First Saturday Parish Rosary at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 10/4/2014

Beautiful leis, shared by our parishioners,

adorn and surround my pilgrim statue... and

the Sacred Relics of Our Lady's veil and Bl.

Francis Xavier Seelos, the featured Saint.

Yesterday's First Saturday Rosary for Peace at St. Anthony of Padua Church was surprisingly well-attended despite bad, rainy weather. Perhaps it's because October is the special month of the Holy Rosary that people made a special effort to attend... and I was very pleased to see many new faces among our regular participants.

In particular, there was a large family that impressed me - a husband and wife with their six children, ranging from kindergarten-age to early teens.  All of them had just come from the confessional and they stayed to pray the Rosary with us; the kids even knew how to follow along and pray the Rosary.  Awesome and inspirational!  I couldn't help but recall to mind the popular Christian adage:

"A family that prays together,

stays together."

At the meeting I introduced the participants to the life and [bone] relic of Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos (d. 1867), a German-born priest who ministered and died in New Orleans, Louisiana.  This Blessed was not only a dedicated and caring priest, but he was also a gifted mystic who foresaw future events, read souls, and miraculously cured illnesses.  As I expected, most of the people were not even aware of Bl. Francis Xavier, which made them all the more eager to learn that there was another future Saint buried in American soil.  This is the reason why my Guadalupe House personal ministry exists - to make the Saints and Blesseds more known and loved, especially the little-known ones.  Incidentally, today - October 5th - is the Memorial of Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos.  May he pray and intercede for America, especially for his brother-priests.

One of the many bright silver escarchas captured in
a photo after our prayer meeting

So our prayers for peace proceeded beautifully and I knew we were all graced in a very special way last night.  Before and during the Rosary, I saw fine flakes of silver escarchas slowly appearing - twinkle by twinkle - on the chairs around where I was kneeling.  I was excited because I don't see them appearing as often as before, but I didn't draw attention to what I was witnessing so as to not disrupt the meeting.  I just continued on as I watched the escarchas appear and disappear.  I took it as a sign that we were being joined in our prayer by invisible inhabitants from Heaven, who were "taking seats" among us.

And speaking of inhabitants from Heaven, the next First Saturday Rosary for Peace will be prayed on Saturday, November 1st - the Feast of All Saints!  In keeping with my ministry's aims, I plan on having several popular Saints - St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina; St. Francis of Assisi; St. Rita of Cascia (Patron of "Impossible Cases"); St. Peregrine Laziosi (Patron of Cancer Patients); etc. - represented at the next prayer gathering by their Holy Relics.  All are welcomed to participate and pray with us, while paying special honor to Our Lady and the Saints!

"Go to Mass with deepest devotion...

Say the rosary every day."

~ Words of advice from

Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos