Fenwick Friars

January 20, 2023January 24, 2023

Notes from War-torn Ukraine

Fr. Jarosław Krawiec, O.P. wrote this Christmas greeting on December 22, 2022. It is a humbling tale of the struggles and incredible faith of the people of Ukraine through the eyes of a Dominican friar.

Translated from Polish:

Dear sisters, dear brothers, I never thought that one could long for lights. When I got off the Kyiv train in Warsaw, I was surprised by the festival of brightly lit streets, buildings, and, above all, colorful Christmas decorations. When you add to it the snow that just fell in Poland in abundant supply, it all looked like a New Year’s fairytale. In Ukraine, the last couple months have been getting colder and darker. The longer this lasts, the more I squint my eyes in disbelief when looking at the bright streets and storefronts as well as entering warm houses and priories abroad.

On the day of Saint Nicholas — which in Ukraine is celebrated on December 19 following the Eastern calendar — a new Christmas tree was officially unveiled in the center of Kyiv. It was placed, as in previous years, on the square in front of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, the oldest and most important Christian church in Ukraine. The Christmas tree is much more modest and 60 feet shorter than last year. There is no market place surrounding it, which in Ukraine used to be a necessary element of the “New Year holiday,” as Christmas is frequently called here.

Over the last couple weeks, a great discussion has been taking place in Ukraine on the subject of whether Christmas decorations and trees should be displayed in public places during the time when so many millions of people suffer daily because of war and lack of power. The opinion is divided. The mayor of Chortkiv, a small city in western Ukraine where the Dominicans have been present for over 400 years, had already announced in mid-November that: “This year, the Christmas tree and New Year celebration in the city center will be canceled!” To avoid misunderstandings, he immediately added that the most important thing is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the decorations and loud festivities can wait until the war is over. Many people think similarly.

The capitol decided differently. “We must have the Christmas tree!” stated the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. “Our children should be able to have festivities! Despite the fact that the Russian barbarians are trying to rob Ukrainians from the joy of Christmas and New Year.” I understand the opponents of Christmas trees, but my position is decisively closer to the attitude of the mayor of Kyiv. I heard the opinion of a frontline soldier who was unhappy that his children would be deprived of Christmas. “But this is exactly what we are fighting for, a normal life for our families!” he argued.

Near the Kyiv Christmas tree, I spotted a strange contraption. Cement blocks that until recently had been positioned across the street as a barricade were now painted red, and large eyes were attached to them. It’s part of an artistic project called “Children shouldn’t see the war,” whose authors want to spare the youngest inhabitants of the city the painful experience of seeing a landscape of war during the holidays. This is important since Kyiv now hosts a couple hundred thousand people who have escaped from destroyed cities and villages. This is also the way in which the initiators of this project want to raise funds to help children who have lost one of both parents as a result of the war. Sadly, this number is also growing daily.

*Amid war, doves replaced lights on Ukraine Christmas tree.*

This year’s Christmas Eve will mark exactly the tenth month of war. On February 24 we all woke up in Ukraine early in the morning to the sound of air raid sirens, explosions, text messages, and phone calls from the terrified friends and family members attempting to find out if we are okay. On the evening of December 24, billions of Christians around the world will begin the celebration of the birth of Christ. This number will include a handful of Roman Catholics in Ukraine, since a majority of the citizens of the country are Christians of eastern traditions and begin celebrations two weeks later. War, however, is causing many of them to demand with increasing intensity the transition to the “Gregorian calendar,” and the bishops of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is independent from Moscow and led by the Metropolitan Epiphanius, are allowing some parishes to celebrate Christmas together with the western world.

This Christmas will be a different one, quieter and wrapped in darkness. Even if we tried to forget for a moment about the hard times and lose ourselves in Christmas shopping, visiting, and decorating, we can’t. Many people have lost their jobs and are in a very difficult economic situation. They will not be able to afford a plentiful Christmas table and gifts. Apart from this, for the last two months there has been a shortage of power and light. Some people have power only periodically; others, like people from Antonivka, don’t have it at all.

*Ukraine’s children and the trauma of war.*

Antonivka is a village outside of Kherson, with a huge bridge connecting the shores of the Dnieper River that was first attacked by the Ukrainian army and then by the Russians. We delivered humanitarian supplies there two weeks ago. The bus with boxes of food was unloaded very quickly. The village is located right on the bank of the river, and on the other side is the Russian army.

“My friends, don’t stay in groups. Do not create a gathering, so that drones won’t detect us and start shooting,” yelled the ladies coordinating the distribution of humanitarian aid. A couple hours earlier, artillery had destroyed a nearby house, and we helped an older woman get out of her basement and transported her to a safer location. While Father Misha talked with the inhabitants of Antonivka, I saw tears in their eyes. They cried out of disbelief that someone came to them. This is another time that I realized that one of the worst things in war is the feeling of being abandoned. I remember the first days of fighting around Kyiv, when Maryna had asked me to bring supplies to a single mother of a son. When we were leaving the woman had asked, “When it gets really bad, will you help me? Will I be alone?”

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023

“Reflections”

A poem by John O’Neill, Jr. ’75 as published in the 1975 Blackfriars yearbook:

Reflections of my younger days
Are piercing through a web of haze.
A web a string of years has spun
On those I’ve known and things I’ve done.

I’ve loved the times and people here,
And I regret the end is near.
Here they fed me life and laughter
To build me up for what comes after.

From here on in I understand
That no one leads me by the hand.
It’s time to do what I’ve been shown
And try to make it on my own.

There’s something calling; I can’t wait.
The future’s knocking on my fate.
I’m climbing, never asking why,
My spiral staircase to the sky.

Before I go along my way,
There’s something that I have to say.
I wouldn’t change it if and when
I had it all to do again.

Reflections of my future days
Are glowing in a cloud of haze,
Lighting the stage of those I’ve met,
With my hour to strut and fret,
And sing a past I won’t forget,

And sing a past I won’t forget.

December 14, 2022January 11, 2023

Preserving the Dominican Order’s Intellectual Tradition

The 87^th successor to Saint Dominic welcomed Fenwick’s students as ‘1,100 more friars’ to his worldwide flock of 5,247.

By Mark Vruno

When he visited Fenwick High School on December 9, Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P. seemed almost giddy, feeling like he “was in high school all over again.” Telling his teenage audience that he was feeling “old” last Friday, the 54-year-old Master of the Order* encouraged them to treasure and cherish the lessons they are learning in high school: “They will remain useful for you as you grow and as you go out into the world,” he noted.

Fr. Timoner then asked eight random volunteers, two from each class – freshmen through seniors – to describe their school using only one adjective: What describes a Fenwick student; a Fenwick graduate? Pointing out that he had surfed the school website, which reads that Friar students are called to “lead, achieve and serve,” the Master of the Order wanted to hear from them directly. “I want to know how you see yourself,” he explained.

The eight adjectives students used to describe the essence of Fenwick (in alphabetical order): achievers, awesome, dedicated, electric, home, inclusive, intelligent and winners. A faculty member added “shining,” a ninth, to the list, to which the head teacher/preacher replied with a quotation from St. Thomas Aquinas: “Ah, but it is ‘better to illuminate than merely to shine.’”

Nonetheless impressed, Fr. Timoner shared in a post-assembly interview that he and the other Dominicans are very aware of Fenwick and its mission here in Oak Park/Chicago. “We have [Fenwick] alumni who have been formed and molded right here!” he exclaimed. “We are happy to share the charism of preaching with our lay collaborators.” He added that Jesus never referred to Himself as a “priest” but rather as a teacher, one who has mastered a subject.

When asked about vocations, he pointed out that there are close to 800 brothers and friars presently in formation. “People say the church is shrinking, but this is not true in a global context,” Fr. Timoner said. “While there are aging populations in some parts of the world,” he acknowledged, “approximately 13 million members were added to the [Catholic] church this past year. Lay people are our partners in evangelism.”

Back at the all-school assembly, Fr. Timoner concluded by urging his youthful listeners to be compassionate people. “Remember that eyes are cleansed with tears,” he shared, “and that compassion heals.”

*The Master of the Order is the Superior General of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominicans. In 2019 Father Timoner, who is a member of the Philippine Province, became the first Asian Master of the Order and next successor to Saint Dominic.

LINK TO THE VIDEO RECORDING OF THE ASSEMBLY.

*Fr. Gerard Timoner, O.P. received a special gift from Fenwick’s proud Asian American Association.*

Scroll down for more photos of the big day!

December 9, 2022December 9, 2022

What Exactly Is the Immaculate Conception All About?

By Student Preacher Julia Overmyer ’23 (River Forest, IL)

Good Morning! We are gathered here this morning to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. If I were to ask everyone in this auditorium what they thought the Immaculate Conception was, there would be at least one person, if not more, that would say it is the celebration of the miracle birth of Jesus. Up until a while ago, I would have said the same thing. All I knew was that Mr. Mulcahey said that Catholics believed in it, but the Protestants did not. However, this feast day celebrates something different, someone different. Today we honor Mary. The woman who not only brought God into this world, but who very importantly was chosen by God to be born without sin.

My Mom has a phrase that she likes to tell both my sister and me. She says, “You are going to end up where you are meant to be, because God chose this path for you.” When I tell you I have heard this phrase applied to pretty much everything, I mean it. From the little things like my placement in a certain class, to the bigger things like what my life will be like in the future, my Mom would repeat it to me. The amount of times I heard this expression during the college application process was probably an all-time record. I can’t seem to escape it.

Yet, no matter how many times my Mom says this phrase to me, I consistently find it hard to understand. If God chose me to do something, if He has a plan for me, then why do I even bother trying to live out the life that seems to be predetermined for me? As much as I don’t like to admit, my dislike for this phrase comes from my fear of the unknown. Being afraid of what we don’t know is a natural instinct. Not knowing what lies ahead, whether being something unfamiliar or possibly dangerous, can ignite unease within us. However, we shouldn’t let this fear prevent us from pursuing our goals.

In today’s Gospel of Luke, we hear of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her she will bear a son. Luke writes, “And coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.’ But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

What strikes me as interesting in this passage is Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel. The Gospel says that Gabriel appearing in her room was not the thing that scared her, but it was what he had spoken to her. She questioned Gabriel’s greeting, “Hail, full of grace.” To us, we don’t see how this could be a fearful phrase, for we often repeat it when reciting the Hail Mary. However, to a 15-year-old Mary, being hailed and filled with God’s gift of grace by an angel in the middle of the night, was pretty terrifying. Yet she chose to place her faith in God’s plan over her fear of the unknown.

God chose her, even before she was born, to receive this message and fulfill this revelation. God brought Mary into this world without the pains of original sin so she could have Jesus. And although she did not know what was to come, Mary overcame her fear with faith.

Like Mary, we are all chosen by God to lead a certain life. The gifts that God has given us — being His grace and free will — aid us to follow our path of life. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, was worried about God’s plan for her. Yet her undeniable faith in God not only allowed for her to accept His plan, but gave her a sense of peace. We should all strive to be like Mary; accepting God’s chosen plan for us, and conquering our fears. So I ask you to remember today and all days that we are each chosen by God to follow a certain purpose in our lives. Whether grand or small, for many or for one, God has chosen every single one of us to be what this world needs.

November 22, 2022November 28, 2022

Advent Marks New Beginnnings

The Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas marks the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin adventus “coming; arrival.” This year, Advent starts this Sunday, November 27.

By Fenwick Chaplain Fr. Christopher Johnson, O.P.

Happy Advent! Unfortunately, many people skip over this great season of prayer and preparation in a rush to maximize their enjoyment of the excitement of holiday parties, Christmas carols, Santa Claus, sweets and the busy-ness of shopping.

Advent is the great gift that the Church gives us as we have the opportunity to begin anew with a new liturgical year. We begin this new year with the challenge of preparing for the great mystery of God entering into humanity. The dawning of a new liturgical year with Advent preempts the arrival of a new calendar year and is an opportunity to reflect back on the past year of our life and what went not so well, and to consider what needs to change in our lives — then taking steps to bring about these changes. By doing so, we are creating room in our lives to allow the incarnation to take place in our own lives.

How should we approach Advent?

Once we recognize that this season is a call to prepare our hearts for God’s entrance into the world, we can take seriously the call to accept the invitation to welcome God into our lives. In accepting this invitation to allow God into our lives, we can renew our relationship with Christ with a spirit of quiet longing. To allow for a spirit of quiet longing to be a reality in our lives, we are called to discipline ourselves to not rush into the hectic milieu of holiday parties, Santa Claus, Christmas lights and Christmas music. We are called to rather delay that satisfaction and allow for a build up of the true desire for Christmas. Even if our intentions are mixed, choosing to delay the celebration of Christmas until the 24th creates a place for quiet in our lives. In this quiet, we have a space to consider the purpose of Christmas and its reminder of the threefold coming of Christ:

The historic coming of the Child Jesus long ago in Bethlehem.
The future coming of Christ at the end of time.
The presence of Christ in our world now, and His desire to truly make a dwelling in our hearts.

How can we enter more fully into Advent this year?

I invite you to consider what it means for Christ to come at Christmas, at the end of time, and in the present moment. We can begin with the words of Matthew’s Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. While we cannot know the exact hour of Jesus’ return at the end of time, we can make the choice to start our preparations … now. Advent provides us with an opportunity to recall that, as Christians, our lives are to be directed to the following of Christ.

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Mass Intentions and All Souls

By Fr. Christopher Johnson, O.P.

We began the month of November with the celebration of All Saints on November 1, followed by All Souls on November 2. The celebration of All Saints is a joy-filled experience in which we, as Catholics, jubilantly recall the accomplishments, legends, miracles, and holiness of those who went before us. The Church even agrees with this, assigning white as the liturgical color.

All Souls’ Day is based upon the tradition of recalling the memory of the deceased, and praying for their eternal rest. The act of remembering the dead and praying for them is not a distinctly Christian, or Catholic practice, as most cultures throughout human history have sought to honor their dead in some fashion.

*Fr. Christopher Johnson, O.P. is Fenwick’s chaplain.*

What is distinctly Christian is how we honor the dead and how we pray for them. Since the era of the early Church, people have regularly prayed for their deceased loved ones, and have had the Eucharist celebrated for them. In the first centuries of Christianity, these Masses took place on or near the tombs of their loved ones. Inscriptions found on tombs in the Roman catacombs from the second century provide evidence for this tradition. These inscriptions include prayers for the dead, as well as notes celebrating anniversaries of the death of those buried in the tombs. These prayers for the dead were intended to request the speedy passage of loved ones through their time of being purified of their sins and earthly attachments, and on to the Heavenly Kingdom of God.

The tradition of praying for the dead existed in the Jewish tradition as well. In the Book of Maccabees, we see that tradition of offering sacrifices for the deceased in the story of Judas Maccabee taking up a collection for those who died on the battlefield, so that their souls would be spared of punishment for their wrongdoings.

The Jewish practice of having animal sacrifices offered for the dead transitioned into having the sacrifice of the Mass offered for the dead in Christianity. At Mass, both the prayers of the presider, and of those attending the Mass, along with the graces obtained through the Mass could be offered for the needs of another, such as the deceased. Prayers for the needs of the deceased and others also occur in the Eucharistic prayers. The next time you are at Mass, listen to what the priest is saying. You will hear him pray for the Church as a whole, the leaders in the Church and all those who have died.

*Funerary inscription from Roman catacombs bearing the early Christian symbols; a dove bearing an olive branch, the Alpha-Omega symbol and the Chi-Roh symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ.*

The call to pray for the dead at Mass can be found in the writings of the Church Fathers. St. Augustine, who lived during the 5th century, recorded in his Confessions, the dying wish of his mother, St. Monica, that he would pray for her at the altar during Mass. The 7th century pope, St. Gregory, who is credited with the tradition of offering a series of Masses for the deceased, offered the exhortation, “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”

In the early Church, when Mass was celebrated, those requesting the Mass offered a “sacrifice” of the supplies necessary for Mass — bread, wine, linens, candles, and so on. They also traditionally offered extra foods or goods to support the priest, just as was done at the Jewish Temple. At that time, the collection taken up at Mass was used to support the poor and sick of the Christian community, rather than for the operation of the institution. Therefore, those serving the Church depended on the generosity of others. One way this was done was by giving gifts in exchange for the celebration of Mass on behalf of a family, or group. This tradition was also born of, “the old Roman notion of gift-giving which does not entail reciprocity. Gifts freely given are freely received without the obligation of recompense.” Priests were called in their generosity to pray and offer Mass for the wishes of their congregants. Likewise, donors provided support not out of obligation, but rather out of gratitude.

This tradition of asking for Masses to be offered for various needs continues on to today; the vast majority of Masses celebrated throughout the world are offered for an intention of someone. These intentions could be for one’s relatives or friends, be they living or dead, or as a gesture of gratitude towards God, or to seek God’s guidance for themselves, or someone else. Today people no longer supply the materials for Mass, but are encouraged to continue to offer a gift of gratitude to support the priest celebrating the Mass. Currently in many developing nations, this is the only form of support priests receive.

At Fenwick, Mass is made available daily for students, staff and faculty: Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday before school at 7:30 a.m., and on Wednesday after school at 3:20 p.m. The Dominican friars of Fenwick regularly offer these Masses for those alumni of whose passing we are made aware. Please know that the friars are willing and eager to offer Mass for the needs of those in the greater Fenwick community as well.

To have prayers or a Mass offered for an intention of yours, please tap or click on the red “Submit Prayer Intentions” button. No donation is required for a Mass to be offered, but offerings out of gratitude are always welcome.

For more information, please see:

Kilmartin, Edward J. The Eucharist in the West: History and Theology, ed. Robert J. Daly (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1998).

Saunders, William, “Mass Intentions.” Arlington Catholic Herald, November 6, 2013. https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/mass-intentions.html

Spahn, Stephen F. Mass intentions: Memorials, money and the meaning of the Eucharist. (Boston College University Press, 2011).

November 9, 2022November 9, 2022

Fenwick’s 2022 All-District Musicians!

The following Friar students have been selected from hundreds of auditions for the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) District music groups. Congratulations to our ILMEA District 1 Senior Choir (above, from left): Gianna Bonano, Rose Fagiolo, Cece Flosman, Troy Makani, Michael Sosna, James Leonardi (and Jazz Choir), Amber Cloud, Elise Weyer, Moira Finucane, Emma Meehan, Katelyn McHugh and Maria Romero. (Not pictured: Will Shannon.)

ILMEA District 1 9-10 Choir

*Mia LoDuca* (above, from left), *Jerson Santos, Tyler Garrett, Vince Fagiolo, London Almeida,* *Elle Karl and Anna Garcia-Enriquez.* (Not pictured: *Charlie Shanley.)*

ILMEA District 1 Orchestra

*Natalia Harnisch* (above, from left), *Abd Rahman Al Zahabi, Natalie Vlcek* and *Clara Kalas.*

ILMEA District 1 Band & Jazz Band

*Adrian Salgado-Horst* (Jazz Band, above from left), *Will Chrastka* (Jazz Band), *Dario Santoy* (Jazz Band), *Caden Hardy* (Jazz Band), *Daniel Hardy* (Band and Jazz Band), *Gael Tafolla* (Jazz Band) *and Kendall Richards* (Band). (Not pictured: *Julia Overmyer* (Band).)

The Illinois Music Education Association is the state-level affiliate of National Association for Music Education.

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022

All Saints’ Day Mass 2022 – Fenwick High School

By Student Preacher Joe Burda ’23 (Riverside, IL)

Today, the Church celebrates All Saints Day, when we recognize those Christians who have achieved spiritual maturity. It is a day to venerate all the holy men and women who have been canonized, which is the official recognition process to certify a saint, by the Church. Saints are best defined as people who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their life for others or were martyred for the faith.

To gain an understanding of what a virtuous life is, we need look no further than today’s Gospel. Today we hear Jesus proclaiming the Beatitudes to the disciples. To live a saintly life such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Peter, we must follow these beatitudes which guide us to building the kingdom of God on earth. It is through us people of God that we can manifest in this world the peace and solemnity of heaven. At the end of the list of Beatitudes, Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven.” The journey to becoming holy, that is a saint, is not easy. We will face many challenges and difficulties. However, if we give it our best effort, and trust in God’s mercy, we too can spend eternity with God: a reward well worth the struggle.

Growing up in a Catholic household, and having attended a Catholic grade school, I was always surrounded by saints whether it be in the form of a bracelet, movie or statue. I was frequently told during my younger years to pray for the intercession of saints, but what does that even mean?

Intercession is basically a request for assistance. The saints dwell with God in Heaven and are able to reach out to Him to ask for His help, for us. For example, when you lose something that you cannot find anywhere, you can pray for the intercession of St. Anthony to help guide you to find the item.

Another example would be, St. Michael. In a homily, I heard the priest say that every time he gets into his car he prays a prayer to St. Michael, because St. Michael protects those who pray to him from all harm and evil. This homily came to my mind when it was time to choose my confirmation saint. St. Michael is who I ended up choosing because being protected from the temptations of the devil is very important.

Each saint stands for a crucial virtue, and so we should strive to cultivate friendships with many saints, so that we are comfortable in seeking their intercession in our times of difficulty or need. St. Michael and St. Anthony are good ones to come to know, but there are many others that can aid us on our journey through this life.

To close, I invite you all to think of a need … now together, let us say the prayer to Saint Michael which goes as follows:

St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

St. Michael the Archangel and all the Holy Saints of God: Pray for us!

October 20, 2022October 21, 2022

Best of Luck at State, FenTen!

The 2022 IHSA Girls’ Tennis 1A state quarterfinal and semifinal rounds take place Friday morning at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

“The season, to this point, has been one for the record books,” reports Head Coach Gerard Sullivan. His Friars have:

won titles at three invitationals.
an undefeated GCAC regular season followed by a repeat of the GCAC conference tournament title.
a perfect score at the IHSA Sectional, which was hosted by Timothy Christian (the team that tied the Friars for third in state last season).

The six players at state are seniors Maeve Paris and Kate Trifilio, junior Trinity Hardin, and sophomores Rachel Abraham, Lily Brecknock (pictured above, top) and Megan Trifilio.

“Five of the players are back from last year’s state team,” reports Coach Sully, “with the addition of Lily, whose results this year at #1 singles have earned the #1 seed in the 1A state tournament draw. Her singles ‘partner,’ Megan, has also had impressive results, and is seeded #4 in singles. Both doubles’ teams are seeded in the draw as well: Hardin / Trifilio in the #5-8 group and Paris / Abraham in the #9-16 group.”

Let’s go, Friars! Bring that 1A state title home to Oak Park!

READ THE OAK-PARK RIVER FOREST WEDNESDAY JOURNAL STORY

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022

The Good that Comes from Struggle

Student preaching at all-school Mass: Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, October 7, 2022.

By Anna Androsyuk ’24 (Chicago)

When you think of Our Lady, Mary, what comes to mind? I assume many of you think of motherhood, affection, love or care instead of things like warfare or strife. And, while these are all true, the origins of this celebration comes from our troubled history, in the Battle of Lepanto.

On this day, 451 years ago, combined forces of Naples, Venice, Savoy, among many others, fought in an intense battle with the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. They were called the “Holy League” and aimed to diminish Ottoman control over the Mediterranean, but they were overpowered and outnumbered. During this military endeavor, Pope Pius V encouraged the faithful to pray for the intercession of Mary to aid their soldiers through the recitation of the Rosary. He ordered the churches of Rome to remain open day and night, hoping the faithful would reach out to Mary for her guidance. The Holy League triumphed and thankful for Mary’s intercession, Pope Pius V added October 7th to the Roman Liturgical Calendar to be the feast of Our Lady of Victory.

Like the Holy League, we all face our own battles in life. Whether big or small, we can turn to Mary for her intercession and guidance. She teaches us every day that good things come out of struggle — and she is here to guide us through them every day.

Growing up in Ukraine, my grandparents had a huge influence on my upbringing. They were the ones who introduced me to my faith and the ones who helped foster and raise it. My grandma taught me my prayers: We would say them together every night. With much patience, she taught me the two fundamental prayers – the Our Father and Hail Mary. What was interesting, is that instead of alternating prayers, she encouraged me to start with an Our Father and always follow up with a Hail Mary. To this day, that is still the way I pray.

Now when I look back, she does many things to incorporate Mary into her faith. And, she did many of these things in hopes that my brother and I would also understand how important Mary is. Every time she cleaned out her wallet, she would take out an image of Mary and Jesus. It was very special to her so she would show it to us every time and have us kiss it. Once in a while, she would also show us the beautiful blue rosary she kept in her purse. And when we visited her in the summer, the day before our flight back to the States, we would visit a tiny chapel on the outskirts of a village. It was said that Mary had once appeared in this chapel.

Rather than visiting the large church just down the road, she made an effort to take us to this tiny chapel. I wondered why. Grandma insisted that we pray both prayers at once. She had a picture of Mary, and not Jesus or another Saint. And again I wondered, why? In reality, the answer was very simple, it stemmed from a story I have heard many times before.

When my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, she had a difficult pregnancy. She recalls being extremely weak and would spend her nights crying out in pain. On one of these nights, in a dream, a woman approached her. She acknowledged my grandmother’s pain and reminded her that she was with her. This woman told my grandma not to cry because she will have a beautiful little girl named Halyna. Because my grandma’s name was also Halyna, she was very hesitant about giving her child the same name. Ultimately, she put her trust in this woman, who she presumed to be Mary, and did as she asked.

Since this day, Mary played a very important role in my grandmother’s life. During the difficult times my grandma would again turn to Mary for her guidance. She understood the importance of Mary’s intercession and through the little things like going to that chapel or showing me that image in her wallet, she tried to explain it to me as well.

We each have our own struggles that we must battle everyday. During our battles we might shut down and feel like giving up, but we can remember that Mary is someone we can reach out to. Simply praying even a decade of the Rosary can go a long way. She reminds us, every day, that there is good to come out of struggle. Fighting your battles doesn’t set you back in your faith. If you don’t give up, they are simply a stepping stone that will lead to a much greater outcome. But during these difficult times, just like people from the Holy League or just like my grandma, we can all turn to Mary for guidance as we each navigate our own journey to God.