The following inspiring episode from World War II, written by Sr. Mary Shelia O’Neil and reported in the Oct-Dec, 1979 issue of Garabandal magazine also illustrates the power of the rosary. This story was related to her by one of the men involved, a non-Catholic.
It was a busy day in March. As a teacher principal in the 1950’s, I had to make sure that each day provided the time for the two separate rolls. On that March 4th, an incident between a teacher and parent had kept me out of my class for almost an hour that morning, so for the rest of the day, I was desperately trying to make up class time. Hence, the knock on my door at 2pm was not welcome. With relief, I found it was only a salesman who needed my signature and even produced his pen. As he did so, his rosary caught onto the pen’s clip and came out as well. I signed as I said indifferently, “So, you are a Catholic.” “Oh no,” he said, “but a lot of us owe our lives to Our Lady, and I promised her I would always keep my rosary with me and say it everyday.” Twenty minutes later I was still at the door listening, fascinated, to the account of one of the wonderful experiences a group of airmen had had with Our Lady. My visitor hesitated to start, for he had noticed my “non-welcome” opening of the door. But eager now to hear his story, I assured him that the class was doing an exercise, and I begged him to proceed. He continued: It was May, 1940, and we had joined the Air Force in late September. At Halifax, we were given an intensive training program, because they needed us overseas, and to us young lads, the whole program was exciting.
We were grounded into squadrons, each of which consisted of six to ten planes, and each was trained to maneuver as a unit. Therefore about thirty to fifty men made us a squadron, along with the squadron leader, due to arrive in two days on a 9pm air force flight. Being an officer, he would, we thought, go at once to the officer’s quarters. We watched the plane, glimpsed him from the distance, and resigned ourselves to waiting until the next day to “size him up.” A couple of hours later, this squadron leader, Stan Fulton, in full uniform, entered our bunk house. “Well men, we’re going to spend some dangerous hours together but let’s hope we all meet back here when it’s over. Ah, there’s a free bunk and I am tired! I’ll meet each of you tomorrow. With that, he threw his bag on an upper bunk. Our squadron leader, an officer, sleeping here with us! We liked him at once and our liking and admiration grew each day.
COMMANDER KNEELS DOWN TO PRAY!
That first night he knelt on the floor and prayed his rosary in silence. Astounded, were struck dumb. When he finished, he looked at us with his friendly smile and said, “I hope you guys don’t mind a fellow saying some prayers because where we’re going, we’re going to need them.” The next day our maneuver practice, under his command, assured us that Fulton was not just our military leader, but our friend. He was one of us; he never tried to intimidate us with his rank. That night, he repeated his prayer session. Although our group had trained together for 6 months at least, I had never seen anyone kneel in prayer, and had no idea that any of our group was Catholic; but the third night 3 of our companions joined Fulton in saying the rosary. The rest of us did not understand but we kept a respectful silence. A few nights later- we were quick learners- we all answered the Hail Marys and Our Fathers. Fulton looked pleased, and thus we ended each day in prayer.
On June 1st, 1940, we were to leave Halifax to begin in a series of night raids from England over Germany. The evening before, Fulton gave each one of us a rosary. He said, “We will be in some tight situations, but then, if you agree, we’ll say the rosary. If you will promise to keep the rosary with you always throughout your life, and say it, I can promise you that Our Lady will bring you all back safe to Canada.” We answered, “Sure thing!” Little did we dream we would be in action for 4 years, many times in dreadful danger with fire all around us. At such time Fulton’s voice would ring through each plane, “Hail Mary…” How reverently and sincerely did we respond! How many hundreds of rosaries we must have said.
After two years, it was noted that ours was the only squadron that had not lost a plane nor lost a single life. We said nothing, but we knew. Finally, the terrible war was over. During those years, we lost all excitement and adventure. All that concerned us was survival! We did survive too. All returned to Canada in 1945, fully convinced that Our Lady had taken care of us!!! So, I never forgot to keep my rosary with me and say it every day although I am not a Catholic. Whenever I change my trousers, the first thing I transfer, even before my wallet, is my rosary!
Mary gave 15 promises to those who pray the rosary to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche. Her number 2 promise she says, ”I promise my special protection, and the greatest graces to those who pray the rosary.” I believe that story pretty well proves she can do what she says.
Sister Lucia of Fatima, who saw and spoke with Our Lady at Fatima said, “Our Lady will protect her dear ones.” Protestants deny Mary’s intercession even though there are thousands of testimonies to her intercession. In the second world war, when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, there were 8 Jesuit priests only 8 blocks from the blinding flash who lived while thousands were killed around them. When asked about 200 times over the years by doctors and scientists what it was that protected them, they answered, “In that house we prayed the rosary everyday.“
TWO SINNERS – “ONE WILL BE TAKEN; ONE WILL BE LEFT” – Jesus
This story is related by St. Alphonsus de Liguori in The Glories of Mary. Two young men were at a house of ill-repute. One named Richard, decided to go home early. Although he was tired, he said his usual 3 Hail Marys and went to bed. After he fell asleep in a sound slumber, he was suddenly aroused by a violent knocking at the door, and without its opening, he saw his companion, deformed and hideous, who seemed to him to be a devil. The poor man exclaimed, “Truly, poor unfortunate creature that I am, I am damned. And how? When I was leaving that wicked house, a devil came and strangled me; my body is in the street, and my soul in hell, and thou must know that the same fate awaited thee, had not the Blessed Virgin preserved thee in consideration of that little act of homage of the Hail Mary, Fortunate art thou if only thou knowest how to take advantage of this warning sent thee by the Mother of God.” He then opened his mantle, showing the flames and serpents by which he was tormented, and disappeared. Richard burst into tears, casting himself on the ground, thanking Mary and thinking how to change his life, he heard the bell of the Franciscan monastery, ringing for matins. “Ah! There God calls me to do penance.” He went and asked to be admitted, which they were unwilling to do, knowing his wicked life; but he, sobbing bitterly, told all that had taken place; and two Fathers being sent to the street, found the strangled body, black as a coal. They admitted him, Richard began to lead a most exemplary life, went to preach the Gospel in the Indies, then to Japan, where he had the happiness of giving his life for Jesus Christ, being burnt alive for the faith.
THE DOCTOR SAID; ’’YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED…” A friend of mine, a non-Catholic wanted to learn the Hail Mary and wear the Brown Scapular ,which carries the promise that, “Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” from Our Lady to St. Simon Stock in 1251. Which he did, and eventually he came to love the beautiful Hail Mary, which is in the Bible, St Luke 1 28,42. He began praying it several times a day. Eventually, due to bad health he had to quit his job, and later had a severe heart attack. I went to see him and he was relating the experience. He said he prayed the Hail Mary on the way to the hospital, and after the doctor examined him, the doctor said, “You should have died on the way to the hospital! The Hail Mary saved his life.
One day a girl named Sandy was found praying the rosary by Father Kenneth Roberts. Father Roberts said to her, “Sandy! What are you doing praying the rosary? Aren’t you a Baptist?” Sandy answered, “She’s my mother too, Father!” And indeed she is. We are the other children of Mary, Gen.3-15; Ps.86.5; Apoc. or Rev. 12.17, “He went off to make war with the rest of her seed.”
SON CURED: This story is about a woman whose brother had loved the Hail Mary and embraced the true faith, while she hated it with a passion, telling him she would rather pierce her children’s heart rather than see them become Catholic. Her anger was like that of St. Paul. Soon after, one of her sons fell dangerously ill, and the doctors had given up all hope of recovery. Her brother went to her and asked her to pray a Hail Mary with him for her son promising God if he were healed she would study the Catholic religion, and if she should see the Catholic faith was the true one, she would embrace it. She reluctantly agreed, nothing else was working; and prayed the Hail Mary with her brother. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother studied Catholic doctrine, and eventually became a Catholic.
SALUTE MARY WHO HATH LABOURED MUCH AMONG YOU-Romans 16:6. HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE, THE LORD IS WITH THEE; BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS. HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS NOW, AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN. Want to hear something very beautiful? Type in elvishailmary in Google search & hear him sing Hail Mary. St. Luke 1;28; The angel to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.” St Luke 1;42, Elizabeth to Mary: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.“Mary to Elizabeth, 1:48, “Hence-forth all generations shall call me blessed.” The Church in 430 adds the third part asking her to pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Mary is our spiritual mother, Rev.12:1, “the rest of her seed the dragon is making war against,” 12:17. As a child asks his mother for help, we ask her for the help of her prayers. Jesus put himself in Mary’s care, He wants us to do likewise. “As I have given you an example, so do you also.” St. John 13:15.
At Fatima, July 13th, 1917, Our Lady said: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. In order to save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” “Many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them..”Prayer & sacrifice for saving souls. Our Lady to St. Dominic: “Devotion to my rosary is a great sign of predestination.” Do you wish to lay up treasure in heaven? Obey your mother: say your rosary everyday. “He that honoureth his mother is a one who layeth up a treasure.” Ecclus.3:5. “The rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.”- St. Louis de Montfort. THE MIRACULOUS 54 DAY ROSARY NOVENA-27 DAYS IN PETITION; 27 IN THANKSGIVING.
On March 3, 1884, Our Lady of Pompeii appeared B4 the gravely ill daughter of an Italian officer and thru her, gave the world a new devotion with tremendous power. For over a year, Fortuna Agrelli had been in great distress, near death, and been given up as hopeless by the doctors. Her family and her began a novena of rosaries. 2 weeks later. Our Lady appeared to her, sitting on a high throne, holding the Child Jesus on her lap, & a rosary in her hand saying: “Child, your faith has pleased me. Whoever desires to obtain favors from me should make 3 novena in petition & 3 in thanksgiving.” They did so, & Fortuna was restored to perfect health. FOR THE GOOD OF SOULS, THIS PAPER SHOULD BE COPIED AND PASSED ALONG.
So, Father John Hardon says: “I am pleading with you to become apostles of the rosary. Promote the rosary. Urge the rosary. Teach the rosary. Shall I say, advertise the rosary. It is through the rosary that we can bring countless souls back to Christ from whom theyhave strayed. It is through the rosary that we can make them lovers of Christ through the mediation of his mother, the Mother of miracles, , since the marriage feast of Cana, even to the dawn of eternity.’’
The Blessed Mother told St. Dominic the same thing, preach the rosary to bring souls back to God. –THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY, St. Louis de Montfort.
“One day through the rosary and scapular, I will save the world.” Prophecy of our Blessed Mother 700 years ago. At Fatima, she came as Our Lady of the Rosary, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This is THAT day!
“I can give you only one piece of advice for today. Pray, and get others to pray, for the world is at the threshold of perdition…The rosary is the weapon in which to overcome the evils in the world today.’’ – St. Padre Pio.
https://motherofgodlibrary.org/2019/05/ Devotion to Mary – A Great Sign of Predestination
I would encourage all clergy to listen to Our Lady of Fatima if you want to save souls and have peace in the world. She said at Fatima, “Only I can help you…In order to save souls, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart…If my requests are heard, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” Fr. Nicholas Gruner said God himself will not help us if we do not listen to Our Lady of Fatima. Why is Russia not converted? Because Pope John Paul II did not do the consecration properly.
The reason the world is in such a mess is because we have taken the Blessed Mother out of our homes. So said Fr. Patrick Peyton. Now I know from experience that you all don’t talk about Our Lady of Fatima or the rosary except in passing, or maybe on a feast day. Even the Dominicans don’t preach the rosary like their founder was taught to do by the Blessed Mother herself. It is no wonder the world is in such a mess, because if you don’t teach the faithful, and set the example, how are they going to know? When was the last time you knelt down in front of your congregation and prayed the rosary with them? In front of the Blessed Sacrament? When was the last time you gave a very enlightening and inspiring sermon on the rosary? The rosary and Fatima should be preached, and taught at least once every month from the pulpit, because , as St. Alphonsus said, “Men’s heads are like wood. You have to keep pounding things into them.” Not only that, but you have newcomers popping in every so often.
St. Alphonsus taught that Mary is the channel of grace that God used to come into the world, and Satan does all he can to close this channel, in order to overcome souls. The channel is barely open. Only a few good bishops and priests pray and promote the rosary, along with the lay people , but compared to the majority, it is way too small, and that is why there is a shortage of grace in the world. Sin abounds where grace does not, so what does that tell you? It tells you there is a great lack of grace in the world, because most people are living in sin, including many clergy. So if you are a good priest, you need to be preaching these things. If you are a bad priest, then you are one of those Our Lady of Akita warned about, fighting against the good. One of those she warned about at Garabandal, Spain when she said, “Many cardinals, many bishops, and many priests are on the road to perdition, and are taking many souls with them…She said less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist.” And we have witnessed a great decline in reverence for the Eucharist since 1960. If God gives us a warning, confirmed by a great miracle; approved by the Church, approved by all succeeding popes, then we better pay attention. The Holy Bible tells us to heed approved prophetic revelation, and Fr. Nicholas Gruner said that Fatima was in that category: “Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies. But prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thess. 5:19-21. And St. Peter tells us to pay attention to it: “And we have the more firm prophetical word: whereunto you do well to attend…” 2 Peter 1:19. God gave only one warning to the people of Nineveh, no miracles, no Church approval, no popes backing him up, and they woke up and listened, repented, did penance, and turned their lives around. But God was deadly serious. He does not lie, He does not kid. Nineveh would have been destroyed if they had not listened! Time for us to wake up!
The Grave prophecies of Blessed Elizabeth Canori Mora: http://www.getmeprepared.com/prophecies-of-maria-canori-mora.html
Fr. Don Calloway, MIC: The Rosary: Spiritual Sword of Our Lady; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwVdYXyxln0
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