Beginning October, the month of Mary, a new Rosary e-book has been released to pray in times of pandemic and illness. The Crisis & Health Rosary can be downloaded for free as an eBook in EPUB, MOBI or PDF format from the website www.popesprayer.va, among others. It is also available on Amazon Kindle and on the Click To Pray eRosary app.
(Vatican City, October 1st) – On the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patron saint of missionaries, a new Rosary has come out inviting everyone to pray for all those who were affected by the coronavirus pandemic and for any other kind of illnesses. Called Crisis & Health Rosary, it is an e-book written by the Vatican COVID-19 Commission. Also, since 7 October, on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, it is also available as an audio-guide Rosary in Click To Pray eRosary, the free app that helps you to pray this Marian prayer, whose contents were created by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and developed by GTI.
The importance of praying the Rosary in times of pandemic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world at the beginning of 2020, many countries suffered greatly. Not only because of the health emergency, which took away countless lives, but also for the socio-economic consequences that are still felt worldwide. Since its outbreak, Pope Francis has insisted on the need of praying in these difficult times. On 30 May, he urged all of humanity to pray together for divine help during the coronavirus pandemic and led the recitation of the Rosary from the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. He did so accompanied by a doctor, a nurse, a recovered patient and a person who had lost a family member to COVID-19:
“In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection”
POPE FRANCIS
The Holy Rosary in Times of Pandemic
Aware of the digitized era in which we live in, this new e-book aims at helping the faithful to reach out to Mary, our Mother, and contemplate each mystery in the light of a world in crisis generated by COVID-19 and of the dramatic scenarios on the horizon.
Therefore, what readers will find in the Crisis & Health Rosary e-book are real testimonies from people affected by the pandemic, in several ways. The writers, members of Vatican COVID-19 Commission, intended to guide the prayer by linking some of the painful and struggling stories of people from all over the world with the contemplation of the different mysteries of the Rosary.
When praying, the reader will get acquainted with some personal, moving stories: for example, the story of Juan, who lost his job in the second week of the coronavirus emergency. It was the third time he was left with nothing in less than a year, and he could not manage to accept the situation. He became more and more depressed and his mood was very low. His wife stood firmly by his side and many times repeated that she trusted him and was proud of his struggle. While waiting for him to find something they can live both of them on her modest salary. She has not abandoned him and is the anchor which allows him to continue believing in himself. Upon this experience, we are asked: Have I at times felt the strength of Christ in my weakness? What has he promised me during the course of my life? Do I remember his promises in moments of darkness?
Fr. August Zampini, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and one of the coordinators of the COVID-19 Commission, said: «These are times of suffering, division and uncertainty. But at the same time, this challenging moment is an opportunity to change and to prepare a healthier future. With our gaze fixed on Jesus and contemplating the luminous, sorrowful, joyous and glorious mysteries of His life, we can embrace the hope of the Kingdom of God that opens us to new horizons. Guided by the Virgin Mary, who knew how to keep things in her suffering heart, let us gather together in prayer while we work for the wellbeing of people, institutions and the planet.«
How to access and download the new Rosary e-book
Since September 30, the Crisis & Health Rosary is available for download in the following sites:
- Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
https://www.popesprayer.va/crisis-health-rosary/ - Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development site http://www.humandevelopment.va/en/news/rosario-crisi-e-salute.html
- Click To Pray eRosary landing page:
https://erosary.clicktoprayerosary.org/en-us/index.html - Amazon Kindle
- Google Play Books (coming soon)
The e-book is completely free and it can be shared, printed and distributed at will.
Also, for those who prefer to listen to each mystery while praying, the Crisis & Health Rosary also features in Click To Pray eRosary, in iOS and Android. This free app, whose contents were created by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and developed by GTI, helps and teaches people to pray the Rosary. An audio guide leads the user through the mysteries and helps them to contemplate the Gospel while listening to the testimonies of those affected by the pandemic. Background music and special content are also available to aid them in their spiritual concentration.
Fr. Frédéric Fornos SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, said: “I am very happy that the Vatican COVID-19 Commission could participate in the creation of this Rosary. The Church’s common action in the face of this pandemic finds its source in prayer, in the service of Christ’s mission. This new Rosary can help many people in these moments of crisis because Mary, our Mother, is a powerful ally to look up to with hope at the times to come.”
About Click To Pray eRosary
Click To Pray eRosary is a free digital Rosary that helps and teaches to pray the Rosary for peace in the world. The app responds to the Holy Father’s request of helping young people to pray for a world that is suffering deeply from many conflicts, divisions and violence. As a pedagogical proposal to learn how to pray the rosary, it also intends to reach out to people of all ages, especially the young who live primarily in digital environments. The initiative belongs to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the app has been developed by GTI.
About The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical work with the mission of mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action, in the face of the challenges confronting humanity and the mission of the Church. These challenges are addressed in the form of prayer intentions entrusted by the Pope to the entire Church. Its mission is inscribed in the dynamic of the Heart of Jesus: a mission of compassion for the world. This work was founded in 1844 as the Apostleship of Prayer. It is present in 98 countries and is made up of more than 35 million Catholics. It includes a youth branch, the EYM: Eucharistic Youth Movement. In March 2018, the Pope constituted this ecclesial service as a Pontifical Work and approved its new statutes. Its international director is Father Frédéric Fornos, SJ. More information at: https://www.popesprayer.va
About the Vatican COVID-19 Commission
The Vatican COVID-19 Commission is a task force within the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in collaboration with other Dicasteries of the Roman Curia and other organizations, meant to express the Church’s solicitude and care for the whole human family facing the COVID-19 pandemic, including analysis, reflection on the new socio-economic-cultural future, and the proposal of relevant approaches. Personally requested by Pope Francis, the Commission takes up the Holy Father’s concern through the activities of five Working Groups, which are: acting now for the future; looking to the future with creativity; communicating hope; seeking common dialogue and reflections; supporting to care.
About the Dicastery for Integral Human Development
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Integral Development, established by Pope Francis in 2016, expresses the Holy See’s concern for issues of justice and peace, including those related to migration, health, charitable works and the care of creation. The Dicastery promotes integral human development in the light of the Gospel and in the tradition of the Church’s social teachings. To this end, it maintains relations with the Conferences of Bishops, offering them its cooperation so that values related to justice and peace as well as the care of creation may be promoted. It also expresses the Holy Father’s care for suffering humanity, including the needy, the sick and the excluded, and pays special attention to the needs and issues of those who are forced to flee their homeland, the stateless, the marginalized, victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters, the imprisoned, the unemployed, victims of contemporary forms of slavery and torture, and others whose dignity is endangered.
About the Dicastery for Communication
The Dicastery for Communications, instituted by Pope Francis in 2015, is entrusted with the task of responding to the current context of communication, characterized by the presence and evolution of digital media and by factors of convergence and interactivity. The Dicastery has authority over all communication offices of the Holy See and the Vatican City State.
About GTI
Founded in 2018, GadgeTek Inc. (GTI) is dedicated to providing smart gadgets that enhance the quality of life. Headquartered in Taiwan, GTI was spun-off from Acer Inc., one of the world’s top ICT companies, and now operates across five continents around the globe. From bringing technology to religious groups, creating nifty devices that monitor air quality and raise alerts, to its reimagining the gaming chair, GTI dares to envisage bold ideas and create incredible products that fulfill users’ needs.
