Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (d. 1968), more commonly known simply as Padre Pio, once said, "The rosary is the weapon for these times."
The rosary may seem an odd weapon to take up, but we have seen it powerfully yielded by the faithful leading up to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 when the rosary's power was demonstrated. Perhaps this is why Blessed Pope Pius IX (d. 1878) said, "Give me an army praying the rosary and I will conquer the world." It may be time to take up this holy weapon against the forces of Boko Haram - which is allied with the Islamic State - in Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.
His Excellency the Most Reverend Oliver Dashe Doeme, Bishop of Maiduguri, believes the Lord Jesus has told him to lead his faithful in taking up the weapon of the rosary:
“Towards the end of last year I was in my chapel before the Blessed Sacrament… praying the rosary, and then suddenly the Lord appeared,” Bishop Dashe told CNA April 18.
In the vision, the prelate said, Jesus didn’t say anything at first, but extended a sword toward him, and he in turn reached out for it.
“As soon as I received the sword, it turned into a rosary,” the bishop said, adding that Jesus then told him three times: “Boko Haram is gone.”
“I didn’t need any prophet to give me the explanation,” he said. “It was clear that with the rosary we would be able to expel Boko Haram.”
The bishop said he didn’t want to tell anyone, but “felt that the Holy Spirit was pushing him to do so” [more].
As a result of the devastation wrought by Boko Haram, Bishop Dashe's flock is now less than half of what it was in 2009 (down to between 50-60,000 from 125,000), when Boko Haram began terrorizing the northeastern part of Nigeria.
The Blessed Virgin Mary obtained a victory for the Christian forces against the Muslim forces at the Battle of Lepanto when all signs pointed to a Christian defeat. Let us heed Bishop Dashe's call. Let us take up our rosaries and ask Our Lady to obtain deliverance from Boko Haram.
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