The Wonders of the Rosary

Recently, we sat down with Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, spiritual director of the Thirteenth of the Month Club, to talk about his latest book, 10 Wonders of the Rosary.

Why did you decide to write this book?
I had a couple reasons. I've put together a couple of other books on the Rosary, including Champions of the Rosary (Marian Press). But I really wanted to do something a little smaller that wasn't as big as Champions, because some people were intimidated by its length. In 10 Wonders of the Rosary, I was hoping to write a modern version of The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort. That book is really small and handy, but powerful. That's one reason.
Also, I was fascinated by the seven wonders of the ancient world when I was growing up. But seven didn't seem enough for the Rosary. I thought 10 was perfect. Then I discovered that there really are 10 major wonders that stand out. So that's how I came up with it.

Which wonder surprised you the most as you were putting together this book?
The 10th wonder, that the Rosary is an indulgenced prayer. I often pray my Rosary for the souls in Purgatory, because that's part of the Marian Fathers' charism. But when I did the research and found out that every hour on this planet, 6,000 people die; that every day, 150,000 people die; and that every year on this planet, more than 55 million people die, I was shocked. That to me is a huge incentive to pray a daily Rosary. God willing, a great many of them are going to Purgatory. But that means they need our prayers, and I can get an indulgence for that. So, if everyone were doing that, we'd be really helping out the souls in Purgatory.

How has your book been received?
A lot of people say that once they start reading it, they end up finishing it within two days. They just don't want to put it down. I think people are happy that it's a smaller book, and that it has stories. Some people have asked, "How did you get Bishop Athanasius Schneider to write the forward?" I just emailed him. He loved it, and he endorsed it. That was an honor because he's so well known around the world. When he wrote in the forward that his father was in a gulag in the former Soviet Union and that he gained strength and hope through the Rosary, I knew it was meant to be.

What's one thing you hope somebody will walk away with after reading this book?
I hope it leads some people to pick up the Rosary again for the first time in a while, or to pick it up with a deeper sense of devotion. Quite a few people have told me that their Rosaries have been either mediocre, or they fall asleep, or that they haven't prayed it in a long time, but that this book really lit a fire in them. That's the point of this book, to help you realize how powerful the Rosary is - that it can bring about conversion and change the world.
WOND

You might also like...

Father Seraphim is not going to like this story.

Brother Tyler steps up to the plate and professes his perpetual vows as a Marian Father.

Committed to Christ and service to the Church, three young men professed their first vows as members of the Marian Fathers.