Denver Catholic

OPINION I 5 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I OCTOBER 30, 2013 THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY FATHER JOSEPH HEARTY No problem is too big for the rosary Of all the devotions known, the rosary has a wider distribution and approval than any other. The Church dedicates the month of October to the rosary, bringing to mind Our Lady's apparitions at Fatima and Lourdes, through which she encouraged us to pray the rosary. At the start of the 13th century, Mary appeared to a young Spanish priest, Dominic de Guzman, and described how the rosary was to be prayed. In the south of France, St. Dominic, was burdened with the task of fighting a heresy that was causing the ruin of many souls and weakening the Church in Europe. The Albigensian heresy was disturbing because, amongst other false doctrines, it taught that there are two gods, that marriage is a sin, it denied the divinity of Christ and it promoted extreme forms of asceticism. St. Louis de Montfort in his famous book, "The Secret of the Rosary," wrote that Mary appeared to him and said: "I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the angelic psalter (the Hail Mary), which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls, preach my psalter." St. Dominic began to urge praying the Our Father and Hail Mary and instructed the faithful to also reflect upon some aspect of the life of Christ and Mary. He preached so compellingly that nearly all who adhered to the Albigensian heresy renounced their false beliefs, returned to the true faith of the Church and lived good Christian lives. If the rosary was able to convert a hardened people, its power will surely be felt and seen today in souls who yearn for an answer to life's big questions: Why am I here? Where am I going? What must I do to gain eternal life? The power of the rosary is found in the meditations: each decade is assigned a mystery in which we envision a particular scene of Jesus or Mary. Do not be discouraged if you become distracted from your meditation, God will bless your sincere effort and reward you just the same. Invoke Mary's aid and be confident of success because her prayers are powerful. God has shown us the power he has given to this devotion. In an interview before she died, Carmelite Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the children who saw Mary at Fatima, said, "The most holy Virgin, in these last times in which we live, has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is ... that cannot be solved by the rosary." What more do we need to convince us to use the rosary for the benefit of our souls, our families, and for conversion and peace in the world? Father Joseph Hearty, F .S.S.P is parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel ., Latin Rite in Littleton. SERVING THE DENVER CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SINCE 1890. The heritage behind our mortuaries and cemeteries is one of history and tradition. HOLIC REGISTER ico t the Quang From Page 3 by trustlove. Isomeday I would see the Holy Father, his par-who has the spirit of Ignatius of Loyola g forcedbut has the heart of St. Francis," he said hood inabout Pope Francis. attempt This year, Msgr. Quang flew to Rome d, final-knowing he'd have a chance to be in the kinson's,receiving line to meet the pontiff. While s death.staying in the Domus Sanctae Marthae Paul II's(St. Martha's House), which is adjacent to s a chal-St. Peter's Basilica, he was eating lunch in to all ofthe refectory when Pope Francis walked o get toin wearing a white cassock. He invited "Let methe Denver priest to join him for lunch. "He was just so friendly," he said. her." urge all With other guests, he shared where uth thathe was visiting from and they chatted s is pos-through a translator. r hearts "Later on the pope changed languagnd lovees and said, 'Maybe we can use French.' ou mayThen I could carry on a conversation with him a little bit." Msgr. Quang had much he wanted to say—"I thought I could tell him a thousand things, but at that moment I was mute. I don't know if I really enjoyed the meal I was so nervous," he said. He did muster to tell the pope one thing. "All I could say is, 'We love you.'" He brought a papal blessing back to his parish and school. In about 2004, Msgr. Quang visited the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome while on pilgrimage. He said he was moving back to get a better view of the largerthan-life baroque statues of the apostles when he met the emeritus pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. "I kept moving backwards and I ran into him," he said. They greeted each other and talked briefly. "I then had a chance to express my appreciation for his writings and the beauty of the theology," Msgr. Quang said. A year later, the cardinal was named the next vicar of Christ. It was in 1993 that Msgr. Quang, then a recently-ordained priest, met Blessed John Paul II during his stay at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver for World Youth Day. "My first impression was he's just amazing. Here's this guy who survived the suffering of communism. It gave me a sense of courage, of hope," said the priest who also escaped the communism of his homeland in Vietnam. Meeting the popes was a blessing, he said. "It just helped me to appreciate what we have in our daily life," Msgr. Quang said. Gene Steinke 65 Years Harry Stevenson 51 Years For more than a century, Catholic families have trusted Olinger Mortuaries and Cemeteries to care for their loved ones because respect for traditions, understanding the needs of the Catholic faith, and providing affordable options is at the heart of what we do. With more than a 142 years of combined experience, parishioners Gene Steinke, Harry Stevenson and Matt Whaley have assisted families with care and compassion. Today, their experience, combined with those who provide professional services in 11 Olinger neighborhood chapels, is virtually unprecedented in serving the Denver Catholic community. (303) 455-3663 www.denverfuneralproviders.com Matt Whaley 26 Years

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