Power of the Rosary

St. Dominic received the rosary from the Blessed Virgin in a vision while trying to convert the Albigensians in 1208. Mary told the great saint that the rosary was a "weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world."

Lepanto

The Muslim Turks had been massing a huge fleet for an invasion of Italy, from which they could establish a bastion to conquer the rest of Europe. Many months ahead of time, word started to reach Italy about the planned attack, and as early as 1569, the Pope began urging the prayer of the Rosary for deliverance from the Turkish fleet, who had not suffered a naval loss since the prior century. Many were under the impression that Europe would be lost. Eventually, a ragtag Christian fleet was gathered together by Don Juan of Spain. The fleet was decisively outnumbered by the Turkish fleet, but was aided by a shift in the wind that occurred at the most opportune time. The Christian fleet utterly routed the Turkish fleet, and in thanksgiving for the great victory, the Pope instituted the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which we still celebrate every October 7.

Priests survive nuclear bomb at Hiroshima

There was a home eight blocks (about 1 kilometer) from where the atomic bomb went off in Hiroshima Japan. This home had a church attached to it which was completely destroyed, but the home survived, and so did the eight German Jesuit missionaries who prayed the rosary in that house faithfully every day. These men were missionaries to the Japanese people, they were non-military, but because Germany and Japan were allies during WWII they were permitted to live and minister within Japan during the war. Not only did they all survive with (at most) relatively minor injuries, but they all lived well past that awful day with no radiation sickness, no loss of hearing, or any other visible long term defects or maladies. Naturally, they were interviewed numerous times (Fr. Schiffer, a survivor, said over 200 times) by scientists and health care people about their remarkable experience and they say "we believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home." Of course the secular scientists are speechless and incredulous at this explanation - and they are sure there is some "real" explanation - but at the same time over 55 years later the scientists are still absolutely bamboozled when it comes to finding a plausible scenario to explain the missionaries unique escape from the hellish power of that bomb.

Austria

On March 28, 1945, Russian soldiers, coming from Hungary, entered Austrian territory. On April 10, the tower of St. Stephen's was in flames. Terrible horrors followed: Theft, rape, kidnapping and murder.

Austria was eventually under the control of the four occupying powers: Russia, the USA, Great Britain and France. They divided the country into four enclosed zones, the largest and richest of which was the Soviet section and included Vienna.

The Franciscan priest, Petrus Pavlicek, founded a prayer community with the name: The Atonement Crusade of the Rosary. He was inspired by information concerning the apparitions of Mary at Fatima in Portugal. Pope Pius XII had, in accord with Mary's wishes, consecrated humanity to her Immaculate Heart. Deeply shaken, Petrus Pavlicek recognized the connections between war and freedom and between prayer and Godlessness.

On February 2, 1946, the Marian feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus, he made a pilgrimage to Mariazell. There he asked the Mother of God for help for occupied Austria. He believed that he heard within himself the voice of Mary, which said to him: "Do what I tell you, and there will be peace." Three main themes of prayer grew out of this prayer community:

1. Atonement for the many offenses against God,
2. The conversion of sinners, and
3. Peace and the salvation of the world.

By 1950, 200,000 Austrians were daily praying the Rosary, and by 1955, there were 500,000, about 10% of the Austrian population.

The power of this prayer was the source of a sudden sign of light: In 1955, the Russians agreed to peaceably LEAVE Austria, the only country which the Soviets ever voluntarily left, until glasnost took hold around 1990. As a member of the Atonement Crusade of the Rosary, said at a thanksgiving celebration on September 10, 1955: "For eight years we have prayed the Sorrowful Rosary and implored that heaven would grant us again, full and completely, our freedom and independence. Our prayer has been heard."

Soviet Union

Most of us have heard about the time when Nikita Khrushchev visited the United Nations in October, 1960 and boasted that "they would bury us" - would annihilate us! And to emphasize his boasting, he took off his shoe and pounded the desk before the horrified world assembly. This was no idle boast. Khrushchev's scientists had been working on a nuclear missile and had completed their work and planned to present it to Khrushchev in November 1960. Here's what happened instead.

Pope John XXIII had opened and read the third secret of Fatima, that was given to Sister Lucia (Fatima seer). He authorized the Bishop of Leiria (Fatima) to write to all the bishops of the world, inviting them to join with the pilgrims of Fatima on the night of October 12-13, 1960, to unite in prayer and penance for Russia's conversion and consequent world peace.

On the night of October 12-13, about a million pilgrims spent the night outdoors in the Cova da lria at Fatima in prayer and penance before the Blessed Sacrament. They prayed and watched despite a penetrating rain which chilled them to the bone. At the same time at least 300 dioceses throughout the world joined with them.

Very shortly afterwards, Marshall Nedelin, one of the best minds in Russia on nuclear energy, and many other scientists and goverment officials were present for the final testing of the missile that was going to be presented to Khrushchev. When the countdown was completed, the missile, for some reason or another, did not leave the launch pad. After 15 or 20 minutes, Nedelin and all the others came out of the shelter. When they did, the missile exploded killing over 300 people. This set back Russia's nuclear program for many years, perhaps prevented all- out atomic warfare, the burying of the U.S. - and this happened immediately after the whole Catholic world was on its knees before the Blessed Sacrament, gathered at the feet of our Rosary Queen in Fatima.

USA

In 2008-09, America seemed to be sliding towards the edge of a precipice. The moral fiber of the United States was in steady decline. Many financial institutions, thought invulnerable, went bankrupt. The stock market dropped by over 40%. Abortion had been legalized for 35 years, with 50 million unborn killed, and with the election of Barack Obama, most Americans showed they didn't care all that much.... Please join in our army of prayer, and help us beg God through Our Lady's intercession for a happy ending to this story.

For more details about these and other Rosary Miracles, see:
Miracles of the Rosary
The Power of the Rosary by Fr. Albert Shamon