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CHRISTIANITY Christianity is an upside-down religion. The Apostles themselves were accused of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6). It’s not surprising that they would be accused of that. In a world where selfishness and arrogance is the norm, In a world where power and dominance is the norm, In a world filled with hate, In a world consumed by greed and materialism, In a world filled with filth, It’s an upside-down religion that will make no sense to many. We are tempted to look around us and regard what we see as the ‘real world’ where the attitudes and actions that are so prominent are necessary to cope. But, if we will let go of the ‘reality’ that we see in the world around us, and allow ourselves to be turned ‘upside-down’, we will discover a whole new world, another dimension to life that we never imagined possible. “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. |
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The Universal Living Rosary Association of Saint Philomena (ULRA) From France to Texas … and Back to Rome The most important message in the world today is one many successors of Peter have pointed us toward in recent decades. The message is neither sensational nor confusing; it does not concern itself with trifles; what it asks us to do is not impossible for us to attain; we can, in our own lives, help to accomplish it. It is … the message of Fatima. The message of Fatima is the best hope we have to obtain real peace in our world. If we really want peace, if we really want to avoid war, why do we not follow the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix? Perfect happiness consists in suffering much for Our Blessed Lord, who willed to suffer so much for us! We must give faith back to souls. There alone lies salvation for society and individuals. One with Mary, we can help many souls to encounter Jesus Christ; without Our Blessed Mother this cannot be done. We must dedicate our lives, our strengths, our health to this great mission. We must evangelize, for this was the very mission of Our Lord. We must 0 to the poor, to the workers, to the humble, to the little ones, to the abandoned and to all of those who suffer. We must speak to them, show them and teach them of the Kingdom of God. If we wish to triumph with Him, we must fight with Him. Everything speaks to us of the Cross. Contemplate the Crucified, for suffering is the consecration of all Christian life. Let us therefore take our stand at the foot of the Cross with Our Mother and His. Let us wield her Most Holy Rosary well, and reach out to all souls while it is still possible, for Heaven and Hell are locked in mortal combat and the earth shakes from the shock of the encounter. As the foundress of the Propagation of the Faith and The Living Rosary, Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot was endowed with a unique vision and a profound common sense.
Pauline Marie Jaricot was born into a devout Catholic family in Lyon, France, on July 22, 1799. She had a deep concern for the peoples of Asia and dreamed of becoming a great missionary. At the age of 17, she took a perpetual vow of virginity and, at 18, she composed a treatise on the Infinite Love of the Divine Eucharist. Pauline was born 10 years after the French Revolution had trampled the doctrine, dogma and devotion of the Church underfoot. The revolution, lauded by the secular world in the name of liberty, equality and fraternity, brought much selfindulgence, cruelty, inhumanity and godlessness into the world. It sought to extinguish the light of Christian truth. The Living Rosary Association was founded by Pauline in 1826 to save the Church in France. It was born of humility, obedience and immolation. Pauline Jaricot was a victim soul who, at the height of her beauty, radiant charity and overflowing love and desire to serve the suffering, was advised by her spiritual director to separate herself from the world and live a contemplative life. She enclosed herself for three years inside the walls of her home where she prayed, read and suffered in loving obedience and patient resignation. The fruit of those 3 years of isolation and martyrdom was The Living Rosary Association. It was formally approved and richly indulgenced by Pope Gregory XVI, and accorded canonical status on January 27, 1832. The Living Rosary Association was her inspired plan to restore the reign of Christ the King to France and the entire world. Her plan, quite simple and within the reach of all, was that of: PRAYER, PENNY and PROPAGATION Pauline’s triune plan embraced all that was Catholic. Regardless of station in life or financial means, all could participate. People throughout history have failed to understand the power of association. Satan, however, understands well the almost limitless power of association. The assemblies of the wicked derive their power and strength from the secret ties and oaths which unite their members. By association, these satanic forces spread division and disorder. This is their unholy goal. For more than 21 centuries, the Earth has been the battleground, situated as it is between Heaven and Hell. For 21 centuries, good and evil have struggled for dominion over this “middle land.” Ven. Pauline Jaricot understood intuitively the strength and the power of association. So, it was that “The Living Rosary Association” was conceived. “We will be united in prayer with all of the peoples of the universe,” she once said. “Let us form a group of 15 souls which will consist of the good, the mediocre, and those who simply possess good will; 15 coals: one well-lighted, three or four partially lit, the others with no warmth at all. Bring them together and you have a furnace!” Pauline Jaricot took her mission to the factories, where she assembled the workers, prayed a decade of the Rosary and collected a penny for the apostolic works of the Association. Good Catholic literature was distributed in order to combat the voluminous writings of error in her day. By 1831, membership in the Living Rosary in France grew to 200,000. By 1837, some 1,000,000 were members, and 2,000,000 had joined before her death. The prayer of the Rosary, which has often been ridiculed as repetitious and childish, is mankind’s greatest spiritual weapon – the rampart against which the forces of evil have no defense. It is the most highly recommended and richly indulgenced prayer. It is a weapon “without equal” that will crush the enemies of Holy Mother the Church, and finally bring peace to our very sick world. “There is nothing more excellent than that numerous voices pray without interruption from all parts of the world, simultaneously lifting up their supplications to the Blessed Virgin Mary as they meditate on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. May Christian nations seek the protection of the Mother of God with an ardor that grows greater every day; may they cling more and more to the practice of the Holy Rosary, not only as a remedy for their misfortunes, but as the very badge of Christian piety! The Rosary is the protection of the Mother of God against the enemies of the Catholic Church. To Mary, we must fly. We wish to see it offered more widely in all places and at all times! The great Virgin of the Rosary is the most potent help of Christians.” Pope Leo XIII As in the time of Pauline, the Church in the 20th century was betrayed by many of her own and continues to be betrayed in the 21st century! She is attacked by her servants as well as by Her enemies. Our Blessed Mother appeals to all men to “PRAY THE ROSARY” and to unite in prayer against the powers of darkness which are bent upon the destruction of the Catholic religion. The Living Rosary is not a new devotion but a continuation of the Rosary preached by St. Dominic and announced by Our Blessed Mother for centuries. In these days of evil, confusion, chaos and modernism, the Living Rosary will be a mighty force in every family because the Holy Rosary is a gift to us from the Queen of Heaven. On December 8, 1986, Richard and Patricia Joann Melvin in an effort to honor Saint Philomena and win her favor, began a revival of Pauline Jaricot’s Living Rosary ministry. With great hope, 30 people were gathered to pray a daily decade for the intention common to all: The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the honor of Saint Philomena. By September of 1987, 300 members had been enrolled. The Living Rosary started a small periodical in 1987 entitled DEDICATED DECADES, a copy of which was sent to Saint Philomena’s principal shrine in Mugnano, Italy.
Sadly, devotion to St. Philomena in Italy and elsewhere was dying out, but news of the work in Dickinson, Texas, inspired the rector of the shrine to visit Texas in 1987. Father Giovanni Braschi brought with him many devotional items as well as old rare books in French and Italian. Amongst these treasures was the original Little Manual of the Living Rosary Association along with all of the directives, guidelines and the indulgences, Thanks to all of this information, the Universal Living Rosary Association was formatted exactly as the directives outlined, and continues to this day without deviation from the original text. Who is Patricia Joann Melvin? Patti, as she prefers to be called, 65 years old, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (both she and her husband, Richard, are Catholics from birth), graduated as a registered nurse from St. Vincent’s College, Los Angeles. Upon graduation, Patti was preparing to go to Tanzania, East Africa, when she met with a near-fatal accident that was to change her entire life. It took months for her to recover from the serious head injuries she sustained. After recovery, Patti worked at the Deaconess Hospital in Spokane for several years, and there she met and married Richard. Though they longed for a large family, none was forthcoming, and they eventually adopted two wonderful sons and moved to Dickinson, Texas. While home-schooling their sons, they acquired a very large book on the life of Saint Jean Marie Vianney and, through it, were introduced to Saint Philomena.
As most things do, their work began small. Patti and Richard wrote all the letters and did all the record keeping, packing, shipping and much, much more. It was decided that, for the unity and perpetuity of this important devotion, each person would accept and pray the same Decade of the Rosary each day. This was discussed with the secretary of the Cause of Ven. Pauline Jaricot and her bibliographer, Father Naidenoff, who gave his confirmation of their work from Lyon, France, at his office within the Propagation of the Faith. Through the Universal Living Rosary Crusade, and the intercession of Saint Philomena, Patti and Richard are reaching out to all the world with the healing balm of the Living Rosary. One by one they come in, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, bishops, archbishops, priests, religious, lay apostles and the faithful! Young and old, all are attracted by the simplicity, power and unity of this gift from Heaven. Twenty six years have passed now. The revival of the Living Rosary and the revival of the devotion to Saint Philomena are clearly connected. When the Melvins began their work, devotion to Saint Philomena was buried in the catacombs of the 20th century. Once again, the faithful are turning to this great Saint who is the patroness of the Living Rosary and of the The faithful have not been disappointed. Saint Philomena has dazzled them with her favors and miracles. Saint Philomena’s fame has again begun to spread from one end of the earth to the other. After 20 years, Patti’s prayers have been answered more fully than even she ever dared to imagine. Saint Philomena has been given to the world again through the Universal Living Rosary. What began on December 8, 1986, with 30 members, now numbers over TWELVE million souls from around the world praying: Each one offering his Daily Decade, united in intention, soul and spirit – ONE with Jesus in the Immaculate Heart of Mary! TWELVE million DECADES prayed daily because a single Catholic couple had faith When Patti and Richard began the revival of the Living Rosary and devotion to Saint Philomena, it did not take long to fill their home with machines, translations, devotional articles and boxes. They interested companies in making St. Philomena devotionals; books were translated, formatted and published; holy cards, medals and statues were designed. Famous old prints were reproduced and new images created. Through the efforts of the Universal Living Rosary, the principal shrine of Saint Philomena in Mugnano is being restored and the pilgrims pour in from all over the world for her great feast. Furthermore, the entire estate of Venerable Pauline Jaricot has been restored and turned into a pilgrimage center for all of France. The special book of her spiritual mysticism is now available from the Center in Lyon (in French) and Dickinson (in English). It is, in fact, the victim heart of the beloved foundress of the Living Rosary that has provided the fire that is setting the world aglow with prayer to draw souls to the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and so restore the Church, through fervor, zeal and sacrifice. Through the Universal Living Rosary, we can all help bring about the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When Our Lady’s heart will triumph, then Jesus Christ will reign as King and God’s victory will be accomplished! Over the years, the Universal Living Rosary Association has had close connections in Rome. The late Bishop Peter Canisius Van Lierde, Vicar of His Holiness, and custodian of the Vatican reliquaries, counseled and encouraged them early on. Father Redemptus Valabek (canon lawyer and Carmelite now departed) followed their missionary growth, encouraging and guiding them for many years. It is the mission of the Universal Living Rosary to hasten the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, through the DAILY DECADE of the Most Holy Rosary. Ave Cor Mariae! This article was published in the magazine INSIDE THE VATICAN, Rome, Italy – March 2005 Issue by Silvio Mattacchione, writer and publisher who resides in Canada.
In a world of calculations, one may be tempted to ask, ‘Does this little DECADE really make a difference?” The contemplation is not between what I have given and the bottomless abyss that must be filled up but, rather, to Whom I am giving my gift and what HE can do with it. We turn to contemplate the Gospel of the five loaves and two fish offered by the small child in order to feed 5,000 hungry souls. A mere nonsense to even think about if it were not for the Hands in which the bread was placed. THIS IS THE KEY! Let us give all we can for the love of God and the salvation of souls. Placed in the Hands of Christ and the Heart of His Immaculate Mother, though it be little, we shall have reached out to the whole world with the divine nourishment that gives life everlasting! It is the Miracle of Your Love, His Hands and Her Heart! |
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| St. Philomena, Ven. Pauline Jaricot and St. John Vianney – their separate lives were inspiring, but the three together were given miraculous rewards by God for their devotion to Him.
It is no coincidence that the official Feast of St. Philomena falls on the 10th of August, for that is the very day that the Great Miracle of Mugnano occurred and the day that St. Philomena granted the Venerable Pauline Jaricot a wonderful healing. It was the miraculous cure of Pauline Jaricot which led to Philomena’s being raised to the status of Saint. Pope Pius XI canonized St. Jean-Marie Vianney in 1925 and named him “Patron of all Parish Priests” and said that his spirituality in its totality should be followed by them. This would necessarily include his deep devotion to St. Philomena. The present Pope dedicated 2009 as the “Year for Priests” and has honored St. Jean Vianney by elevating him to be the “Patron of all Priests“. Because he was such a dear friend of the Ven. Pauline Jaricot, her cause for sainthood takes on new fervor. Pauline was not only the foundress of the Propagation of the Faith, she also founded the Living Rosary Association to promote faith through the united prayer of the Daily Decade of the Holy Rosary, and the distribution of good Catholic literature in the wake of heresy and persecution, which was rampant in her own day in the aftermath of the French Revolution. These three lives are very closely intertwined in other ways. Note their influence on these Leaders of the Church:
When Pauline shared the story of her healing with her dear friend St. Jean Vianney (Curé of Ars, France) and bestowed upon him the relics of St. Philomena obtained from the Shrine in Mugnano, Italy, she prophetically said to St. Jean Vianney, “Have full confidence in this great Saint. She will obtain for you all that you ask.” Both St. Jean Vianney and Ven. Pauline Jaricot grew up in the same historical period and both suffered very much from the persecution of the Church during the French Revolution. Priests were hunted down and sent to prison if they would not take an oath to the State. Pauline, herself, was baptized at home by a priest faithful to Rome. The holy Curé saw in St. Philomena a New Light for the Church Militant. |
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| Pauline Marie Jaricot – Mother of Souls in Distress
Pauline was greatly distressed by the plight of the Catholic Family whose members, young and old, served in factories for very long hours each day and even on Sunday. She longed to establish for them a Community in which they could make a living and have time to pray, attend Holy Mass and spend quality time with the family. She invested her entire fortune in this venture and borrowed heavily from good people who knew of her sound judgment and practical ability to make a success out of all that she undertook for God and country. Pauline was betrayed by a treacherous thief who absconded with her fortune. All that had been invested in this inspired dream of rescuing the working man from the slavery of the industrial age was lost. She was left destitute, calumniated and in ruin. On January 9, 1862, Pauline died bankrupt and abandoned by all. Stripped of everything, she had followed Christ as a victim for souls to the end. She signed her letters: “Your poor beggar”. Clothed in a rusty black dress, her face worn with suffering, breathless with heart disease and dropsy, her expression was not merely one of courage or charity, but it was majestic. Pauline showed royal dignity, her features were full of authority and she possessed a spiritual power that nothing could defeat! Pauline loved without measure! Cardinal Tomko, prefect of the Community of Evangelization, visited Lyon in 1999 and greeted her as a “great figure for the Universal Church, who founded missionary works of world dimensions”. Ven. Pauline Jaricot has rightfully gained her place as the patroness of those in financial distress. She is mother of the poor, advocate of debtors, help to all those treacherously deceived by others, persecuted and maligned. She understands their plight and the accompanying anxieties which haunt them. Call upon Pauline who suffered to the extreme at the hands of the greedy and the proud. She will hear your prayers, ease your burden and obtain for you the special graces needed to carry your heavy crosses with courage and hope! Her heart is sensitive and she will dress your wounds with the balm of the merits she obtained from the Heart of God through the slow martyrdom which she endured day after day. Maria was entrusted with her care by St. Jean Marie Vianney, and tells us, “Often, a halo of light shone around the head of our mother Pauline as she prayed for long hours before the Blessed Sacrament”. Many documents exist which record the special gift of prophecy which Pauline possessed. We have been given by the custodian of Ven. Pauline Jaricot’s artifacts a blood relic; a piece of the cloth upon which her magnificent heart rested during its embalmment. It is soaked with the blood from the victim heart of our beloved Foundress. If you wish to have a piece of cloth touched to this relic, and a prayer to offer Pauline in beseeching her help in your financial needs, write to us and send $3.00 to cover the costs of materials and postage. If you are not yet a member of her Living Rosary, this too will be a healing balm for your sufferings and further win her favor in your behalf. Jubilee Prayer for Debtors For the intercession of Ven. Pauline Marie Jaricot (1799 – 1862) Foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Association of the Living Rosary (and of the model Christian Community at Rustrel, France, ruined by dishonest managers)
The Venerable Pauline Marie Jaricot may rightly be called the Patroness of the poor, debtors, the deceived, the persecuted and the maligned. This great daughter of Holy Mother the Church was born into a family of wealthy silk merchants. She is the Foundress of the two greatest works of the Church in the Nineteenth Century: The PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH and THE LIVING ROSARY. |
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Children of Mary
Saint Philomena’s influence was life-changing for both Pauline Jaricot and St. Jean Vianney. Pauline’s miraculous cure by St. Philomena on August 10, 1835 provided the impetus for formally elevating St. Philomena to the Altar. She then became the only person recognized as a Saint solely on the basis of her miraculous intercession.
Tags: Association, Catholic, Filomena, Living, Philomena, Philomene, Rosary, Saint, Santa, Universal