www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology How to convert the United States

+JMJ+

I have come up with a plan to convert the United States, but I need the help of many tens of thousands of people to do this. The plan is to get Catholics from anywhere in the world to say 30,000,000 Rosaries for the conversion of America to the Catholic faith. The number 30,000,000 is because there are 300,000,000 inhabitants of the US approximately. About 70,000,000-75,000,000 of these are Catholics. If every Catholic in America prayed but one Rosary, we would have more than double what we were searching for.

5 Decades equals one Rosary. A family of 4 praying the daily Rosary for one year is 1460 Rosaries for just 5 decades. For 15 Decades it is 4,380 Rosaries. Please email me (joe_zollars@hotmail.com) if you are willing to pariticipate in this campaign. It is a large goal, but one I beleive is obtainable. We will try and have these pledged by Thanksgiving of this coming year (roughly the 25th of November for non US residents reading this).

Finally, I ask you to forward this email to every Catholic you know.

The total number of Rosaries currently needed are: 2,999,976

Lets get this rolling,
Joe Zollars

Wow! sounds like the old fashioned rosiery crusades that they used to hold "back in the day".
I remeber hearing of this being done in protestant countries, like Scotland and England, years ago.

Is it still done?

Robert K.

+JMJ+

During the election time of recent memory, there was a "Lepanto" Rosary Crusade to end abortion.

Joe Zollars

Dear Joe and Robert,

In actual fact, there is a Catholic hospital in the middle of the City of London that was founded by King Henry VIII while still a Catholic.

The nuns asked King Henry if he wanted anything in return for his magnanimity and the King replied that the only thing he wanted was for the nuns servicing the hospital to say a Rosary for him for as long as the hospital exists.

Each evening, at 6:15 pm, the nuns STILL gather together to say a Rosary for the soul of King Henry VIII, "Bluff King Hal."

Believe it or not!

Alex

In the back of my mind, I keep hearing: "By their works shall you know them".

And then I hear: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, visit the imprisoned, instruct the ignorant, etc.

And then I hear: "Go forth to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Rosary is good and wonderful. But it is just the passive part. We need to get out there and be witnesses to the love that Christ gave to us. And we've got to pass it on.

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled."

GO GET 'EM!!!!!

Christ is Risen!!!

If there's enough space in the Church for the job, what with Ecumenical Pontiffs, Patriarchs, and Archbishops, I think Dr. John should be Ecumenical Coach...that last post sounded like a half time pep talk or something...ROAR!!

Dear Dr. John and Catholicos,

Yes, ROAR!

But Joe Zollars is quite correct in saying that before we do anything in this regard, we turn to prayer first for the Grace to preach Christ, when we go out, and not ourselves.

Are your prayer-ropes ready?

Alex

+JMJ+

Not all are called to be lay preachers, or ordained ministers of the Sacraments for that matter.

We are all called to live a life of witness to our Catholic Faith.

It is also a spiritual work of mercy to pray for the conversion of sinners. If there is one thing America is full of, it's sinners.

Joe Zollars

What America needs, Alex, are a bunch of prayer-rope slinging cowboys...

Dear Catholicos,

Yes, St Louis De Montfort compared the Rosary to David's sling with which to slay the spiritual Goliath or devil.

To bead or not to bead . . .

Alex

According to an early Father: "We are all called to evangelize. Sometimes we may even have to open our mouths".

+JMJ+

Perhaps this is who Holy Father Francis was reffering to.

Joe Zollars

Dear Friends,

And to those who might think the rosary is purely a western devotion . . .

St Seraphim of Sarov prayed 150 "Hail Mary's" daily as did the New Martyr St Seraphim Zvezhdinsky.

This is all written up in the book: Staretz Zechariah: An Early Soviet Saint.

In the "Monastic Rules" published by Jordanville, there is mentioned the practice of saying 150 Hail Mary's with a prostration at the end of each!

The Russian Old Believers have a "Bogarodichna Lestovka" or a leather prayer rope divided into 15 decades for 150 Hail Mary's divided by Our Father's every ten.

One could have 15 icons of the mysteries and pray a decade to each, or else include a word in each "Hail Mary" that reflects the mystery.

That way one can prevent looking on the Rosary as a form of prayer "That lasts for five decades . . ."

God bless,

Alex