First Saturday Rosary for Peace at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 9/7/2013

 

  

The Holy Face Devotion took center stage

at this month's First Saturday Rosary: A

copy of Veronica's Veil was displayed with a

relic of Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli, and

Holy Face Medals for distribution. 

This month I did something a little different.  Rather than just picking a September Saint/Blessed to present to the prayer participants, I felt strongly inspired to share all about the Holy Face Devotion, as well: about it's significance... about the Holy Face Medal... and about one of it major proponents - Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli, the Apostle of the Holy Face.  So my Rosa Mystica pilgrim statue took a break this month and instead I brought a framed image of the Holy Face of Jesus - a copy of the "Veil of Veronica" relic venerated in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome - and my smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace, a replica of the weeping statue in Naju, Korea.

 

During our Rosary Prayer, our intentions were offered for peace in the world, especially in Syria, in solidarity with our dear Pope Francis, who had requested a "day of prayer" for the war-ravaged country to be held on September 7th.  May the Lord hear our prayers and grant that country peace... and the rest of the world, too.

 

Parishioners and guests to our parish

paying their respects to Bl. Marie Pierina's

relic and helping themselves to Holy Face

Medals, which were freely shared.

 

After the prayer ended, I invited the people present to help themselves to blessed Holy Face Medals that I had left near the sacred relic of Bl. Maria Pierina on the display altar.  Being an enthusiastic promoter of the devotion, I was pleasantly surprised when many people came forward to take some of the medals home for themselves and loved ones at home.  Since their initial distribution in the 1940s the medals have gained a solid reputation for being a source of immense grace and spiritual protection, and I have no doubt those who took them will be blessed in a special way by Our Lord.

 

Our next First Saturday Rosary for Peace will be offered on October 5th.  All are invited to participate and partake of the signal graces being granted by Our Lady to her children who practice the Rosary Devotion.