"Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world. --Pope Pius XI
In 1949, the world was hoping it had put World War II behind for good. Unfortunately, while the actual conduct of the war had been brought to a rather sudden and bewildering conclusion by the use of the A-bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not everything had been settled, there began the period of the Cold War.
It was in those late '40's that the message of Our Lady to the children of Fatima was becoming more well known and widespread. That message calling for prayer and the Sacraments, especially Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and the willing acceptance of the sacrifices of daily life, brought us with the three children to the feet of Mary for her instruction. The most noteworthy element in Our Lady's prayer plan was the Rosary.
Brother Sylvan, C.F.X., a teacher at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky, responded to Our Lady's request and organized a crusade of volunteers to creat a world-wide chain of rosary makers to surround the whole world and hold it captive, as it were, in the chains. Such a chain would tie the world to the Blessed Mother of Jesus so that she could present the world to her Divine Son.
Because so many people in the world were and still are very poor, and even if they had rosaries would not be able to buy replacements, there would be the risk that they might give up praying. Rosaries, therefore, must be provided. THat is whay underlies the work of Our Lady's Rosary Makers. Thousands of rosary makers have been supplying, for over fifty years, millions of rosaries to arm Mary's children with rosaries, not weapons, for the battle is ultimately spiritual.
Membership: Membership dues in the Our Lady's Rosary Makers is $2.00 per year. Members receive a bi-monthly newsletter, with the primary purpose of proividing a list of missionaries requesting rosaries from rosary makers. The Newsletter also contains a feflection by our chaplain and other items of news and inspiration. Members may either send rosaries directly to missionaries in need, or send them to the Rosary Maker's office for distribution.
To Join write to:
National Shrine of Our Lady's Rosary Makers
P.O. Box 37080
4611 Poplar Level Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40233