‘A Million Roses for the World’ delivered at Fatima

On the 15th of December 2012, during the recitation of the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, at Fatima, Portugal, for the so called “Reparation Hour”, Fr. James Phalan CSC, director of Family Rosary International, offered “to the Holy Trinity, through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, prayers for Peace of more than one million people in the Philippines and around the world”.

He made an offering, on behalf of the Filipino people: a book of names of more than 200,000 devotees who formally adhered to the 200-day rosary campaign which ran from October 7, 2011 to May 31, 2012.

The campaign was called “A Million Roses for the World”: praying the Rosary for peace in the world, one country at a time, praying for its people. Fr. James, who has been director of the association for almost six years now, felt such a great privilege to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass at the same Chapel in the morning and in the afternoon, hand over to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, through one of the chaplains of the Shrine, Fr. Manuel Silva, the names of those who, with great fervour and trust, have offered the much-loved prayer of the Rosary to Our Blessed Mother.

At the end of the Rosary, he proffered words of praise and thanksgiving (in Portuguese) for the good outcome of the campaign which brought to the hearts of many a great desire to start or continue the Rosary devotion, which Our Blessed Mother, here, in Fatima, had recommended to the shepherd children in 1917.

A small group of Filipinos headed by the consul-general of the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, Ms. Josena Estrada, participated during the Rosary recitation and presented the offering to Our Lady. With much gratitude for the marvelous graces and blessings which our Blessed Mother continues to obtain for Her children, we pray that the devotion of the Rosary be practiced more devoutly and faithfully not just here in Portugal but throughout the whole world.