Standing Together in Prayer

Dear Salesian Family and Friends,

Our hearts are heavy, and our prayers are constant for everyone affected by the recent Texas floods. As a community dedicated to serving young people, the loss of young lives at summer camps touches us deeply. We grieve alongside all those who have lost loved ones, homes, or livelihoods, and we hold in deep gratitude the heroic first responders and volunteers who are bringing hope and comfort in these difficult days.

In times like these, our faith calls us to come together in solidarity, support, and prayer. On July 6th, our Provincial House community gathered to pray a special rosary for all those impacted by the floods. We invite you to join us in prayer by clicking here to view the Facebook recording, and you can find the text of the rosary below. If you wish, you may also download a printable PDF here.

Let us continue to stand together, trusting in God’s love and mercy, and offering our prayers and support to all those in need.

United in prayers, 

The Salesian Sisters

Rosary for the Victims of the Texas Floods

We gather in prayer for all those who have been affected by the flooding in Texas.  We pray for the repose of the souls who have lost their lives.  We pray for the consolation of their family and friends, and we pray for the continued efforts of all the search and rescue teams and first responders.  We pray in a special way for all the girls at Camp Mystic, their counselors, parents and families.  Tragedies like this always bring us to one painful and necessary question: God, where are you? As we reflect on these mysteries of the Rosary, let us open our hearts to the Mystery of sorrow, pain, death and resurrection, and ask Mary to be a strong and motherly presence to all who have been impacted by the floods. 

The First Mystery: The Birth of Jesus in the stable of Bethlehem.  Life is a beautiful gift from God.  When sin, pain, loss and death entered into the world, God did not abandon us, rather He sent His son to be born a man, to live as one of us, our brother in all things.  As we reflect on this mystery, let us remember that all the pain and sorrow that we endure are realities that God’s own Son did not shy away from experiencing with us.  

Our Father…Hail Mary (x10)... Glory Be

The Second Mystery: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple.  Mary and Joseph, upon discovering that Jesus was not with them in the caravan, ran back to Jerusalem and searched for him in desperation for three days.  Mary and Joseph know the unspeakable ache of not knowing if their beloved child is safe and alive.  In this mystery, let us ask Mary and Joseph to accompany all those who wait for news of their loved ones and all those who search for them. 

Our Father…Hail Mary (x10)... Glory Be

The Third Mystery: Jesus is Crucified and Dies on the Cross.  The cross presents us with the most painful and gut-wrenching of human questions.  Why do the innocent suffer? Why is life stolen away? In the cross, we are not given a cut and dry answer; rather, God weeps with us at the death of His only begotten Son, innocent of all the charges against him.  Mary stands at the foot of the cross, a sword having pierced her heart.  Our faith does not give us answers to these questions; it simply displays for us that God himself knows what it's like to lose a beloved child. 

Our Father…Hail Mary (x10)... Glory Be

The Fourth Mystery: Jesus Rises From the Dead.  After three days, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb, and upon finding it empty, she meets the Risen Christ, who has been so transformed that she doesn’t recognize Him. “Please, Sir, show me where you have laid Him so that I may take Him.”  Jesus looks at her with love, “Mary!” Upon recognizing her dear friend and her Lord, she embraces Him and He gently tells her, “Do not hold onto me… Go and tell my brothers…” This gentle command from Jesus is not Him distancing Himself from her; rather, He is saying to her, “You will not be able to hold onto me as you once did, you will now see me and know my presence in a new way.”  We cannot hold onto homes and loved ones that have been lost in the way that we once did.  But in the Resurrection, Jesus personifies the covenant of an everlasting life and an everlasting homeland.  Death and destruction become Resurrection and restoration. In this mystery, let us pray for the strength and faith to believe that all will be restored, and we will see our beloved ones again in Christ. 

Our Father…Hail Mary (x10)... Glory Be

The Fifth Mystery: The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Once Mary has been assumed into Heaven body and soul, she is given the station of queen of both Heaven and Earth.  The Woman who has experienced the loss of a husband and has held the broken body of her only son in her arms, now opens those arms to us and calls our names.  Our hope and protection are found under her mantel as she welcomes with open arms every soul whom God has called home.  As she embraces them, pain and suffering are transformed into eternal joy and consolation in belonging to the everliving family of God.  In this Mystery, let us place our hope in the hands of Mary and trust that death is not the end and Mary awaits us with open arms into the Kingdom of her Son. 

Our Father…Hail Mary (x10)... Glory Be

Hail Holy Queen