Connections

FESTIVITY OF THE HOLY ROSARY

7 OCTOBER

J.M.J.

Dear Father Thomas:

While you read this letter, please take your rosary from your pocket and observe how every bead is connected with the other. The Holy Mother also makes this time of 'connections' between people.

She originates a chain of circumstances for the glory of her Son in the Holy sacrament.

I'll give you an example. Exactly four years ago, the Holy father went to Seoul, Korea, on occasion od the 44th Eucharistic International Congress. Thanks to the encouragement of thousands of people from all over the world, the Pope Saint John Paul II chose to visit a chapel of perpetual adoration, as his first stop after arriving to the airport.

In that place, the Church of the Good Shepperd, the Holy Father gave a talk to the cardinals, bishops, priests, and religious, about the importance of the adoration in the priestly life. The Pope indicated that the 'most appropriate' was that in his first visit in Korea were a chapel of perpetual adoration.

That afternoon, the congress' executive secretary visited us to Father Farral, father Martin, and me, at the Maryknoll house where we were hosted. He wanted to know how this wonderful work of perpetual adoration had started, that it had managed to establish hundreds of chapels both in Korea and in the Philippines.

From this meeting with the executive secretary emerged an invitation to go to Rome and present to the Holy Father a portfolio with all the chapels established in Asia.

father Martin didn't want to go unless I go along with him. As the visit was very important, I deduced to go. A date was set, and as everyone would arrive from different directions, we decided to meet ata. certain time at the Saint Peter Basilica's adoration chapel. At the end of this nice meeting, when we were coming out of Saint Peter's Chapel, we knew a student of theology. He was delighted when he learnt about the reason why we were in Rome and he said that he also wanted to be a priest to spread the perpetual adoration.

The student is now a priest, it is Father Vicente Perricone, who spreads the perpetual adoration through United Kingdom. Before going to Manila, he mentioned to a lay friend the purpose of his mission, who at the same time mentioned it to Jose De Luca.Jose was ordained along with Vicente and now he's successfully promoting the perpetual adoration through the United States. Father Jose has been instrumental for many vocations of the Missionaries of the Holy Sacrament.

Do you understand, now Thomas, to what I was referring to about the 'connections'? From Seul to Rome, to Manila and to the whole world, the Holy Mother is making a 'live rosary' to glorify to her Son.

If you stil have your rosary in your hands, there is one more thing I'd like to say. When you pray the rosary in the presence of the Holy Sacrament, you love more Jesus with the Heart of Mary. United to Mary's heart through the rosary, you make a perfect holy hour, because then, you love more Jesus with the perfect love of Mary.

Fraternally yours in His Eucharistic Love,

Mgr. Pepe