rosary workshop - witness
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  HOW THE ROSARYWORKSHOP CAME TO BE
Recently the thought came to me, ‘If you could make a prayer of an earthly counting, what would you use? Immediately, a garland of beautiful living red, pink and yellow roses came to mind - loosely attached to one another like the flower (clover) crowns and chains we made as children.

  WITNESS   -   FIRST ROSARY   -  BEADS OF LIGHT
DEDICATION
The count was familiar in its five sets of ten, with spacers of daisies in between. There was a lily for the cross at the end of the trail that came down from the circle of roses. Each flower represented a prayer from the heart dedicated to the Lord.
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~ WITNESS ~

My first experience with the rosary as a non-Catholic was at St Anthony's Hospital in Amarillo Texas. My family had taken me many places including St Louis, looking for a specialist to operate on my failing eyes. But the Lord brought us back to within 50 miles of home.
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My eyes were covered with huge bandages after the operation and I was only 6 and trying very very hard to be brave. I could not see but heard people walking up and down the halls. Mingled with their soft, happy voices there was a whisper of long skirts and beads playing with one another. 'Happy talk', I thought as this gentle, reassuring symphony of sound would enter my room. The wonderful ladies who wore these long (white) skirts and wooden beadsongs turned out to be Catholic nuns or sisters. I had no idea what a nun was - or a rosary - or a catholic - but knew whatever it all meant I wanted to be a part of it - forever. I knew it had to do with the Jesus. My mom had given me a little prayer to say to Jesus when I was afraid..
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After becoming a Catholic 15 years later, the rosary still was not a part of my prayer life but I did love beads. It was delightful to discover the root word for bead, ‘bede' was ‘to pray' and would share this with my students while teaching contemporary and traditional beading techniques in workshops for National Conferences and University Workshops throughout the U.S.
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Before Peter, my husband of 39 years died from a long and very difficult bout with cancer, I took up the rosary with an intensity. I promised the Blessed Mother to pray the rosary every day for the rest of my life. This was regardless of his outcome. During this time, Mary taught me much about the power of the prayer bead. She has never stopped.

~ FIRST ROSARY ~

Thirty years ago, I bought a bag of wonderful vintage/antique 10 and 12 mm miss-matched wooden beads from an old San Diego bead dealer. I strung them on a cord and made a rosary out of them. Over the years of 7 children and many Navy moves, the rosary broke, was dismantled and ended up in a little plastic sandwich bag and stored away.  A few years ago the bag surfaced and - like putting my life back together again after Peter's death - re-strung the beads into a rosary again.  As I did, the aroma of those old wooden hall floors soaked with oily preservatives in St Anthony Hospital came back. Then I heard the beadsong - first the foot steps - then the song of soft, happy voices mingled with long, swishing skirts and dancing wooden beads that drew me to the Lord.
 
AS I RESTRUNG THAT OLD ROSARY MADE UP OF OLD AND

 ANTIQUE WOODEN BEADS, MISMATCHED AS THEY WERE,
AND COULD HEAR THE SONG OF THE BEADS DANCING
 ON THEIR WAISTS.

 

~ BEADS of  LIGHT ~

A LIVING ROSARY - BEADS OF LIGHT - PEOPLE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE,  MARKING THE TRAIL ON THE JOURNEY BACK HOME - BECAUSE THEY CARED ENOUGH
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INCARNATE WORD SISTERS
Recently, Pat, a dear lady in Amarillo Texas, shared that these nuns are the Incarnate Word Sisters  and they are still staffing the hospital to this day.  About this same time, I felt the Lord speak to my heart. He showed me an image of those sisters in prayer. (praying the rosary) He reminded me that I should thank those sisters because they were interceeding for this little 6 year old girl with a face full of big bandages.  That she would some day find her way into the church . Somebody heard.
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FATHERS LEO, JAKE, JOHN, HENRY, TOM, VINCENT, RAY, JOE  - ALL
And then there was Fr Leo Brady - whom the Lord sent just a few years later to help this little protestant on her way.  Thank you for all that you do with and for us - especially for my precious husband, Peter, for Frs - Jake LaBoon, Fadda (Cardinal John O'Connor), Vincent Lonergan who gave me instructions at the Naval Academy -  and all the Navy chaplains, priests and religious who have drawn us into your loving embrace. Thank you Lord for the beautiful people you send us who become beads of light - in a living rosary to guide us on our journey home.

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~ DEDICATION ~

PAST & CURRENT GENERATIONS
This page is dedicated to Aunt(s) Ginni and Lou, Uncle(s) Rocky, Wilbur, Elwood, Irvin - Helen and Phil (my parents) and grandparents Peithman and Carter, and all our beloved family who from one generation to the next made it possible for us to be here today.  We thank you Lord for the communion of saints and pray for all who proceeded us and now pray for and witness our journey home. How beautiful is your family, O Lord!
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MY FAMILY & FUTURE GENERATIONS
To my dearest friend, husband and father of my children, Peter.  To our children, their spouses and grandchildren, Barbara (Maurice, Alex, Julian) - Peter (Lenice, Wayne, Kristen) - Lynn (Keith, DJ, Blair) - Elaine (Dennis, Rachel) - Mary (Vernon, Natalie, James) - John (Sandie, Dallas, Lexi) - Sarah (Brian, Greg, Calle).  Thank you for your encouragement and love.
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