, about a month and a half ago, a JW older lady came to my door to proselytize. While declining her Watchtower tracts, I pressed a one-decade Rosary into her hands, which she in turn gave back once she realized what it was. The conversation ended nicely and I found out her name, Rose Johnson (name changed, of course). Didn’t see her again.

Flash-forward to last Saturday vigil Mass. I was handing out Rosaries to all sorts of people, and had only one left. Well, in walk two LDS missionaries, looking rather lost as they took their seat. Immediately I reached for my Rosaries, and was dismayed to find I had only that one left. Looking around, I spied a woman with whom I’ve become dear friends, and asked her if I could “borrow” hers back (I’d given her one many months ago) to give to those LDS missionaries who’d just walked in. Without any hesitation, she gave up her Rosary, so I had two to give to the young LDS men.

The next day, I made my friend another Rosary to replace the one she’d given up, and I delivered it to her house. While there, we were talking about those two young men and how they were at Mass. Then she said, “and there was someone else there too, from the Seventh Day church; I forgot her name, but we always used to order our office supplies from her. Her last name is Johnson, can’t remember the first name.”

“WAIT A MINUTE”, I said, “was she a Jehovah’s Witness instead of a Seventh Day Adventist?”

“Oh yes, that’s it; I get the two confused. Sure wish I could’ve remembered her name, but I only smiled and made small talk with her after Mass,” my friend replied.

I then asked her, “Was this lady’s name Rose?”

“YES, that’s who it was!” said my friend. “Do you know her?”

I was speechless. So here was this Jehovah’s Witness, my friend, and two LDS missionaries all brought together by a simple little Rosary.

Isn’t that amazing???

 

[Epistemes]

That’s an amazing story! God be praised!

The rosary had a similar effect on me. My conversion story typically includes the bit about how I randomly decided to purchase an old used rosary off eBay which I carried around like some sort of talisman. I didn’t step foot into an actual church for at least four more years but when I did I immediately remembered how attached to that old rosary I had been so I purchased another.

I ultimately attribute my conversion to Mary, which is why I took “Mary” as my confirmation name.

 

[dove51]

That’s awesome! I don’t have any neat stories like that, but I definitely have a different attitude toward proselytizers now.

 

[puzzleannie]

I have lost track of the number of non-Catholics who have come to RCIA after having prayed the rosary for months or years, because someone gave them a rosary. It is the evangelization tool par excellence.

My sister married the son of a Protestant minister, and her brother in law died soon afterward, leaving a wife and two small children. at that time she asked our family to say rosaries for him and the family, which we did. fast forward 20 years, when the widow is having major health problems, and my sister asks me to send some rosaries and a crucifix–not cross. Which I do, and include a couple of scriptural rosary books. The minister is now sick, and his wife is near death, and my sister has all those good Protestants praying the scriptural rosary, but her husband points out they need to see the hail Marys, too. So now they are praying it “right” and I have sent a dozen more rosaries and how-to booklets. The family experiences several mini-miracles, BIL is going to Mass with sis, who is singing in a choir. His parents die a peaceful holy death, the widow is now going to Mass.

Mary just has a way of handling things like any well-organized mother.

 

[Epistemes]

Here’s another story. It didn’t happen to me, but it occurred while I was present:

You see, I was visiting the small, local Catholic bookstore one day and was browsing around when a man in his early 40s entered raising just absolute hell about this and that and anything he could raise hell about. The shopkeeper, who I will name Rhonda, was talking to him about all of this hell he was raising when finally he mentions how frustrated he is because he can’t seem to find a suitable church. He starts talking about how he’s been to the Baptists and to the Methodists and to this Presbyterians and how all of them want him to jump through hoops in order to be baptized and all he really wanted was just to be baptized! And he kept raising hell about how he wanted to be baptized! And finally he gets to going about the Catholic Church wants him to take a class – a class! – before he can become baptized. And this whole time, Rhonda keeps talking to him, answering his questions, bearing his frustrations, until finally she coaxes him into purchasing an inexpensive rosary. By this point, of course, he’s calmed down and he purchases a rosary, Rhonda explains how to pray it, hands him a small set of instructions in case he forgets, and off he goes.

During this time, I was going through RCIA myself. I was confirmed during Easter 2007 – God be praised! One day after Mystagogy, however, during the time when the new RCIA sessions were beginning, who did I see but this fellow who had ranted and raved at the bookstore! I was truly and utterly blown away because I had imagined I would never see him again…What little faith I have!

The sad and tragic part of this story is that this gentleman passed away before he was baptized. To the best of my recollection, he died of cancer. It was a devastating time for everyone, and the priest had to reaffirm our belief in the “baptism of desire,” which Rhonda and I could definitely attest to! May the Lord grant his soul repose.

 

[withwind]

My grandmother prayed the rosary everyday for long afternoon. I remember she was sitting on her bed praying and praying and praying. She had such a wonderful death. My mother had an opportunity to hold my grandmother in her arms and saw her last breath.

A day prior to her death, my grandmother, her conscience was not good at that day, told my mom “Tomorrow, I will go to God’s Home”. My mother didn’t think much about it except encouraging her about God’s love, but she didn’t really think much of what my grandmother said. Until noon, my grandmother asked my mother again “Is God’s home far away” – at that moment, my mom knew something special about this question and she answered “it is very near here”.

Tomorrow, she received the Communion and her face looked so happy; few hours later, she passed away peacefully.

My grandmother’s devotion to the Holy Rosary and the daily mass really helps my faith.

 

[sbriton]

I’ll start with mine, because seriously, you can’t find stuff this good on t.v.

Since becoming Catholic and realizing how the Rosary has revolutionized my walk with and toward Jesus, I’ve been making one-decade Rosaries and giving them away. In my parish (which is HUGE) everyone knows me as The Rosary Girl.

< Verbiage deleted for brevity>

Isn’t that amazing???

Wow!! What a beautiful and awe inspiring story!! I don’t have any Rosary stories myself but I find your’s to be such a wonderful example of God’s love for all His children and how one person with a talent, a gift and love can change lives!!!

Thanks for sharing! God be praised!!!

Simon

 

[MarieVeronica]

From one “Rosary Girl” to another… Awesome story!!! :clapping:

Chalk up a few more marks for Our Lady and Her little band of Rosary makers! Let’s spread 'em all over the world!:extrahappy:

Mine are on their way to Honduras… right after Christmas!

 

[sbriton]

You know, a really good Rosary story is Father Corapi’s (EWTN). He was a rich, playboy type of guy, partying all the time, heavy into cocaine, etc. His mother was a devout Catholic and prayed the Rosary a lot (not sure daily or what). When he became destitute and homeless because of his lifestyle he received a Rosary from his mother with a request that he pray it himself. He did and it changed his life, for now he’s a priest and a regular on EWTN!!!

I’m sure if you Google his name you’ll get the whole story. But it’s a beautiful one just all the others in this thread.

God be praised!!

Simon