MAY-JUN 2012 Issue of Leaves
Excerpted from “Leaflets” column:
May, Mary’s month, is a perfect time to show our love for the Mother of God. Praying the Rosary
is a beautiful way to meditate on the lives of Jesus and Mary. There are many different methods of
praying the Rosary by meditating on different Scripture passages or intentions.
There are also a number of chaplets to Our Lady, including the 10 Virtues, 7 Dolors, among
others. Perhaps you might start your day by saying the Litany of Loreto. Other prayer suggestions
might be the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel or any one of the many traditional prayers to Our
Lady, such as the Memorare, Salve Regina and Regina Coeli. The Miraculous Medal Prayer is short
but powerful: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.”
In times past people would stop their work at noon to pray the Angelus. During this month you
might try praying this prayer either before or after your lunch.
Hail Marys sprinkled throughout the day would make a wonderful bouquet to present to our dear
Blessed Mother. On Mother’s Day and any other time we can honor our earthly mothers by offering
prayers on their behalf to our heavenly mother.
This time of year finds many of us working in our gardens. Some of these gardens include various
shrines to Mary. An outdoor shrine calls us to prayer whenever we catch sight of Mary’s statue. For
those without access to outside gardens a simple prayer corner can do the same. Even a spot on a
dresser with a small statue or picture of the Blessed Mother will remind us to ask our dear mother to
intercede for us to her beloved Son Jesus.
At the foot of the cross Mary stood with John the disciple whom Jesus loved. In His final
agonies Jesus gave Mary as mother to John and to us all: “Behold your son.” “Behold your mother.”
Let us show our gratitude for her love for us through our gifts of prayer. Throughout May and June
we might pray: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you; save souls.”
…
June used to be the preferred month for weddings. If you think that there are not as many
weddings as there were in the past, you would be correct. According to the Pew Research Center,
72% of all adults in the U.S. were married in 1960, while in 2008, only 52% were. Even greater
differences show up in younger people. In 1960, 68% of all those in their 20s were married. In
2008, only 26% of 20-somethings were married.
In the Catholic Church marriage is a sacrament, not just a legal agreement between two people.
As evidence of the importance of marriage, Jesus’ first public miracle was turning water into wine at
the Wedding at Cana.
There are many challenges to true marriage today in society. People are putting careers ahead of
relationships that might lead to marriage. Some are wrongly suggesting that marriage need not be
limited to a bond between a man and a woman. There are those who err in believing that co-habitation
is appropriate.
Let us teach our children about the importance of the sacrament of marriage. Marriage
sanctioned by the Church is a lifelong commitment. This is not a relationship of convenience that can
be ended by the whim of one or another party. Marriage is a faith-filled covenant that is dedicated
to building up of each spouse helping the other to become holy.
We all can have a part in safeguarding the sanctity of marriage. By gentle encouragement we can
offer the beauty and benefits of a true marriage to those who are living in irregular situations.
Perhaps they might benefit from a discussion with a priest.
Pray for marriage in general that it will withstand attacks from society. Pray for particular
marriages too. When you see wedding banns published in your church bulletins or wedding days that
are scheduled in the newspaper, pray for the newlyweds. Pray that God will be with them, bless them
and uphold their marriage covenant.
If you know couples who are experiencing difficulties in their relationships, offer your support
to them in a way that honors the sacramental covenant of marriage. In very challenging circumstances
couples might attend a Retrovaille weekend, a program that is designed to heal and renew marriages
In all instances married couples can benefit from our prayers for them that the Lord will be
with them and bless their marriage. May God grant you abundant blessings always - Father Thomas
Heier, C.M.M.
Catherine Kilroy
Rest in Peace
It is with great sadness that we inform our LEAVES family that Catherine Kilroy died suddenly
this past January. We, along with our readers, eagerly looked forward each issue to Catherine’s
insightful writings of events in Scripture. Her creative presentations drew us in and made us feel
an integral part of her stories.
Catherine Kilroy had a tremendous gift of writing that she used to honor the Lord. We offer
prayers of thanksgiving for her wonderful contributions to LEAVES and we pray that she will be
rewarded for her faithful service to Our Lord.
Please join us as we pray - May Catherine Kilroy rest in peace and let perpetual light shine upon
her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
Rosary Keeps Grandson Safe And Successful
My grandson (I will call him Peter) was having a very hard time in college. He went to a technical
school for 16 months to learn a trade. All ages of people were there, from teens to people in their
40s and 50s. Still that didn’t make a difference. The drugs and parties were as bad as at a regular
college that had mostly teens attending. The traveling and the bad weather to get back and forth
were also bad.
Peter (name changed) had to travel two hours one way to get to school and two hours to get back
home. He was going to drop out. At least three times he decided to give it up. So I started the 54-
Day Rosary Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rosary never fails.
I also asked the Blessed Mother to send St. Raphael and St. Christopher to get my grandson
back and forth every day safely, and I asked her to send extra angels to keep Peter’s car running
well (it is old and has a lot of miles on it), so it would not break down on the way to and from school.
I asked Mary to send St. Anthony (Peter’s Confirmation name) to help with tests, homework,
exams, etc. St. Anthony is a great Doctor of the Church and very powerful.
My grandson graduated the day before the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. He also started
college on the day before Mary appeared at Fatima. He starts a full-time job during the beautiful
month of Mary, close to the beautiful feast day of Our Lady of Fatima.
Please, LEAVES readers, say the Rosary. Sister Lucy of Fatima said: “There is no problem that
can’t be solved by the Rosary. The Rosary is the Queen of Prayers” - M.B.
St. Therese Answers
Prayers Quickly
I said I would write a note of thanksgiving for St. Therese the Little Flower’s intercession if my
husband went right to heaven when he died. I had read in LEAVES that someone asked St. Therese to
send a yellow rose if her husband went to heaven, and she received one.
On Saturday morning at Mass and Communion I said my prayer, asking St. Therese to send me a
yellow rose if my husband went directly to heaven when he expired. Saturday evening there was a
box in the mail and, when opened, in it was a beautiful yellow rose with green leaves and stem and a
little gold chain hanging from the stem with a white heart with his name on it.
It was the quickest answer to prayer I think I have ever had, and I am ever so grateful to St.
Therese for giving me peace of mind and heart and the yellow rose. My donation is for this wonderful
answer to my prayer - C.H.
My Admirable Father
Years ago a teenaged boy burned down our family restaurant and upstairs home in Massachusetts
because he said he hated “Chinks.” Several years went by when the young man, now in his 20s, came to
my father and confessed that his guilty conscience motivated him to confide in my father that he had
been the one who had started the fire. He asked my father to please forgive him.
At the time of the fire my father did not have enough money to purchase insurance protection
for our property, and so he had to endure an immense financial burden and had to borrow money from
Chinese friends and businessmen so we could rebuild. Even so, my father forgave the young man,
saying, “We all make mistakes in our lives; none of us is perfect.”
My father gave me some loving words of wisdom when I was a child. He said the Golden Rule of
treating others the way we would like to be treated should be our standard in how we deal with
others; but he also admitted it is very difficult to know how and when to wisely apply the Golden
Rule in practice.
I sincerely wish my father were alive today so I could continue to benefit from his loving, noble
example and words of wisdom and inspiration - Haven Bradford Gow.
A Novena of
Father Engelmar
A novena to Fr. Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M., is now available. We will send a free copy of it to
anyone who wants one. Send your request with a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed
envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
This past summer my husband was afflicted with a very serious condition in his right leg. I said
the novena to Fr. Engelmar, asking that my husband recover well enough to be able to drive us to
Mass in the winter. Thankfully my husband recovered well enough to drive the car, but needs many
prayers because the leg still has a long way to go in order to heal. I also have considerable problems
with my left hip, leg, ankle and back and almost constant pain that makes it difficult to sleep or do
basic tasks. I prayed the novena to Fr. Engelmar for my needs. I also prayed the novena to the
Sacred Heart and St. Jude. After weeks and months I am still hoping for some relief. May God
bless, safeguard and give good health to all those who work for Mariannhill - C.S.
+ + +
My son is suffering a rare disease called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. The last five years he has
been hospitalized numerous times with pain and dehydration. Since saying Fr. Engelmar’s novena, he is
getting better. I thank God and you - Anne.
+ + +
Fr. Engelmar has been invoked not through a novena but through my heart to his. My son was
born mentally fragile and was an extremely difficult baby. When of age he was diagnosed as
schizophrenic and bi polar.
Needless to say, our family has suffered much. In fact, one psychiatrist said, “Just lock him up
for the rest of his life.” My love was strong for my son, so his comments were crushing. I was
determined not to take that route. Instead we cried out to Our Lady to help him. Throughout his life
we have prayed to several saints and blesseds. Fr. Engelmar was one “saint” that we never invoked.
After reading in LEAVES so many wonderful miracles through Fr. Engelmar, the Holy Spirit
encouraged us to pray to him. Within a few weeks, people called saying that he is sound and sane, has
his act together and that there is nothing to be ashamed about. They say that if he remains stable, no
one would ever have a problem with him. May Fr. Engelmar continue to father him. He has not been on
medication for 20 years, so there was no alteration of drugs, etc. Dear LEAVES readers, please pray
that his life of terror continues to be nonexistent! - Name Withheld.
NOTE: Patricia Murray asks all readers NOT to send her any more religious articles of any
sort. An ad for them appeared on page 5 in the Jan-Feb issue. She has more than enough of them
now already. Thank you-the Editors.
Trust in God
By Rose Lucyk
Trust in God for all thy needs;
He is always there for thee.
No matter when or where,
His guidance is always there.
When I Hear God
By Evelyn Heinz
When I hear God,
There is no music or majestic trumpets.
It is in total quiet I hear Him
Speak my name.
I listen with open heart
To all the things He wants me to do.
My soul is magnified with my mind at peace
In this solitary meeting.
And I rejoice to know
That He wants me,
And I am His.
Prayer to St. Dymphna
Lord our God, You graciously chose St. Dymphna as patroness of those afflicted with mental and
nervous disorders. She is thus an inspiration and a symbol of charity to the thousands who ask her
intercession.
Please grant, Lord, through the prayers of this pure, youthful martyr relief and consolation to
all suffering such trials, and especially those for whom we pray (name them here).
We beg you, Lord, to hear the prayers of St. Dymphna on our behalf. Grant all those for whom
we pray patience in their sufferings and resignation to Your divine will. Please fill them with hope
and grant them the relief and cure they so much desire.
We ask this through Christ our Lord who suffered mental agony in the garden. Amen.
CORRECTION NOTE: In the Jan-Feb 2012 issue we published an article about the “The Lady
of All Nations” (pp 12&13) in which it was stated that the bishops of the diocese of
Haarlem/Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the appearances of Our Lady of All Nations took
place, had approved public devotion to Our Lady of All Nations on May 1, 1996, and again on May
31, 2002. Some of our readers wrote that the Vatican had banned the devotion.
We contacted the diocese of Haarlem/Amsterdam, for it is the bishop of that diocese who is
primarily responsible for judging the authenticity of private revelations within his diocese. It
informed us that on May 31 (not May 1), 1996, after consulting with the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, Bishop Bomers of the diocese had indeed approved the public
veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of “The Lady of All Nations.”
The diocese also informed us that on May 31, 2002, the present bishop, Most Rev. Jozef
Marianus Punt, declared in a public statement that he had come to the conclusion that the
apparitions of “The Lady of All Nations” to Ida Peerdeman have a supernatural origin. By this
statement he had in essence recognized the apparitions as authentic.
The bishop was, of course, in contact with the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith at that
time. In answer in July 2005 the Congregation requested that the words “who once was Mary” in
the prayer of the Lady of All Nations be replaced by the words “the Blessed Virgin Mary.” The
bishop therefore has asked those in charge of the devotion to respect the pastoral concern of the
Congregation by leaving out or praying silently the clause during public prayer until further
notice. For more information, see the devotion’s official website: