Works of Mercy - Project Mexico

Project Mexico began in Orange County, California through the efforts of Gregory Yova, Founder and Executive Director. Greg was alarmed by the increasingly desperate plight of youth in North America which directly affects society as a whole. In the Fall of 1988, Project Mexico developed from Greg's desire to provide young people an opportunity to look beyond themselves and reach out personally to those in need. Greg felt compelled to get them involved in the relief of suffering in neighboring Mexico.

In 1990, Project Mexico began coordinating with a group of Mexicans to establish an orphanage for teenage boys in Tijuana. This effort to address a critical social problem was a natural outgrowth of their goal to relieve suffering in Mexico. After extensive labors to receive official approval from the Mexican government, St. Innocent Orphanage opened its doors in September 1996. At that point, the orphanage began serving as the home base for Project Mexico where groups eat, sleep, pray and can be a part of the boys' lives. Over the years many groups have come and worked exclusively at the orphanage, helping them to complete a great number of important projects.

This charitable outreach is unique because their own people do the work. In the process, their lives are changed. This proven, powerful vehicle of change has provided a fertile environment for thousands of youth to grow in Christ and give of themselves by doing works of mercy for a needy world. Volunteers from 43 of 50 states and eleven foreign countries have participated. Additionally, they hope to continue strengthening the ties between the people of the U.S. and Mexico and be an example of how they can help each other when they work together.

Lives have been changed. Families have been catapulted forward in their struggle to have good shelter and a true home. The impact of this step cannot be measured as they can now focus their energies on their family's moral, spiritual, and educational needs. Some families would split up otherwise, unable to adequately provide for their children. Disease and death no longer loom at every spell of bad weather and rain. And spiritually, it is pure joy to watch the tears of thanks flow during the house blessings. The families know that the Lord has visited them, literally, where they live.

The volunteers who build the homes are profoundly affected. We regularly receive letters from participants, parents, and clergy describing the awakening that has occurred. Many become active and eager participants in their home parish. Others have made college decisions and career choices based upon the experience. All seem to be more in touch with the simple yet difficult commandments of our Lord to love our neighbor and to care for the least of these.

Reference:  http://projectmexico.org/

Matt 25:  35 - 36  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

The Holy Rosary

The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the help of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the Rosary.

 "I am the Lady of the Rosary. I would like a chapel built here in my honor. Continue to pray the Rosary everyday. The war will end soon and the soldiers will return to their homes." -

Our Lady of Fatima October 13th 1917

It is more necessary than ever that from every part of the earth prayer for peace be made to Him. In this perspective, the Rosary turns out to be the form of prayer most needed. It builds peace because, while it appeals to the grace of God, it sows in the one praying it the seed of good from which we can expect the fruit of justice and solidarity for personal and community life.  -  John Paul II

"Of all prayers rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces; of all it is the one which is most pleasing to Mary, the Virgin Most Holy. Therefore, love the Rosary and recite it every day with devotion: this is the testament which I leave unto you so that you may remember me by it." - St. Pius X

"My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady of Fatima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, how might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God."  - Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fatima 

"Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today."  -  St. Padre Pio

"The rosary is my weapon."  -   St. (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina




The Rosary through Persecution

Poland 
Bl. Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko -  Priest and Martyr 

After his death his fellow soldiers spoke about the abuse he had suffered. One day he was forced to stand barefooted in the snow as he had refused to hand in a rosary.

A teacher in Jerzy's school summoned Marianna Popieluszko over her son...she said  "He  (the teacher) wanted to inform me that Jerzy spent too much time saying the rosary at church. It was true that after school he went to church and prayed the rosary every day, but the teacher intended to intimidate us, threatening to mark him down for conduct. I replied to the teacher that there was freedom of worship in Poland and that everybody could do as they pleased (the Holy Ghost must have inspired me at that moment). In the end, they did not mark him down for conduct, even though he always went to church for the rosary".
 
Mexico
On the Persecution of the Church in Mexico
Pope Pius XI  - November 1926

As a matter of fact, many individuals, members either of the Knights of Columbus, or officers of the Federation, of the Union of Catholic Women of Mexico, or of the Society of Mexican Youth, have been taken to prison handcuffed, through the public streets, surrounded by armed soldiers, locked up in foul jails, harshly treated, and punished with prison sentences or fines. Moreover, Venerable Brothers, and in narrating this We can scarcely keep back Our tears, some of these young men and boys have gladly met death, the rosary in their hands and the name of Christ King on their lips.

 
 
 

China
(1994)  On May 24, the most important Feast day of Mary in China, over 50,000 pilgrims knelt in drizzling rain in an open field- the underground Church has no basilica, cathedral or even a in Hubei. At 8 A.M the procession for Holy Mass began. Four bishops of the faithful Catholic Church and 120 Priests, arriving from underground dioceses all over China, moved forward in cortege. Following were over a hundred seminarians; 200 nuns; deacons, and young acolytes. Leading the procession was His Excellency Bishop Su Chi-Min, Auxiliary Bishop of Baoding.

As they moved slowly across the farmland and pasture, the drizzling rain became a steady, hard downpour. Pilgrims rushed forward with whatever protection they had available -plastic vinyl sheeting, a few umbrellas, cardboard boxes- to cover their underground bishops, priests and religious.  To no avail, everyone was soaked-but, "soaked in the love of Mary and in the grace of God" one participant later remarked.

Kneeling in mud, 50,000 Chinese underground Catholics on May 24, 1994, sang hymns, prayed, wept, and touched their rosaries to the image of Mary at the shrine of Hubei. No persecution could crush us, says a seminarian named Wen Xiu, age 23. No rain could dampen their spirits.

Pray the Rosary every day for peace in our own hearts, peace in our families and peace in our country and in the world.   Pray also for our Priests.