The Sword
One
I recently had the great privilege of spending the day with Bishop Oliver Doeme Dashe – the Bishop of the Diocese of Northeast Nigeria.
He told me that in 2009, the Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram, which means “Western Education is Evil” began to attack Christians in his diocese. In 2014, Boko Haram overran his diocese and the Nigerian military dropped their weapons and fled like children. Thousands of Catholics were killed, two hundred Church structures were burned, and over one hundred thousand Catholics fled for their lives to neighboring countries.
A very courageous priest named Fr. William who was with Bishop Oliver told me as he drove from parish to parish to celebrate Mass the roads were littered with dead bodies. At any moment he could be surrounded by Boko Haram, dragged from his car and shot.
Bishop Oliver went before Our Lord Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, traumatized and trembling, and began to pray the Rosary. Then suddenly, Jesus appeared to the Bishop in a vision, holding a very long sword in his hands. When he saw Jesus the Bishop said, “Lord, what is this?” He didn’t answer, but he stretched out his arms and put the sword into the hands of Bishop Oliver. When he received the sword it turned into a Rosary. Then Jesus spoke these words three times, “Boko Haram is gone! Boko Haram is gone! Boko Haram is gone!” and the vision ended.
He knew the message was clear – with the prayer of the Rosary we shall conquer!
Remember, Boko Haram had complete control of the diocese, and if anyone was seen or caught in public as a Catholic, Boko Haram would instantly kill them. Despite this danger, Bishop Oliver began to go from village to village and organize public Rosary processions. We could say Our Mother came down and by the Rosary processions, She sent Boko Haram packing.
Since the start of these Rosary processions, Boko Haram has been significantly driven out of his diocese. The Churches are being rebuilt, all of his parishioners have come back, and most importantly – the Church in his diocese is growing by leaps and bounds, from strength to strength. He told me at one parish alone he brought over five hundred new adult Catholics into the Church.
Our Mother came down through the Rosary and sent Boko Haram packing because with the Rosary we shall conquer!
Two
Austria after WWII
As we sat together for supper and Bishop Oliver told me of these miraculous events, he said to me, “Michael, this is not the first time Our Mother has sent evil forces packing by the power of Rosary processions. Do you remember what took place in Austria after WWII? Did you know that much of Austria was under the Iron Curtain after WWII?” I did know but I loved hearing it again from Bishop Oliver so I didn’t let on.
He recounted that after WWII, Austria was divided up by the Allies. The Eastern half of the country and Vienna came under the control of the Soviets. Until 1991, the Soviets never lost a nation – but something different happened here. Fr. Petrus Pavlicek was inspired by the words of Our Lady at Fatima where she said that the actions of men would not be enough, only She could help us through the Rosary, and if we did what she asked many souls would be saved and there would be peace. Reminded of this, Petrus would say, “Peace is a gift of God, not the work of politicians.” And the gifts of God are obtained through the Rosary that storms heaven as soldiers a fort – with confidence and determination.
So in 1947, with his country at the mercy of atheistic Soviet Marxism, Fr. Pavlicek began gathering people in villages, towns, and cities across Soviet-controlled Austria on the 13th of each month to pray the Rosary together and in public and he called it the Rosary Crusade. At first, people were afraid, but seeing others praying the Rosary strengthened them and gave them hope.
From 1947 until 1955, Fr. Petrus conducted public Rosary processions and rallies on the 13th of each month. Many people gathered at first, but often they could not sustain their spiritual practices, so the Rosary Crusade ebbed and flowed, but Fr. Petrus persevered in his confidence in Our Lady. By 1955, eight years later, more than a half million Austrians had pledged to pray the Rosary every day, begging for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world, and freedom in Austria.
Throughout this time the politicians conducted more than two hundred and sixty peace conferences in the effort to remove the Soviets from power. But these efforts only ended with the Russians tightening their iron grip on Austria. Man alone does not have the power to change the course of history or bring peace. This is a job for the Queen of Peace. But she asks for our cooperation in praying the Daily Rosary.
The Cold War intensified, and communism refined its methods of religious persecution in Austria. It seemed that God wanted to test the faith of those who had prayed so zealously for their country’s freedom.
Their faith having been sufficiently tried, the grace was given. On March 24, 1955, the Soviet governors invited the Austrians to a conference. Believing that his nation’s future would be sealed in Moscow, Prime Minister Raab entreated Father Pavlicek before his departure, “Please pray, and ask your people to pray harder than ever.”
To the world’s surprise, the Soviets announced they would withdraw their troops from Austria in just three months. On May 15, the Month of Mary, the Soviets signed a treaty guaranteeing the independence of Austria. And in October, the month of the Rosary, the last Russian soldier left Austrian soil.
Once again, Our Mother came down through Rosary processions and sent the enemy packing!
Three
Brazil
In 1964, in Brazil, the Communist-leaning president João Goulart was rallying support for a Communist revolution in the city of Belo Horizonte. Rosary groups were formed to break up Communist rallies by marching in the streets and praying the Rosary loudly.
The archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Cardinal de Barros Camara, spoke against the President by going on national radio to ask the people of Brazil to live the message of Fatima as a means of overcoming the Communist threat. President Goulart was so enraged by the archbishop’s messages that he insulted the people of Brazil in a public speech and ridiculed the Rosary, saying that it was his Marxist ideas that would reform and save Brazil, not the rosaries of simple women.
In response, more than twenty thousand women marched into the streets with rosaries in their hands to engage in a spiritual battle! They marched right into the midst of the Communist rally and prayed the Rosary so loudly that it shut the rally down. On March 19, only six days after the women broke up the Communist rally, more than six hundred thousand people marched through the streets of São Paolo praying the Rosary in the famous “March of the Family with God toward Freedom.” Goulart was so intimidated by the rosary army that within two weeks he had fled the country!
Once again, Our Mother came down through Rosary processions and sent the enemy packing!
Four
The Philippines
In the Philippines in 1986, Mary and the Rosary overcame the oppressive dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. On the Sunday before the collapse of the Marcos regime, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos rose up in protest against the dictatorship by lining up and kneeling in front of armed tanks to pray the Rosary. At the front of the lines were devout nuns who ceaselessly led the people in the Rosary. When they were ordered to move or be run over, the large group prayed the rosary even louder. Miraculously, there was never a shot fired. The tanks turned around and President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, fled the country.
Cardinal Sin, the archbishop of Manila, recounted what he had been told by many of the soldiers who were there that day. They said that they were about to run over the people with the tanks when they saw an extremely beautiful lady who instructed them that they were to stop their tanks and do no harm to the people because she was the Queen of Heaven.
Five
The danger of comfort and complacency
As we sat there at supper talking, I said, “Bishop Oliver, in the West we are not facing an enemy that can kill the body, but an enemy that is killing our souls – that enemy is western materialism, comfort, and complacency. We have everything we need so we think we don’t need God and we are dying spiritually.”
The Bishop then said to me very passionately, “Mary will conquer! But she needs your cooperation.”
“How?” I asked.
“First,” he said, “receive Jesus as often as you can in the Eucharist and Adore Him in Eucharistic Adoration. Second, invite people to pray the Rosary with you. Families must invite other families to pray the Rosary with them once a week. Sundays are the most important day to do this. We must take back Sundays by inviting family and friends to come together for a meal and share life together and pray the Rosary. Organize Rosary gatherings and processions. Gather family and friends and do a Rosary procession around your house or neighborhood. Parishes gather and do the same and be bold enough to gather and do large public Rosary processions.”
In every crisis, Our Mother comes down through the Rosary and sends the enemy packing.