Join us December 4 - December 12 as we pray
The Novena to our Lady of Gudadlupe!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches the following about our Mother Mary

CCC490 To become the mother of the Savior, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”.  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace.

CCC491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
“The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

CCC492 The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son”.  The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love”.

“God is the father of created things; and Mary is the mother of recreated things. For God begot Him by whom all things were made; and Mary gave birth to Him by whom all things were saved." (Saint Anselm)

The rosary is a meditative and intentional form of prayer so, each evening our group prays for the intentions below and for any special intentions requested that evening.

• We pray that people living with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions may offer inclusive programs which value their active participation. (Holy Father's Monthly Intention)
• For all babies born with a life-limiting diagnosis that the doctors will treat them like any other baby giving them the best medical care and for their families who are making critical decisions on their well being
• For the willingness to listen to God’s call and the ability to discern His purpose and desires for our lives
• For our young people that they have the courage and conviction to follow Jesus and not be influenced by the immorality of those around them

• For all married couples that their love for each other bring out the best in each other and bring them closer to Jesus
• For all priests, deacons, and all religious, that they lead others to Jesus by their fervor and love of God
• For all those away from the church that their hearts be softened and all obstacles that prevent them from experiencing God’s love be removed
• For the intentions of those written in the parish prayer book and those listed in the bulletin
• For human life – that everyone realizes and understands its sacredness from the moment of conception to the last moment of death. 

• For all prisoners - for their healing and conversion and for their families who are suffering as a result of their actions
• For an end to senseless killings and for the creation of a world with peaceful security
• For an end to the polarizing bitterness and non-stop anger with those whom we disagree and for patience in listening to and understanding those with whom we don’t agree.

• For an end to domestic violence and human trafficking 
• For all those suffering from depression or mental illness that they find peace and comfort in God’s loving care

• For an end to the fighting in Ukraine and that peace be victorious
• For all those affected by natural disasters
• For children who are abused that with God’s protection they will enjoy a life of calmness and inner peace
• For the needs of the sick and for all those involved in their care, that they be guided by wisdom, skill, and their generosity
• For the parishioners who have joined our church this month that we make them feel welcome and part of our parish family
• For an increase in bi-lingual bridge builders at St. Therese to help our multi-cultural communities grow in fellowship and understanding of each other.

• For all parish priests, for personal safety, health and fortitude in the mission of their vocation.
• For all the souls in purgatory, that by our prayers and intercessions they may join the saints in heaven
• For an increase in prayer to bring more Christ-like love and compassion into our world
• For healing and peace within troubled families
• For the poor that they will find jobs that provide livable wages for themselves and their families
• For all those who have chosen the single life, that they may use the vocation to serve the Lord and do His will.

Mary has made 15 promises to those who pray the Rosary. They are listed below.
Ask anyone who has been praying the Rosary and they will share with you some of the ‘signal graces’ they have received.
Join us every day or whenever you can make time to pray with us!

1. Whosoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
[A signal grace may be a simple sign in daily life that answers a question made in prayer or points towards God’s will. For example, seeing a rose after finishing a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux could be considered a signal grace. Signal graces are often subtle or seemingly coincidental.]

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
 
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
 
4. It will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means!
 
 5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
[In other words, anyone who faithfully prays the Rosary and asks for Mary’s intercession will be saved from hell.]

6. Whosoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of Eternal Life.
[An unprovided death means dying while not in a state of grace (that is, in dying with unconfessed mortal sin in the soul). The Blessed Mother promises that anyone who regularly prays the Rosary, and earnestly tries to live according to God's will, will be spiritually prepared when their time of death comes.]

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
[Our Lady ensures that the soul will receive sanctifying grace through the Sacraments prior to its departure from the body.]
 
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the Light of God and the plenitude of His Graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the Merits of the Saints in Paradise.
 
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
 
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of Glory in Heaven.
 
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary.
 
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
 
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
 
14. All who recite the Rosary are my Sons, and brothers of my Only Son Jesus Christ.
 
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
[By this the Blessed Mother means that a devotion to the Rosary is a good indication that the devotee is on the path to Heaven.]