EWTN: Our Lady of Fatima - Fr. Andrew Apostoli with Michael La Corte

YouTube - Sunday Night Live - Our Lady of Fatima - Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR with Michael La Corte - 08-22-2010

The following information is from the World Apostolate Fatima:

For those faithful followers, that cannot get EWTN, or who missed the Special on Fatima with Reverend Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. and Michael La Corte, Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima; it is now available for viewing on YouTube.

1.) Why is Fatima Important Today?

2.) An update on the Russian Prophecy

3.) Does Our Church Believe Russia was Consecrated? What are the Facts?

4.) Details about the Miracle of the Sun...And much much more!

For more information about Our Lady of Fatima and her message, view the video or visit the following link: World Apostolate of Fatima, USA

Church seeks recognition for Virgin Mary vision

Church seeks recognition for Virgin Mary vision
Tradition holds she appeared in Brown County in 1859

The following video and story appeared on Fox11online:

Reporter: Kristin Crowley

ROBINSONVILLE - Wisconsin could find itself in a unique part of history because of a reported holy sighting.

Hope and faith have drawn tens of thousands of people a shrine in Brown County throughout the past 150 years. People who say it's a holy experience.

“It's a good feeling, I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's just a good feeling,” said Val Dubois of Brown County.

In October 1859, Sister Adele Brise claimed the Virgin Mary spoke to her and told her to teach God's word to children. The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help was built on the site, and has kept a steady following of people like Hal and Val Dubois.

“It's been there since I was a kid. When I was five or six years old, I remember going there,” said Hal Dubois.

Shrine volunteer Karen Tipps says visitors find spirituality at the site. Now church officials are investigating the apparent visions.

“It became a great devotional spot over the years,” said Tipps.

“Bishop (David) Ricken initiated the investigation in January of 2009. So he appointed some scholars in the theology of the blessed Virgin Mary to look into the documentation of the history of the shrine and the apparition and to make some recommendations reports to him,” said Rev. John Doerfler.

Doerfler says if Ricken declares there's enough moral grounds to claim the apparition really did happen, this site will make national history.

“If it were approved, this would be the only approved apparition site of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States,” said Doerfler.

Doefler says there could be a variety of outcomes from the investigation. The information could support the sightings happened, didn't happen or the results could be inconclusive. But some say whatever the ruling, it doesn't matter.

“It doesn't affect what people have felt here for the last 150 years. It's not going to affect what people feel here for the next 150 years,” said Tipps.

Vines on Power Pole form into Image of Jesus

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

msnbc video: Believers see Jesus on power pole

Archbishop claims to have been healed by Virgin Mary

Our Lady of Penafrancia

Bicol’s ailing archbishop claims to have been healed by Virgin Mary - INQUIRER.net - Philippine News for Filipinos

The following excerpt appeared on Inquirer.net

By Shiena Barrameda
Inquirer Southern Luzon

NAGA CITY, Philippines -- Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi has claimed that he has been healed of his tumors by the Lady of Peñafrancia, an image of the Virgin Mary long venerated by many Filipino Catholics for miracles.

Legaspi made the declaration on Monday during a press conference organized by the Archdiocese of Caceres at the Archbishop’s Palace here in the city.

He said he had been suffering from the tumors in his lungs but last Saturday, his physician was astounded to find no more traces of the nodes or tumors.

He said the tumors were first spotted by his doctors in January 2009.

The tumors had caused him to undergo two sessions of chemotherapy and had kept him in turmoil until he almost lost all hope of getting well again.

Legaspi said he was initially found to be afflicted with stage three lung cancer and was advised to undergo surgery in Manila in 2009. However, the doctors found him unfit for the operation, putting him under chemotherapy instead.

“We were not prepared for the good news. I was even shocked when he said it,” Fr. Wilmer Tria said in a phone interview.

Tria, one of the heads of the Madrigal Foundation, was also present during the press conference.

“At first, we were just discussing the role of the media to avoid unnecessary publicity, which we got last year after a priest was punched during a procession. Then, he (Legaspi) suddenly said that he is healed now. He’s no longer sick of lung cancer,” Tria said.

According to Tria, the Archbishop admitted that he never asked for the miracle himself. Instead, Legaspi was thought to have given up on his medication and had altogether stopped taking his pills and capsules required for his chemotherapy.

“He dropped the medicines a month after starting them because he seemed to find it harder to live with them. He even got out of his liquid chemo last February due to discomforts. He literally left all chances of medical healing and prayed to live long enough to see the tercentenary celebrations, nothing more,” Tria added.

Fr. Andrew Recepcion, executive secretary for the central committee of the tercentenary celebrations, and also among those who heard the happy announcement, confirmed that the archbishop did not ask to be healed and attributed this miracle to the collective prayers of all the people who surrounded him.

“He believed that it was a gift from “Ina" (the name given by Bicolanos to the Lady of Penafrancia). Something that he never expected to happen,” says Recepcion.

Read More: Inquirer.net

Praying the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Church of Saint Ann, Hoboken, New Jersey
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

How to Pray the Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Franciscan Focus

The chaplet and following instructions can be found on the website of the Franciscan Focus



Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Photo copyright Lisa, sfo of FranciscanFocus.com


The chaplet is composed of 39 beads (or knots, in this case) -- 6 of which are large, and 33 small -- a centerpiece, crucifix, and a Sacred Heart medal. The small beads represent the 33 years of the mortal life of our Lord. The first 30 call to mind the years of his private life and are divided into 5 groups of 6. The 3 near the crucifix recall his public life.

To Start: On the crucifix, pray the Anima Christi:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Separated from Thee let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
And close to Thee bid me.
That with Thy saints I may be
Praising Thee, forever and ever.
Amen.

On the small beads say:
Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.

On the large beads say:
O Sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore
that I may ever love thee more and more.

After each grouping, say:
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

To End, Finish on the centerpiece and pray:
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament
be praised and adored and loved with grateful affection,
at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world,
even to the end of time.
Amen.

Woman Healed through Intercessory Prayer made to Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa Clipart

The following article appeared on The Times of India

A Miracle Revisited Every Day

By Subhro Maitra


KHOANAKOR, DANOGRAM, SOUTH DINAJPUR: Monica Besra does not need an occasion to remind her of the angel who would be saint. Pottering about her shabby hut, feeding her goats, stacking hay, she keeps murmuring Mother Teresa's name under her breath. It's her life's chant.

After all, she owes her life to the mother. Each day for Monica begins with a 'pronam' before the Mother's statue. It ends there as well.

The 40-something mother of five says she was cured of an abdominal tumour by Mother Teresa on September 5, 1998 the first anniversary of the the Blessed nun's death. It was recognised as a miracle by the Vatican in 2002 and led to the beatification of Mother Teresa, a step closer to possible canonisation. Monica was even taken on a tour of Vatican City in 2003.

Monica knows that the world is celebrating Mother Teresa's centenary. She does not mind that the glitter has not reached his rickety shack in Danogram, some 375 km north of Kolkata. She has been invited to one such event, though. "On the 28th of this month, there will be a special prayer for Mother Teresa at Alampur Church. Our sisters have asked me to attend," she said. "I have to go. I cannot miss an opportunity to pray for her," she said.

Monica was first admitted to Balurghat hospital with tubercular meningitis on June 11, 1998. In August, she was diagnosed an ovarian tumor. "I was in great pain. I was so weak that the doctors were afraid I would die on the operating table. They told me to return after three months. I felt so helpless," she recalls.

Her sister Kanchan took her to a Missionaries of Charity home in Potiram village, about 50km from her home. On September 5, 1998, the sisters held a special mass. That evening (Monica remembers her pain was particularly severe), two sisters placed a tiny aluminum medal blessed by Mother Teresa on her stomach, prayed over her and tied it around her waist. She dozed off but woke with a start at 1am on September 6.

"I remember the time clearly as my bed was next to a wall which had Mother Teresa's picture and a clock. I felt my stomach and was stunned to realise that the lump was gone," she said. When she told the sisters of the miracle cure in the morning, they immediately informed the church authorities in Kolkata, who instituted an inquiry into the miracle. The probe lasted from November 1999 to August 2001. In December 2002, Pope John Paul II officially attributed the miracle of Monica's healing to Mother Teresa.

This miracle' also led her to convert to Christianity. "Earlier, we worshipped Marangburu, like other Santhals. But Mother led me to Christ." Tears well up and she chokes on her words. "I often dream of Mother. I see him walking before me, leading the way. What would have happened to my children if I had died then? It was Mother's blessings that saved me and my family."

Orthodox and Catholic Embrace in Rimini: Signs of Christian Unity

Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, of Moscow,
and Pope Benedict XVI

Orthodox and Catholic Embrace in Rimini: May the Two Become One - International News - Catholic Online

The photograph and following excerpt is from Catholic Online:

By Deacon Keith Fournier

Full communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is being prompted by the Holy Spirit. It is the most important development of the Third Christian Millennium and has implications for the whole world at this critical time in history. This coming communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Church will mark the beginning of the re-Christianizing of the West and a new missionary age.

Read More: Orthodox and Catholic Embrace in Rimini

History of Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Lady - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

History of the Rosary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are differing views on the history of the rosary. According to tradition, the rosary was given to Saint Dominic in an apparition by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1214 in the church of Prouille. This Marian apparition received the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. In the 15th century Saint Alanus de Rupe (aka Alain de la Roche or Saint Alan of the Rock), who was a learned Dominican priest and theologian, received a vision from Jesus about the urgency of reinstating the rosary as a form of prayer as His Blessed Mother had requested. St. Alanus de Rupe also received the Blessed Mother's "15 Promises". Saint Alan is responsible for having many rosary confraternities. Before his death on Sept. 8, 1475 and through his devotion to the Blessed Mother, he reinstituted the rosary in many countries just as Jesus had requested. Before St. Dominic and St. Alan, however, most scholarly research suggests a more gradual and organic development of the rosary.

Prayers with beads like the rosary may have begun as a practice by the laity to imitate the monastic Liturgy of the Hours, during the course of which the monks prayed the 150 Psalms daily. As many of the laity and even lay monastics could not read, they substituted 150 repetitions of the Our Father (Pater noster in Latin) for the Psalms, sometimes using a cord with knots on it to keep an accurate count. During the middle ages, evidence suggests that both the Our Father and the Hail Mary were recited with prayer beads. In the 7th century, Saint Eligius wrote of using a counting device to keep track of the 150 Hail Marys of the Psalter of Mary. In 13th century Paris, four trade guilds existed of prayer bead makers, who were referred to as paternosterers, and the beads were referred to as paternosters, suggesting a continued link between the Our Father (Pater noster in Latin) and the prayer beads. In the 12th century, the rule of the English anchorites, the Ancrene Wisse, specified how groups of 50 Hail Marys were to be broken into five decades of ten Hail Marys each. Gradually, the Hail Mary came to replace the Our Father as the prayer most associated with beads. Eventually, each decade came to be preceded by an Our Father, which further mirrored the structure of the monastic Divine Office.

The practice of meditation during the praying of the Hail Marys is attributed to Dominic of Prussia (1382–1460), a Carthusian monk, who called it "Life of Jesus Rosary".  The German monk from Trier added a sentence to each of the 50 Hail Marys already popular at his time, using quotes from scriptures. Promoted by his superior Adolf von Essen and others, his practice became popular among Benedictines and Carthusians from Trier to adjoining Belgium and France, where it was greatly promoted by the preaching of the Dominican priest Alan de Rupe, who helped to spread the devotion in France, Flanders, and the Netherlands between 1460 and his death in 1475.

Read More: History of the Rosary

***

How to Pray the Rosary: Devotional Prayers

The statue of Our Lady is displayed outside the Church of Saint Ann in Hoboken, NJ.  Loci B. Lenar photographed the statue while attending St. Ann's Italian Festival on July 25, 2010.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Evangelists Say Muslims Coming to Christ at Historic Rate

Evangelists Say Muslims Coming to Christ at Historic Rate

The photograph and following excerpt is from Charisma News Online:

By Sarah Stegall

Christians ministering quietly in the Middle East say Muslims are coming to Christ at an unprecedented pace.

"Probably in the last 10 years, more Muslims have come to faith in Christ than in the last 15 centuries of Islam," said Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia director for e3 Partners, a Texas-based missions agency.

A former pastor, Doyle has been to the Middle East around 80 times, and last week returned to the U.S. from a trip to Jerusalem, where he said both Muslims and Jews are turning to Christianity.

Earlier this month, more than 200 former Muslims were baptized during a training conference in Europe led by Iran-born evangelist Lazarus Yeghnazar. Brenda Ajamian, a former missionary to the Middle East who partners with Yeghnazar's 222 Ministries International, said the event was unlike anything she'd seen during her years ministering in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.

"That many Muslims who converted to Christ in one place boggled my mind because missionaries have worked in the Arab world and Muslim world generally for years and without much fruit," Ajamian said. "God is at work among Muslims."

Doyle said Father Zakaria Botross, a born-again Coptic priest, reaches about 60 million people through his television programs broadcast across the Middle East. "The apostle Paul to the Muslims is no question Father Zakaria," Doyle said.

But many Muslim-background believers have said they came to Christ after having dreams and visions of Jesus.

"I can't tell you how many Muslims I've met who say: ‘I was content. I was a Muslim, and all of a sudden I get this dream about Jesus and He loved me and said come follow Me," Doyle said.

Read more: Charisma Online

The Faithful Traveler - Season One DVD

The Faithful Traveler Mash-Up from The Faithful Traveler on Vimeo.

The following update is from the website of The Faithful Traveler:

The Faithful Traveler is an independently produced travel series featuring Catholic shrines and places of pilgrimage.  Join the show’s host, Diana von Glahn, as she explores the glories of the Catholic Church through the art, architecture, history and doctrine behind these inspiring sites.  The TV show airs on EWTN.

A new 2-DVD set of all 13 TV episodes of The Faithful Traveler Season One is now available on their website at the following link: The Faithful Traveler

Season One Episodes:

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, NJ

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Baltimore, MD

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, NY

National Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Washington, NJ

National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg, MD

National Shrine of St. John Neumann, Philadelphia, PA

National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, Bensalem, PA

National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA

Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Philadelphia, PA

Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, New York, NY

St. Alphonsus Church, Baltimore, MD

St. Mary’s Spiritual Center & Historic Site on Paca Street,
Baltimore, MD

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Part 1, New York, NY

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Part 2, New York, NY

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, New York, NY

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Saint Simon Stock

The following excerpt regarding Saint Simon Stock and history of the brown scapular is from Catholic Online:

Although little is known about Simon Stock's early life, it is also believed that, as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe.

Simon Stock founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped to change the Carmelites from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. In 1254 he was elected Superior-General of his Order at London.

Simon Stock's lasting fame came from an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it the Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. Her words were: "Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the special sign of my favor, which I have obtained for thee and for thy children of Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection."

The scapular (from the Latin, scapula, meaning "shoulder blade") consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the chest, and the other on the back, which were connected by straps or strings passing over the shoulders. In certain Orders, monks and nuns wear scapulars that reach from the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments. Lay persons usually wear scapulars underneath their clothing; these consist of two pieces of material only a few inches square.

There are elaborate rules governing the wearing of the scapular: although it may be worn by any Catholic, even an infant, the investiture must be done by a priest. And the scapular must be worn in the proper manner; if an individual neglects to wear it for a time, the benefits are forfeited.

The Catholic Church has approved eighteen different kinds of scapulars of which the best known is the woolen brown scapular, or the Scapular of Mount Carmel, that the Virgin Mary bestowed on Simon Stock. His feast day is May 16th.

***

Prayer of Saint Simon Stock to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein that you are my Mother.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that have recourse to thee. (Repeat 3 times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (Repeat 3 times)

***

The statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is on display at the Church of Saint Ann in Hoboken, NJ. I photographed the statue while attending the St. Ann's Italian Festival on July 25, 2010.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Religious Harmony in the Middle of New Jersey

Deputy Adam Gussen and Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin

Jews and Muslims Live in Harmony in the Middle of New Jersey - CBS News Video

The following article is from CBSnews.com :

By Dave Price

CBS - Any public discussion about religion can quickly turn into a loud argument these days. Dave Price from The Early Show shows a town that's become an example of how to get along - despite your differences. Far away from the religious strife of the Middle East and the simmering tensions of our post September 11 world, there's an oasis of hope in the small community of Teaneck, New Jersey.

Thirty percent of its residents are Jewish, and their new mayor is a practicing Muslim.

Working together to keep this community not only intact but flourishing, are Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin and his Deputy Adam Gussen - an Orthodox Jew.

Mayor Hameeduddin says Teaneck "is an incubator for understanding." He added, "it's not a homogeneous community - and you want your children in a community where they're going to meet all different kinds of people."

"The things that are most important are the things that we share in common," Gussen added. "Our differences become less important."

Teaneck is like looking through a cultural prism - reflected on "Main Street" throughout its restaurants and shops. The sounds of prayer that ring out from the town form a diverse constituency within a tiny 6 square mile radius.

"Is there a Jewish way to fill a pot hole? Is there a Muslim way to plow the streets," Gussen asks. "The answer is, no."

It's that practicality and synchronicity that are sources of pride for Teaneck's residents.

"There are people of all kinds here, and you should be able to get along with everybody," said Teaneck resident Aggie Siletski.

"So what do you say to the people who say this is a small community in New Jersey - this isn't the rest of the country," Price asked.

Teaneck resident Amber Sheikh replied, "Small little people, small little communities are the ones who get into the world and change it slowly, right?"

This town of 39,000 has often been at the forefront of cultural diversity and change - stretching all the way back to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's.

In the spring of 1964, Teaneck became the first American town with a white majority to desegregate its schools.

Fast forward 46 years and that mission for equality is still clear.

"Are there things that happen in Teaneck that could happen elsewhere? Yeah, I really think there are," Gussen said.

"It shows that kids can dream a little bigger - that they don't have to worry about all the stereotypes," Hameeduddin added. "Anybody can do anything," he said. "That's what it really comes down to.

Appearance of Christ on the Blessed Sacrament

Christ’s Apparition Attracts Thousands - The Nigerian Observer

The following excerpt is from the NigerianObserverNews.com

By THOMPSON ERHOMONSELE/KEN ABU/OGBEMUDIA JAMES

BENIN CITY- St Paul’s Catholic Church along Airport Road in Benin City, yesterday, turned into a mecca of sorts as people from all walks of life thronged the church to catch a glimpse of what has been literally described as an apparition of Jesus Christ.

The uncommon but holy phenomenon according to catholic faithful and enthusiasts present at the church premises, came up early Wednesday morning immediately after the offering of adoration at the church. It has however generated so much frenzy amongst catholic faithful and non-Catholics who jostled through the ever-busy Airport Road in the state capital to witness the rare spiritual occurrence.

According to Rev. Fr. John Edosomwan, a Catholic Priest in Edo State, the “apparition of Christ” to people serves to reinforce the faith of Christians in the presence of Christ while tending to reassure the present day followers of Christ that they should re-direct their steps to the faith as exemplified by Christ in the holy scriptures.

“The modern people have lost the presence of God, they have lost insight into the life of Christ and of his presence amongst us because we begin to pursue so many unnecessary things and that has made them far from God,” the Catholic Priest stated.

Rev. Fr. Edosomwan further stressed that the appearance of Christ on the Blessed Sacrament through the monstrance would help re-direct the lives of Christians whose faith have been ebbing out owning to varying challenges of life.

The “apparition of Christ” according to the Priest,” was to remind Christians that through His presence they can draw support and increase their faith in God.”

He pointed out that as Christians we must always appeal for the presence of God in our lives in order to transform our lives and those around us.

Similarly, the spiritual significance of the “apparition of Christ” at the St Paul’s Catholic Church was further described to connote the signs of the end of time by Prince Ken Ebosele, a committed catholic faithful who was present at the church to catch a glimpse of the “apparition”.

Prince Ebosele revealed that it was a reassurance of the fact that the salvation in Christ which Christians profess was not in vain, adding that the appearance of Christ was a manifestation of the presence of Christ in our lives.

A member of the Edo State House of Assembly representing Ikpoba Okha Constituency, Hon. Jude Ise-Idehen who was also in the Church described the occurrence as a re-affirmation that “Jesus Christ is real,” adding that, “this is the belief of Catholics and other Christians. It is our faith and belief.”

A woman, Mrs. Mary Omare, who disclosed that she is a member of the Church of God Mission and that she came from Warri to attend a programme in her denomination in Benin City, said she was passing by on a commercial motor-bike but out of curiosity she came to see what was actually happening in St Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road.

She confirmed that she saw Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that was placed on the altar, stressing that “it is real and that with her coming to Jesus on the altar, all her hearts desires have been received by faith”.

Meanwhile, the miraculous appearance of Jesus Christ in Benin City yesterday have been described as a good Omen and an indication that better things are coming to Edo State.

The state Director of Poverty Alleviation Agency who said she personally went to St. Paul, Catholic Church along Airport Road in Benin City to see things for herself, remarked that she was amazed stressing that “it was a miracle.”

British Soldier Credits Rosary With Saving His Life

Photo of Glenn Hockton

Eastnews Press Agency / Peter Lawson

The Following story appeared on FoxNews.com:

FOXNews.com - British Soldier Credits Rosary Beads With Saving His Life

A British soldier says that rosary beads given to him by his mother saved his life after he stepped on a land mine while serving in Afghanistan.

He also claims that his grandfather was saved the exact same way, The Daily Mail reported Monday.

Now home from a seven-month tour of duty, 19-year-old Glenn Hockton was on patrol when his rosary beads suddenly dropped from his neck. He bent down to retrieve the chain and realized he was on top of a land mine.

Hockton stood still for 45 minutes while his colleagues worked to secure the land mine.

During his tour, Hockton's duties involved patrolling and loading the mortars while he was based in Kabul and Helmand Province, which has seen a significant amount of violence.

On a separate occasion, Hockton, who joined the military when he was 16, was shot in the chest, but his body armor protected him from the bullet. Since then, Hockton's mother and stepfather have kept the bullet that could have ended their son's life.

Hockton's great grandfather, Joseph (Sunny) Truman, also is convinced a rosary saved his life in World War II when a blast killed six members of his platoon.

Before Hockton was deployed to Afghanistan, his mother gave him the rosary beads for protection. Despite the gesture, his mother, Sheri Jones, feared the worst. "I couldn't watch the news because the children used to say: 'Is Glenn on there?' each time they said another soldier had been killed," she told the Daily Mail.

Hockton currently is training for his next deployment.

For additional details, please visit the following link: DailyMail.com

Remarkable Sunlight at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

By Loci B. Lenar

My visit to the Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on Saturday, July 31, 2010, included attending Mass at noon time. The Mass was celebrated by Father Paul Ruge with a few other visiting priest in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. While at the shrine, I had Father Paul bless some scapulars. I also took some interesting photographs of the sun, right above the amphitheatre. On top of the amphitheatre is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which is also located right above the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Please consider visiting Christian-Miracles.com and reading Father Paul Ruge's interview with Fr. Hubert Schiffer. Father Schiffer miraculously survived the atomic explosion on August 6,1945 in Hiroshima, Japan. To read the story and to view a documentary trailer, please visit the following link: Rosary Miracle at Hiroshima

The World Apostolate of Fatima, USA, will hold Healing Masses throughout 2010 with Father Paul Ruge. Father Paul is the chaplain and spiritual advisor at the National Blue Army Shrine.

The Mass will begin with Divine Mercy Prayer at 3:00 PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Healing Masses will also include the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick right after the Homily. For any changes or updates on the Healing Mass schedule, please call the shrine at the following number (908) 689-1700.

The Healing Mass Schedule for 2010:

Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Catholic shrine is in scenic Warren County on 674 Mountain View Road, Washington, New Jersey, USA.

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

A Light in Her Life by Joan Wester Anderson

The following story by Joan Wester Anderson is published in the new updated edition of Where Miracles Happen.

A Light in Her Life by Joan Wester Anderson

One cold, overcast Saturday morning, freelance writer Sue Markgraf sat staring blankly at the TV. The children were occupied, and there were notes on her computer for her next writing project. She really should get on with it.

But a combination of fatigue and discouragement kept her from moving. Were her efforts really leading anywhere? Would she ever make a difference through her work?

Suddenly, an intense ray of light streamed through the window in front of her. It was brilliant, almost white, as if the very air itself were glowing from within. But how? The other windows still looked out on gray and gloom. Where was this light’s source? “I wanted to shield my eyes and look away, but I couldn’t,” she says. “I shifted on the sofa, but the light seemed to follow me.” This was no ordinary sunbeam.

Then in the center of this radiance, Sue saw a shadowy figure. She was drawn to its warmth, compelled to watch it. Although she didn’t hear actual words, she felt the figure speaking to her. “Go back to your story,” it said. “Peace is coming.”  

Awed, Sue drank in the light. She felt unworthy of its presence, yet exalted at the same time. “I forced myself to continue looking, to continue feeling,” she says, until the figure and the light shimmered, then faded away.

Since that time, Sue has continued to struggle with the meaning of the blissful vision. But she does feel more confident about her work and about God’s plan for her. “I know there is a greater force that has an incredible investment in me,” she says. “It pushes me constantly, yet it comforts me. I pray that it stays by my side always.”

***

The following biographical information is from Joan Wester Anderson's website:

Joan Wester Anderson has published 15 books which include WHERE ANGELS WALK, TRUE STORIES OF HEAVENLY VISITORS, which was on the New York Times best-seller list for over a year, has sold almost two million copies and been translated into fourteen languages. Published in fall, 1994, were the sequel to ANGELS, titled WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN, and for children, AN ANGEL TO WATCH OVER ME. Both books were written in response to suggestions from readers, and were followed in rapid succession by three more in this series. FOREVER YOUNG (Thomas More Publishers), the life story of actress Loretta Young, was published in November, 2000. The actress had read the angel series, and requested Anderson as her biographer. The two became close friends. Anderson’s book, IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS (Loyola Press) covers angelic activity primarily during the past decade, including stories of hope from the 9/11 and Columbine School tragedies. Her most recent books, GUARDIAN ANGELS (Loyola Press), and ANGELS AND WONDERS (Loyola Press), focus on amazing and tender stories of God’s answers to prayers.

Anderson has appeared on national television programs including “Good Morning America,” “Oprah,” “20/20,” “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” and “Mother Angelica Live,” and was featured in such documentaries as “Angels–Beyond the Light” (NBC), “Angel Stories” and “Stories of Miracles” (The Learning Channel), and many videos. She was a story consultant for the television series, IT’S A MIRACLE, lectures in cities across the country, and has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows.

Anderson is a Catholic and member of St. Edna’s Parish in Arlington Heights IL., a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a former adjunct professor at Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois. She and her husband live in suburban Chicago, and have five grown children and four grandchildren.

(Clipart supplied by Loci B. Lenar)

Copyright 2010 Joan Wester Anderson

A Reflection of Divine Light?

The photograph and caption appeared on SpiritDaily.com:

Just a reflection?  Mrs. Feargus OCroinin of Edmonton, Alberta took this at Vatican on July 25, 2010.

In Good Faith: Store Manager Invokes Jesus, Dissuades Robber

In Good Faith: Store manager invokes Jesus, dissuades robber - Religion: News and debate about Christianity, Islam and values - baltimoresun.com

The following excerpt is from YouTube:

A remorseful robber left a Broward County, Florida cellphone store empty-handed after hearing what the redemptive power of Jesus Christ can do from the cool-headed manager.

The incident happened on July 23, 2010. To read the story about God's protection, please visit the following link: In Good Faith

Prayers of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

Statue of Padre Pio

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer for the Intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant,

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.

You marked his body with the five wounds

of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness

to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.

Endowed with the gift of discernment,

St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional

for the salvation of souls.

With reverence and intense devotion

in the celebration of Mass,

he invited countless men and women

to a greater union with Jesus Christ

in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,

I confidently beseech You to grant me

the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen (Say three times)

Statue of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

A Prayer for Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy

By St. Pio of Pietrelcina

O Lord,

we ask for a boundless confidence

and trust in Your divine mercy,

and the courage to accept

the crosses and sufferings

which bring immense goodness

to our souls and that of Your Church.

Help us to love You

with a pure and contrite heart,

and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross,

as we climb the mountain of holiness,

carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory.

May we receive You

with great faith and love in Holy Communion,

and allow You to act in us as You desire

for your greater glory.

O Jesus, most adorable Heart

and eternal fountain of Divine Love,

may our prayer find favor before

the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.

A Prayer

By Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

May Jesus comfort you

in all your afflictions.

May He sustain you in dangers,

watch over you always with His grace,

and indicate the safe path

that leads to eternal salvation.

And may He render you always

dearer to His Divine Heart

and always more worthy of Paradise.

Amen

For other daily prayers, please visit the following link:
Devotional Prayers

***

The life-like statue of Padre Pio is on display inside the Church of Saint Ann, which is located on 704 Jefferson Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.  Loci B. Lenar photographed the statue while attending Saint Ann's Italian Festival on July 25, 2010.

Photographs Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com 

Where Miracles Happen by Joan Wester Anderson

Where Miracles Happen - Joan Wester Anderson
Author of Books on Angelic Visitations

By Loci B. Lenar

Joan's updated book, Where Miracles Happen, is inspiring and touched my soul with God's spiritual presence. While reading Part One: Miracles through Prayer, I was captivated in Sue Markgraf's interesting testimony.

Joan writes that Sue had wondered if her hard work as a writer would lead to anywhere. After having the thought, Joan says, Sue saw an intense ray of light coming through the window in front of her.

Joan describes Sue seeing a figure in the radiance. Sue says, she felt the figure speaking to her, "Go back to your story." And then said to her, "Peace is coming."

Joan writes that since that time, Sue has continued to wonder about the meaning of the blissful vision.  However, she is now confident about her work and God's plan for her.

After reading the remarkable story, it was "perfect timing" for me to write a letter to my friend, Joan, and share my thoughts about Sue's vision.

Through providence and prayerful discernment, I believe that my testimony about the Miraculous Signs of Archangel Michael, which can be read on Christian-Miracles.com, sheds some light on God's plan.

In a spiritual locution I received on September 14, 2009, Jesus called all to join together and "pray for divine protection" in order to mitigate and extinguish violence throughout the world and to usher in an "era of peace."   The locution was also shared with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary's Church.

Our Lady of Fatima also spoke of an era of peace in her 1917 apparitions to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. For further information on Our Lady's message, please visit the following link: World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.

God indeed works in mysterious ways in connecting people at the appropriate time.

Joan Wester Anderson's book is certainly inspirational and Where Miracles Happen!

Miracle at Knock Shrine - Woman Healed of Multiple Sclerosis

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland Basilica

Photograph from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miracle at Knock Woman Reveals All - Irish News - Irish Central

The following news story appeared on IrishCentral.com:

By CATHY HAYES, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

As part of the documentary “Apparitions”, which recently aired in Ireland, Marion Carroll discussed the day that she was cured of her crippling disease, multiple sclerosis, at the Marian Shrine in Knock.

Though many have reported visitations of the Virgin Mary at Knock over the years Marion’s case it the first miracle. The officials at Knock believed that the authenticity of her case warranted that it be sent to the Vatican to be authenticated. It is currently under review there. Hers is the first miracle from Knock to be sent to the Vatican.

Back in 1989 Marion was literally crippled with pain. She was carried into the Basilica at Knock on a stretcher and brought to the alter where a bishop blessed her.

In the interview she said “I was brought over to the Basilica and it was at the time that I got this beautiful feeling, a magnificent feeling. It was like a whispering breeze telling me that if the stretcher was opened I could get up and walk.”

After she realized what had happened she said she didn’t know what to do. She said “I didn't say anything in case I looked stupid. When I got back to St. John's-the rest home for the sick at Knock, I asked for the stretcher to be opened and I was able to stand up and I even drank a cup of tea unaided. There was no stiffness and no pain, it was like experiencing every bit of happiness you have ever dreamed of".

Marion now spends her time helping in the Church and speaking to those who feel in need of divine aid. She joked “When you work for the lord you’re given a mop and a bucket. So that’s what I do for him.”

She has written her autobiography about her experience and she speaks about it with those who ask but she also feels that her cure was a personal gift to her. She said “I meet a lot of people who tell me that they had this or that experience with our Lord and I tell them ‘That’s beautiful but that’s a gift to you. It doesn’t mean that you should go out and share it’.”

On September 3, 1989, Marion entered Knock Shrine in a stretcher. She had recently been bought an electric wheelchair. She said that she had stopped her family taking any photographs of her in her weak and ill condition as she believed that she would soon die and wished her children to only remember her as a healthy woman.

More than ten years on and Marion has no symptoms of her illness. Doctors are dumbfounded. They agree that no combination of the drugs or therapies, which she had been subscribed, could have cured her so instantly and completely.

She walked out of Knock that day, cured.

Miracle at Knock - Claim Sent to Vatican

Our Lady of Knock Stained Glass Window

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Miracle at Knock claim sent to Vatican - Irish News - Irish Central

Woman with Multiple Sclerosis says she was cured

The following excerpt is from the website of Irish Central:

By PATRICK COOPER, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

The Vatican will shortly receive a petition to acknowledge the first miracle at Knock after a woman has claimed that a visit to the shrine cured her of multiple sclerosis.

Other miracles have been claimed at Knock but none have actually been forwarded to the Vatican for verification.

The Sunday Times reported that Marian Carroll, now aged 59, says she was cured of multiple sclerosis after a visit to the shrine almost 20 years ago.

The claim is accompanied by several medical evaluations that accept that something remarkable happened to her when she visited Knock.

Mrs Carroll wrote an autobiography ‘I Was Cured at Knock’, in which she describes her recovery from the MS condition that left her unable to walk, blind in one eye and without the control of her bladder.

During the ceremony she felt a weight lift from her and she was able to get up and walk. She has had no symptoms since.

Knock shrine is where an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph, St John the Evangelist and Jesus Christ is said to have occurred in 1879.

Diarmuid Murray, a doctor who runs a practice in the shrine grounds, is gathering the evidence to present the case to the Vatican for approval.

Prayer Requests on Christian-Miracles.com

Miracle at Cana

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Post Your Prayer Requests

New Feature Added To Website: Please feel free free to post your prayer request on Christian-Miracles.com. You may also leave a praise report or your testimony on how God has answered your prayers.  Please be assured that everyone is prayed for daily.

Regarding prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20, "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Hebrews 4:16)

For a selection of daily prayers, please visit the following link: Devotional Prayers

The photograph of the stained glass window detail can be seen inside of Saint Peter the Apostle Church.  The Catholic Church is located in Parsippany, NJ, USA.

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Woman Claims Cancer Cured By Prayer

 

Woman Claims Cancer Cured By Miracle

Archdiocese Of St. Louis Is Investigating And Is Sending Its Findings To The Vatican.

The following story appeared on KPLR11.com:

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) - Was a cancer recovery a miracle? The St. Louis Catholic Archdiocese thinks so. They say a St. Louis woman's cancer has vanished because of her prayers to a priest who's now on the verge of becoming a saint. They've asked the Vatican to certify her case miracle.

There are some things medical science can't explain. Rachel Lozano's cure is one of them. Rachel Lozano was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was fifteen. By the year 2000 it looked hopeless. On a church trip that year to the Vatican for a ceremony honoring Father William Chaminade. she prayed that Father William Chaminade to heal her.

Her prayers continued. So did the cancer. Finally, she was given weeks to live. When surgeons operated they found a dead tumor. Six years later Lozano remains cancer-free. After an investigation the St. Louis Archdiocese concluded it was the prayers and Chaminnade that cured the cancer. If the Vatican agrees chances are good that Chaminade, a French priest and founder of the Marianist order could become a saint.

Lutherans Seek Full Communion with Catholic Church

The photograph and following excerpt is regarding Christian Unity and can be read on Catholic Online.

Are Lutherans Next? Lutherans Seek Full Communion with Catholic Church - International - Catholic Online:

By Deacon Keith Fournier 

The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Benedict XVI's first Papal message: 'With full awareness, therefore, at the beginning of his ministry in the Church of Rome which Peter bathed in his blood, Peter's current Successor takes on as his primary task the duty to work tirelessly to rebuild the full and visible unity of all Christ's followers. This is his ambition, his impelling duty.'

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) -  On Tuesday, Peter Kemmether,  a married 62 year old father of four children was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller.  Fr. Peter was granted a dispensation from the canonical discipline of celibacy attached to priestly ordination. He had been a Protestant Pastor who came into the full communion of the Catholic Church as the fruit of a sincere search for the fullness of the Christian faith. On June 6, 2010, I read a story in the Philadelphia Enquirer entitled "The Priest and his Mrs."  concerning now Fr. Philip Johnson, a Lutheran Pastor for 19 years, who followed a similar path. He was ordained for the Diocese of Camden with the same exception, under the sponsorship and invitation of Bishop Joseph Galante.  

Catholics are becoming aware of the former Anglican and Episcopal ministers who have followed the same journey home. Fewer Catholics are aware of the marvelous welcome the Church has extended to many more through the historic apostolic constitution approved by Pope Benedict XI. I have written extensively about this and recently shared my joy with our readers at the ordination of lifelong friend and pro-life hero Fr. Paul Schenck, whose ordination I had the privilege of attending last month. You can read my account here.  

I am in a dialogue with Archbishop Irl A. Gladfelter, CSP, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the  Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church, a group of Lutherans who have embraced the Catholic Catechism and the teaching of the Magisterium. They are humbly knocking at the door of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith seeking a way into full communion. You can read about this amazing group here. I am working on a fuller story of their journey. Some have said that their smallness and placement on "the fringes" of the Lutheran community makes them less representative. I recall that those were the same comments made about the "Traditional Anglican Communion" in their early efforts. They became the prophetic vehicle the Holy Spirit used to open up an historic breakthrough.

To read the complete story, please visit the following link: Lutherans Seek Full Communion with Catholic Church

Heart Relic of St. John Vianney to Visit Diocese of Oakland

St. John Vianney Stained Glass Window - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The Catholic Voice - An Online publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

The following excerpt is from The Catholic Voice:

The heart of St. John Vianney, among the most renowned relics of the Catholic Church, will visit the Diocese of Oakland, CA, July 16 – 18, as part of a global tour during the Year for Priests which was proclaimed last summer by Pope Benedict XVI to mark the 150th anniversary of the acclaimed saint known as the patron of parish priests.

The relic will arrive from the Diocese of Stockton on July 16 for the first of three stops in the diocese. St. John Vianney Church, 1650 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek, will host the relic with Vespers at 7 p.m., a talk on the life of St. John Vianney at 8 p.m., followed by veneration until midnight. At 8:30 a.m. the following morning (July 17) Mass will be celebrated in the presence of the relic.

Then the relic will be transferred to Holy Spirit Church, 37588 Fremont Blvd. in Fremont, where prayers will be offered at noon, confessions at 3:30 p.m., Mass in the presence of the heart at 5 p.m. and a talk about the relic at 6:30 p.m. with veneration until midnight.

The relic’s third stop will be at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, 2121 Harrison St. in Oakland, on July 18. Mass will be celebrated in the presence of the relic at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Bishop Emeritus John Cummins will be the principal celebrant at the 10 a.m. liturgy. A talk on the priesthood is scheduled at 7 p.m., followed by veneration until midnight. The relic will depart for France, the homeland of the saint, on July 19.

Jean-Marie Vianney was born near Lyons, France, in 1786, the son of a farmer.

He died on Aug. 4, 1859, at the age of 73 and was canonized in 1925. Pope Pius X proposed St. John Vianney as a model for parish priests in 1929.

When his body was exhumed in 1904 as part of the process of canonization it was found to be incorrupt, meaning that his remains did not show signs of typical decay despite not being artificially preserved.

His body rests above the altar at the basilica in Ars. His heart is enclosed in a gold reliquary that is normally kept in a separate building called the Shrine of the Cure’s Heart.

Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs

Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs - CBN.com @ Yahoo! Video

He was born without arms nor legs. However, God is using Nick Vujicic to share the gospel around the world.