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TA B L E O F CONTENTS 6 14
Jo u r n e y o f t h e Ro s a r i e s
Te e n C o r n e r : “ J P I I , We L ov e Yo u ! ”
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Aw a i t i n g t h e P r o m i s e d O n e
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T h e F i r s t Jo y f u l M y s t e r y o f t h e A n n u n c i a t i o n
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“ I ’ m a B e r e av e d Pa r e n t . M y S t o r y B e g i n s . . . ”
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Tr e a t s f o r F i d o - Fe a s t o f S t . Fr a n c i s
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Pa r i s h D i r e c t o r y a n d B u l l e t i n s
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journey of the
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Rosaries by Barbara Hurst and Cecilia Perez
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My name is Barbara Hurst. I became friends with Reverend Father Bala about a year ago through Facebook. Father Bala is a Roman Catholic priest who is part of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) and who resides in the Vijayawada Diocese in India. We had a mutual Indian priest friend, Father Russel Raj. Over time, I became good friends with my dear brother-in-Christ, Father Bala. I shared with him my conversion story to the Catholic Church and how Mother Teresa of Calcutta was my favorite saint, especially her great love for the poor. After various conversations about the needs of the people in his region, Father Bala expressed to me
the depth of the poverty in India, especially in the region where he lives. He told me that despite India being primarily Muslim and Hindu, there were many converts and devout Catholics in his area. He shared with me that many people loved to pray the rosary, but they did not have an actual rosary. He said they would need 6,350 rosaries so that each person in his region could have their own. He agreed to help teach them to pray the rosary with a physical rosary. So I began to pray and think about this. He and I both agreed we would ask the Blessed Mother to help us figure this out. My husband, Guy, is a Third Order Dominican, and I knew that one of his
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fellow Dominicans, Cecilia Perez, had a rosary apostolate. I attended one of the Dominican meetings in January 2020 and mentioned Father Bala’s request to her. We both were a little overwhelmed at the sheer number of rosaries needed, but we entrusted it to the Blessed Mother to help us. Cecilia had a small group that would make rosaries as part of her rosary apostolate. They would meet on Wednesday afternoons for a few hours, so I went to Cecilia’s house in late February. We all discussed this request from Father Bala, and I forwarded Father Bala’s written request for rosaries to her. Cecilia said she would coordinate with
the ladies to start making the rosaries. Despite the pandemic, Cecilia let me know in early May that they had completed 1,900 rosaries. I was so excited! I went over to her house in early May to pick them up. It took me a month to work out how my husband and I were going to send the rosaries. Because many companies were not delivering to India due to COVID-19, my only real option was to send them via UPS. I took them to the UPS store in June . The rosaries weighed 40 pounds and it would cost $721 to ship them. I couldn’t believe it. But we wanted to be able to track the shipment. I declared the value at $100 but insured it
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for $800 ($100 for the materials and $700 to cover the shipping cost) in case it got lost. I was relieved to know they were actually on their way to Father Bala and would arrive in 2-3 weeks. Several weeks later, Father Bala texted me to let me know that the shipper in India had contacted him and said there would be an additional excise tax of nearly $1,200 due before the rosaries could be delivered. We couldn’t believe it! So for many weeks, between myself, Father Bala, and Ernie Newland, the owner of the UPS Store at Sudley Road, we tried to have the excise tax waived and get the rosaries delivered. Because the pandemic was so bad in India, all shipments ceased for much of the month of July. Our package seemed to get caught in this endless loop. Nor were any of us able to make any headway in having the tax waived. Finally, Ernie agreed to cover the $1,200 tax in order to get the package delivered and arranged for the fee to be placed on his account. Shortly afterwards, Father Bala received a call informing him that the box of rosaries had made it to a UPS facility in Vijayawada, but that there was yet an additional $120 tax due. We absolutely could not believe the corruption! These were simple plastic beaded rosaries that were a donation to the Church for the parishioners. We were not selling them; we were giving them away! So, we all continued to pray, including Cecilia. We all entrusted this to the Blessed Mother. I remember telling the Blessed Mother: “Mama Mary, these
rosaries were a labor of love for your children. We know it is your heart’s desire that all people pray the rosary, for through the rosary we grow to love your Son more and more. Mama Mary, please make a way for these rosaries to get to Father Bala without costing us more than we have already paid so that he may give them to those who will pray the rosary and, in turn, grow to love your Son even more. Mama Mary, take over! Please make a way. Thank you in advance, Mama. Amen.” Many attempts were made to reach UPS in India, but with no headway. I reached out to Ernie again and he elicited the assistance of a representative in UPS International who put a tracer on the package. Father Bala also was following up virtually every day about the parcel of rosaries this entire time and I told him on August 16, that I would reach out to the UPS International representative to see what could be done. I contacted the representative on August 17 and was told they would check on the status of the tracer that had been placed on the parcel. On August 20, Father Bala received a call from UPS that the package was in Vijayawada (about 40 miles away), no other fees were due, but that he would have to pick it up. Unfortunately, they told him that the next day was an Indian festival (Friday, August 21) and that their office would only be open half a day and he would therefore, have to come on August 24 to pick up the parcel.. When Father Bala related this to me, I told him we needed to pray for
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a miracle because the Queenship of Mary was on August 22, and he needed to start distributing the rosaries out on that day. So we prayed! Astonishingly, on the morning of August 22, Father Bala received a call from UPS that if he could come right away to pick up the package that they would wait for him. Father Bala luckily was able to go get them. What joy! WHAT A BLESSING! Father texted me immediately after he picked up the rosaries and we rejoiced together during a video call. Father Bala blessed all of the rosaries and began to distribute them on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Many
of the people knew how to pray the rosary but had never had an actual rosary to use , so he taught them how. He also asked all of them to recite three “Hail Mary’s” together for the intentions of those who had made and arranged for the rosaries to be sent and also asked them to pray the first decade of every rosary for all our intentions. Who knew that we were raising up an army of prayer warriors on the other side of the world for all of our intentions?! What graces God has given to all who have participated in this project. On that same day, I researched and discovered that the Hindu festival
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celebrated on August 22 was Ganesh Chaturthi, honoring the Hindu god of good success, giver of wisdom, and remover of obstacles. I was reminded of how the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico to help combat paganism with the Aztecs. I realized that the Blessed Mother had done it again. The Blessed Mother, who was appointed by the Holy Trinity to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth, had trumped a pagan god. One of Mary’s titles is “Our Lady of Good Success.” She is also the giver of wisdom and is a remover of obstacles. I was in utter awe at the miracle that God had just worked through the Blessed Mother. Mary’s son, Jesus, had heard and answered his mother’s prayers for us. In all that has happened in the world in 2020, how very profound it was to see this miraculous occurrence on the Queenship of Mary. Once again, our heavenly mother showed her children how much she loves them and the extent to which she would go to help bring the praying of the rosary to the world. My name is Cecilia Perez. Barbara came to our Dominican chapter meeting in January and told us about Father Bala’s request to help provide over 6,000 rosaries for the people in his region in India. I invited Barbara to join us on Wednesday afternoons (pre-pandemic) to help make rosaries. Barbara came on February 26 to help make rosaries and we discussed this request from Father Bala. I asked her to send me the letter from Father Bala requesting the rosaries, and she did. We had no idea how we would make that many, but we decided to entrust it to the Blessed Mother to help us. Then
the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we all had to stay home. We decided it was a great time to make rosaries! One third order member ordered rosary materials as part of his contribution to this apostolate. So various people came and picked up rosary materials from my house. Also, I connected with a lady from Seton School in Manassas who was teaching some of the students how to make rosaries. I helped her by doing a Zoom call with the students to teach them how to make rosaries. Also, word spread of our need to make more than 6,000 rosaries, so we also had several Hispanic families in Florida (17 family members) who started making rosaries for us. Besides this family group in Florida, there are several Hispanic families here in Manassas who started making rosaries as well. Amazingly, even the men in the families were helping make rosaries. This is a wonderfully unusual happening within Hispanic families. The family in Florida mailed us 3 boxes of rosaries with 360 in each box, totaling 1,080 rosaries! The next thing we knew we had 1,900 rosaries ready to be sent to India. I made arrangements for Barbara to come pick them up and she coordinated their shipment to India. This was a culmination of the efforts of many people and a labor of love for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who were on the other side of the world. The Blessed Mother heard our prayers and she helped coordinate this. To date, 1,100 more rosaries have been made, for a total of 4,000. We continue to make even more to help fulfill this request of a Marian priest from India. I was in a holy hour in the chapel, and as I was praying about all of this, I felt
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*all images in this article are courtesy photos
that the Blessed Mother was saying to me that this is not the end and that once these rosaries from India were completed that she would pick another country. I believe she does not want this to stop, and that she desires for us to continue making rosaries for the poorest of the poor that cannot afford a rosary. I am amazed how the Blessed Mother has worked through this apostolate. My faith has become so much stronger as I have seen what she has done through this apostolate of rosaries to help bring us closer to her Son. It helps
one to trust in her intercession even more. We should not be afraid. This is a lovely example of her intervention during this pandemic. It has touched so many people. She found the instrument; the people to help fulfill this mission. As a third order Dominican, I have been utterly amazed at what the Blessed Mother has done through the laity who have responded to God’s call.
Ave Maria!
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TEEN CO
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ORNER by Natalie Sutton and Kateri Foos
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“JP II, WE LOVE YOU!”
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Can you imagine being alive when a saint was alive? Can you imagine seeing a saint when he or she was alive, whether it be on television or even in person? When it comes to Saint John Paul II, (or as we like to call him, “JPII”) many of us don’t have to imagine those things because all of them have happened. Even though the two of us are just teenagers, we were fortunate to be alive when he was. “I (Natalie) even remember watching his funeral on television, and even though I was super young, it is something I remember quite vividly.” It is definitely crazy to think we were alive when he was, especially because of what an amazing and inspiring life he lived. JPII has many inspirational moments that took place in his life, all of which helped him on the road to sainthood. One moment that the both of us think is most inspiring, in our opinions, is when JP II was shot while riding in his Pope-mobile driving around Vatican square. JPII suffered major trauma and blood loss and it is a miracle that he survived this event., However, it was the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th 1981, and JPII firmly believed he was saved by Our Lady. The most remarkable thing about this story is that JPII later visited the shooter in prison and forgave him directly. This is one of the many actions of JPII that we should all follow. Forgiveness is never easy, but JPII shows that we should forgive everyone, even those who are strangers to us and try to commit the worst possible actions against us.
JPII described his relationship with Our Lady. He gave himself all to her and prayed the rosary everyday. In fact, he was even inspired to add the Luminous Mysteries to the existing sets of Mysteries of the holy rosary. Once again, this is another way JPII was open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and in turn is a wonderful model for all of us. Having a great devotion to Our Lady is extremely important, especially since she is our mother. The rosary, which JPII said was his favorite prayer, is our best defense against the devil, as we’ve mentioned in previous “Teen Corner” stories. “I, (Natalie) attend St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School. It is definitely an honor to be able to attend a school that is named after this amazing saint. Because the school is named after him, it is a blessing that we are able to have some of his relics in the school that students can view each day. “I (Kateri) was blessed to go to Rome and see his tomb at the Vatican. “The experience was ’exhilarating.’ I felt blessed to be able to be in the presence of a great saint like him.” JPII’s Feast Day is October 22nd. This is the day we should all consider praying for him to intercede for us before our Lord, and give him all our worries. This is also the day we should pray the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary. Perhaps you may even be inspired to visit the JPII shrine in Washington D.C. which is a great way to learn more about this wonderful saint!May we all look up to him and follow in his footsteps of holiness.
JPII had a great devotion to the Blessed Saint John Paul the Great, pray for us! Mother. He lived by the Latin words that he chose for his papal coat of arms, “Totus Tuus,” which means “All Yours”. This is how
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Awaiting the
promised One by Colleen Rooney
In two months it will be Christmas. We will celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Songs will be sung. Gifts will be given. Liturgies will be celebrated. As we prepare for Christmas have you ever wondered what Jews of the first century B.C. were waiting for? Palestine, known first as Canaan and referred to as the “Promised Land” or “Israel,” the land flowing with milk and honey, was given by God to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 15:18-21;26:3;28:13). God had a great plan for Abraham. He drew Abraham away from his native land of Ur with the promise to make his offspring as numerous as the stars in the heavens. They would have a land, a royal dynasty, and bring universal blessings to all nations if they kept the covenants that He offered them. It was a vision of greatness and blessings. A young man, named David, found
favor with the Lord. He was from the lineage of Abraham by way of Judah, the great grandson of Abraham, and the son of Jacob, who God renamed Israel. David was anointed king by the Lord’s prophet Samuel and went on to unite the twelve tribes of Jacob in the land promised to Abraham. David’s reign was a period of Jewish self-governance, a United Kingdom with a leader who honored the laws given by God to Moses and the covenants made with the patriarchs. A king who had the Ark of the Covenant with the Sacred Presence of God brought into the capital city of Jerusalem and danced rejoicing before it. Despite his human frailties, King David’s reign was a great and glorious one full of achievements in battle and fidelity to the Lord. His faithfulness to Yahweh brought the great promise: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your
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fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Sam. 7:12-13) The years between David’s reign and the birth of Jesus witnessed the breakup of the United Kingdom. The leaders of the Jews, both priests and governors, were a mixed group. Some were faithful to Yahweh’s Law, the Torah, and the covenants. Others admired their pagan neighbors and embraced their idol worship and foreign marriages. The loss of faith in God’s plan for them resulted in the unraveling of self-rule. First the northern tribes were conquered and exiled by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and finally the southern tribes with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem were conquered and exiled to Babylonia in 587 B.C. The land promised to Abraham and his descendants was no longer theirs. After the exile there were heroic attempts by faithful Jews to restore the kingdom. They began first to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after their return in 537 B.C. For a short period, they reconquered some land, but the deep attraction of pagan cultures enticed many to aban-
don their faith in God and his plan. Powerful nations, the Greeks under Alexander the Great (325 B.C), and later the Romans with Pompey (63 B.C.), were able to seize and control the land of milk and honey. First century B.C. found Palestine governed by Rome and administered by Roman appointees. And here is our answer: observant Jews, faithful to Yahweh, lived under the yoke of the Romans and awaited the fulfillment of the promise to David and the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:1). Next month – The Life of Observant First Century Jews B.C. as they waited– Mary and Joseph
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THE FIRST
JOYFUL MYSTERY: THE
ANNUNCIATION ( LUKE 1:26 - 38 )
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When praying the first joyful mystery we recall the Joy in the message of the Archangel Gabriel as he greeted Our Lady with the words, “Hail Full of Grace.” He immediately followed with “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God!” She must have found this message coming from the Archangel Gabriel difficult to understand. He softened his tone with the declaration “Do not be afraid.” These four words will come back over and over again in the public life of Jesus. The angel went on with his message: “You shall conceive and bear a Son and name Him Jesus. He shall be called Son of the Most High.” Mary thought about this and asked a question. “How shall this be, since I know not man?” Gabriel explained: “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you.” Mary responded, “Let it be done to me.” Mary was filled with JOY
because she was not afraid. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us." Mary became the Virgin Mother of God bringing JOY to the world and JOY to the hearts of those who trust in his Word. Reflections inspired by THE ROSARY-“The Little Summa” by Robert Feeney Would you like to dive even deeper into the beauty of the rosary? You may enjoy reading Champions of the Rosary by Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC, which can be found here: https://www.shopmercy.org/champions-of-the-rosary.html by Mrs. Mary Catabui, O.P.
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“I’m a bereaved parent. My story begins…” by Kara Palladino
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In early June of 2014, my husband and I were excited to learn that we were expecting our seventh child, and immediately got to work on very important details, such as how we were going to fit nine people into one minivan. That painful move from a car to a minivan pales in comparison to the move from minivan to passenger van! My pregnancy was going great considering I’m a woman who from the moment of conception until birth lives on Zofran to prevent nausea and vomiting. I undergo a surgical cerclage at 13 weeks and deliver our babies at 30-32 weeks. I know the NICU nurses so well they say, “See you next year Mrs. Palladino!” So I had a pretty good idea of what to expect; what is typical for me. But something in my heart didn’t feel 100% typical this time. I remember reading an article about miscarriage in a magazine and thinking, “Oh, I wonder how those poor women do it?” and quickly turning the page. However, at that moment, I can also remember feeling the Lord was calling me to do something, but since I had no idea what it was, I ignored it. In September of year, the mission Our Lord was me became clear
*courtesy photos
that same for which preparing amidst the
most difficult time in our lives. During an ultrasound, we learned that our sweet baby, Francis Josephine, had died. The ultrasound technician, Karen, the same one who met most of our babies before I did, had tears in her eyes. With multiple high risk pregnancies, I have been through more than one hundred ultrasounds. So when I looked at the screen it was obvious to me the baby was not alive. I know a beating heart from a still one. And instantly, my own heart, full of love and anticipation, was broken. My first reaction was one of astonishment. This kind of thing happened to “other people” but not to me. Not to us. Yes, we camped at the NICU but we LEFT together. They LIVED. I was genuinely floored this was happening. Then, a memory flashed before my eyes of a woman at a bible study I attended years back describing how even years later she was still
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haunted by not being able to lay her baby’s remains to rest. So my next reaction was one of pleading with my doctor: “Please, let me bury my baby.” The bereavement coordinator went on to tell me about a burial program provided by the hospital. I remember saying “I think that’s lovely but I’m sure my church has a plan for this…” How embarrassing, in hindsight. She covered my ignorance in a polite smile and said that she would help me in any way she could if I made arrangements for a private burial. The first thing I did was call my church. My church--the place I felt most at home. I was so sure they had a plan for burying babies who died in utero. When I didn’t hear back from someone, I called again. I left a message. And called again. I left a detailed message. On my final call, I boldly left a message with the secretary: “Look I’m not calling because I need a pat on the back, I’m calling because I have a dead baby to bury.” Would you believe that even those stark words would not lead to a return call? I still love my parish. It’s a wonderful church with thousands of families and I learned later that the pastor was out of town, so the staff was not prepared for my request. However, as difficult as it was to face at this painful time, looking back now, I thank God they didn’t return my calls because, other-
wise, A Mom’s Peace wouldn’t be here. When I realized that my parish did not have a burial plan, I accepted that I, with God’s help, had to find a way to bury my precious baby, Francis Josephine. Little did I know at the time, I was laying the foundation for A Mom’s Peace. But God knew. I started calling funeral homes and cemeteries because I had no idea what you do when a baby dies in utero and, apparently, plenty of funeral homes and cemeteries didn’t either. I heard “no,” “no” and “no” over and over again. When I finally heard “yes” we can bury your baby, I heard “$5,000.” “That’ll be $5,000.” One man actually said to me, “Change your language. When you’re calling people don’t say ‘baby.’ They’re confused. Just say you have some tissue and per your religion you want to bury it.” My precious child, my hopes and dreams have been reduced to “tissue” because she wasn’t born alive! I couldn’t believe what was happening. I needed to find that person who started a burial program for babies that died in utero. Only to find there wasn’t one and someone needed to start it. Right then, I realized that God wanted that someone to be...me. Within the month, and in practically a trance-like state, I was building
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“A Mom’s Peace; An Apostolate for Mothers of Miscarried and Stillborn Souls.” I needed peace and I was going to find it here. If I could help just one mom so she didn’t have to go through all of the work I did, hear all the “no’s,” be discouraged by all the dollar signs, it would be worth it. I’ve prayed my whole life, “Please God, do not ever make me bury a baby.” Now, instead of burying one baby, my baby Francis, we’ve helped parents bury hundreds of babies. This wasn’t the plan I envisioned for my life. It wasn’t supposed to happen to me. But now, when I hear “Tell God your plans and watch Him laugh,” I know exactly what they mean. In just six years, by the grace of God, our small 501(c)(3) nonprofit has had the privilege of serving more than 800 families. We’ve connected with hospitals, funeral homes and many cemeteries. We have placed babies in 17 different cemeteries and have served in six states. We have even been gifted entire sections of cemeteries for this purpose. The Lord has also called us to grow beyond what the Palladino family initially needed in the wake of our baby dying. While a proper, affordable and timely burial is incredibly important in respecting lives lost and also necessary to support the emotional needs
of the parents, we quickly learned that the parents’ needs start before internment and continue afterwards. Too many moms experiencing the traumatic loss of their baby through miscarriage and stillbirth aren’t given all their options at the moment they learn their baby has died. A Mom’s Peace has helped guide parents through these questions they may have never thought to ask such as: How do I get my baby’s remains? Will the hospital release them to me or do I need a funeral home? If I miscarry and need a D&C, can I still secure my child’s remains? What if I miscarry at home, how do I collect the remains? How do I care for them before burial and what should I expect physically depending upon the gestation age of the child? Because miscarriage and stillbirth aren’t comfortable topics to discuss, many moms are completely caught off guard when it happens to them. We want to make sure that we advocate for our parents and help them navigate through this disorienting time, so they are at peace at the time of the burial that they did all they could to treat their baby with dignity. Over the years, moms have contacted us asking if we have a place to honor babies who were too young to leave remains behind or burial for their miscarried babies was, for var-
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ious reasons, not possible. We recognized this as God inspiring us to grow in a different way, by providing a virtual resting place, a memorial garden, for miscarried and stillborn babies. This spring of 2020, we began The Garden of Remembrance. The Garden is an online space that treasures each child gone too soon regardless of how many days, weeks or months their short lives blessed ours. We invite parents to share the name of their child, the date of loss and to select a flower that adorns The Garden in their memory. In only a few short months, The Garden has blossomed and is still growing. We honor more than 245 miscarried and stillborn souls dating back as early as the 1930’s and 1940’s. And though it was originally created to honor lives lost when interment was not an option, we welcome all parents to commemorate their child here even if he or she has already been buried or cremated. Our hope is that The Garden is a place that celebrates life while grieving loss and that parents may feel supported when they see they are not alone on this difficult journey. The Garden has been a rewarding addition to our apostolate. Once the baby has been laid to rest or otherwise memorialized, however,
the pain of the parents continues. This is only the beginning of their journey towards peace and healing. The question that continued to be asked was “How do we help parents emotionally in the trauma of losing a child?” In our research, for parents who lose a child after birth, there seem to be strong support systems in place to assist parents in the grieving process. A newborn or infant loss is terribly difficult, so we were thankful to see these parents surrounded by options for psychological and emotional support. However, this was not the case for support systems for those of us who lose a child before birth. Many moms are forced to suffer in silence. We did not want the moms who reach out to us to be left to suffer alone. Dr. Sabine Heisman, like so many of our volunteers, experienced loss herself several years ago and we had the privilege of helping lay her twins’ remains to rest. She is now our Therapeutic Director, empowering parents not to bury their big emotions but to feel them fully and completely. To learn how to accept your new normal and how to reframe memories of your child from painful to beautiful. She leads monthly support group meetings, all of which have been virtual in the past several months due to physical distancing. We are also blessed with a very spe-
Prince William County Catholic
cial volunteer, Deacon Gerard-Marie Anthony, for spiritual guidance. He helps us remember our God is a God of healing and that He loves us in and through our grief. He reminds us that Our Lady of Sorrows knows all too well the difficult path of a grieving parent and that she accompanies us as only a mother can in the healing days that follow. He, along with countless other religious, have served as celebrants for the services we help parents plan to lay their children’s remains to rest. Our 501(c)(3) is completely run by volunteers, who are the lifeblood of our organization. From the beginning, administrators, directors, lawyers, and religious, helped to establish A Mom’s Peace with the goal of providing peace to moms suffering in the wake of pregnancy loss. Our sewing and knitting teams use their crafting skills and time to gift layettes to our families for their babies. Their babies are buried in hand sewn gowns and linens. And parents are provided with handmade blankets and other keepsakes so that parents may have something tangible in memory of their baby. Our local casket maker, while in prayer, handcrafts each casket to the perfect size needed for the child’s remains. These caskets are gifted from family to family. No one ever purchases a casket. When you donate to the apostolate in the wake of your loss, you in turn provide
for the family who will grieve next. A Mom’s Peace would not be here if it wasn’t for God working through me to begin this apostolate in the midst of the worst of nightmares, the loss of a child, and in the small, daily ‘FIAT’ each of us in the apostolate offers to bring peace to families in need. He has turned our suffering into sacrifice. He has made it fruitful in helping the next family faced with burying a child. And He, with praise and thanks, has led us to peace. For “A Mom’s Peace; An Apostolate for Mothers of Miscarried and Stillborn Souls” contact information, please visit: https://www.amomspeace.org/ For “The Garden of Remembrance”, please visit: https://www.amomspeace.org/garden-of-remembrance.html For “The Garden” where the memorial flowers are located by initial of the baby’s last name: https://www.amomspeace.org/garden-290435.html For the virtual ‘monthly support group meetings” the link is https://www.amomspeace.org/virtualsupportgroup.html For our volunteers: https://www.amomspeace.org/whowe-are.html
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Prince William County Catholic
Prince William County Catholic
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TREATS FOR FIDO FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
by Colleen Rooney
INGREDIENTS 1 Cup pumpkin puree 2 Eggs 1/3 Cup of peanut butter natural (NO Xylitol or sugar substitute)
2 Cups whole wheat flour (All-purpose may be used) ½ Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon* *(Check pumpkin pie spice that it has no nutmeg in it. Can be toxic to some dogs. I used cinnamon).
EQUIPMENT Medium-size mixing bowl Large spoon Measuring cups Measuring spoons Pastry mat or rolling board Parchment paper Baking pans Cookie cutters Rolling pin
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DIRECTIONS - Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking pans with parchment paper. 1. In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter. Combine thoroughly. 2. Add spice to flour, then add to pumpkin mixture stirring until just combined. 3. Lightly flour pastry mat or rolling board. Break off baseball size amount of dough. Roll out, using extra flour if needed to keep from sticking. 4. Using cookie cutters, cut out designs of your choice. I used dog and dinosaur cutters, but a dog bone cutter is very cute. Repeat with remaining dough. 5. Place shapes on the prepared baking pans. 6. Bake for 20 to 40 minutes. I baked my dog treats for 30 minutes. The longer they bake, the crunchier they are. 7. Remove from oven. Cool on cooling rack. They may be stored in an airtight container for one month or in the freezer for six months. This recipe makes 3 or 4 dozen treats depending on the size of your cookie cutter. Celebrate God’s Creatures on the Feast of St. Francis! ENJOY!
T H E L I T T L E
F L O W E R
COUNTY PARISH DIRECTORY
OUR LADY OF ANGELS 13752 Marys Way, Woodbridge, VA 22191 (703) 494-2444 Online Bulletin Here
ST. FRANCIS 18825 Fuller Heights Rd, Triangle, VA 22172 (703) 221-4044 Online Bulletin Here
SACRED HEART 12975 Purcell Rd, Manassas, VA 20112 (703) 590-0030 Online Bulletin Here
HOLY FAMILY 14160 Ferndale Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22193 (703) 670-8161 Online Bulletin Here
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON 12807 Valleywood Dr, Lake Ridge, VA 22192 (703) 494-4008 Online Bulletin Here
HOLY TRINITY 8213 Linton Hall Rd, Gainesville, VA 20155 (703) 753-6700 Online Here Bulletin
ALL SAINTS 9300 Stonewall Rd, Manassas, VA 20110 (703) 368-4500 Online Bulletin Here
This issue brought to you by the generosity of R e n o v a S m i l e s w w w. r e n o v a s m i l e s . c o m
