Prayer is powerful. And even though it might not always give us the outcome we request, it surely works in ways beyond our understanding.
Lauren shared with us the incredible story of her father’s unexpected illness and holy death, and how the rosary brought her family together during a very difficult time.
This is her story:
Our family has really come together through all of this and listening to Relevant Radio was so comforting and made it so easy for us all to pray together, even through we live in different places. In fact, many of our friends and relatives who were not very religious were praying the rosary through Relevant Radio for my father. Please thank Father Rocky and everyone at Relevant Radio for giving our family such a great tool to pray together.
I wanted to share with you how my father passed. I believe that the way he passed was a result of my prayers.
My father was in the hospital fighting Covid for 25 days. Unfortunately, when he took a turn for the worse, he could not have visitors to say goodbye in person since he was in a Covid unit. By the grace of God, the hospital made an exception and let my mother see him for 20 minutes on Saturday to say goodbye. My brothers and I said goodbye on zoom and I flew into New Jersey from Florida to be with my family.
The intensivist had asked administration to bend the rules and allow me to see my dad as well, but told us it was a long shot. We hadn’t heard from them and had given up hope when they called around 5:15PM and said I had been approved to see him for fifteen minutes.
My father had become very close to his faith this past year. He had converted to Catholicism, become a member of the Kingsmen, made his First Holy Communion and Reconciliation and had consecrated himself to the Blessed Mother. I’ve never seen him and my mother so happy (they had been together 44 years and married for 39).
He had given me his rosary beads last year, which were very important to him, and had told me that he wanted to say a rosary with me but we never got a chance. When he was intubated, my family and I started saying a rosary to him everyday on zoom in addition to saying the family rosary on Relevant Radio.
When I went in to see him on Saturday I was finally able to say the rosary with him in person. I held his hand and his heart stopped when I was almost through the rosary (between the 4th and 5th joyful mysteries). I felt so at peace when he passed and am so grateful that I was given the gift of holding my father’s hand as he died and that he didn’t die alone. I had said to him before I started that we are saying the joyful mysteries today and it’s a happy day because you are going to heaven dad.
We miss him dearly and my family will find so much comfort in knowing that so many people are praying for my father. I do not have words to express my gratitude.
Kindest regards,
Lauren
Join us in praying the Family Rosary Across America every night at 7pm CT, only on Relevant Radio. We take your prayer requests each evening at 888-914-9149.
