When Prayer Changed History...

[Jason Molitor]

Good Evening,

It is my first year of teaching confirmation candidates, and we are supposed to do a lesson on prayer. Some of the topics I want to cover are the extraordinary events that have come about in history as a part of prayer.

The one that comes to mind is the Battle of Lepanto. I am also going to mention the extraordinary events of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin. The great Pestigo fire of 1871 didn't harm the shrine, yet it burned most of Northern Wisconsin.

Are there any other stories that come to mind about Christian Prayer changing history?

[svid2]

Originally Posted by Jason Molitor

Good Evening,

It is my first year of teaching confirmation candidates, and we are supposed to do a lesson on prayer. Some of the topics I want to cover are the extraordinary events that have come about in history as a part of prayer.

The one that comes to mind is the Battle of Lepanto. I am also going to mention the extraordinary events of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin. The great Pestigo fire of 1871 didn't harm the shrine, yet it burned most of Northern Wisconsin.

Are there any other stories that come to mind about Christian Prayer changing history?

Ever see the movie Patton?

[Rich C]

Look up the Battle of Lepanto. A Turkish fleet was en route to overrun Italy and the Pope and Christians throughout southern Europe prayed the Rosary, and the Christian fleet smashed the Turks.

Imagine no Vatican. I think it changed history.

[maurin]

Originally Posted by Rich C

Look up the Battle of Lepanto. A Turkish fleet was en route to overrun Italy and the Pope and Christians throughout southern Europe prayed the Rosary, and the Christian fleet smashed the Turks.

Imagine no Vatican. I think it changed history.

exactly what came to mind when I read the title of this thread.

[Lamafacaja]

This is wonderful to think about....And when we don't see the fruits of our prayers here on earth, we live by faith and know that prayer always makes things better.

[hannajomar]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, But in 1982 or '83, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta wanted to rescue some orphans who were stranded in the middle of a battle zone in Beirut. I remember seeing this in a documentary, but I can't remember the name. If my memory is correct, people kept telling her not to go into the battle zone, because it was too unsafe. She simply said that she'd been praying to Our Lady. And there was a short cease fire so she could go bring these kids to safety.

[hannajomar]

Originally Posted by hannajomar

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, But in 1982 or '83, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta wanted to rescue some orphans who were stranded in the middle of a battle zone in Beirut. I remember seeing this in a documentary, but I can't remember the name. If my memory is correct, people kept telling her not to go into the battle zone, because it was too unsafe. She simply said that she'd been praying to Our Lady. And there was a short cease fire so she could go bring these kids to safety.

found it:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07280/823536-51.stm

Bishops and diplomats in Beirut insisted she could not cross to the besieged Muslim side of the city, where she wanted to rescue some handicapped Muslim children that she had been told were in the war zone without food. She told Philip Habib, President Ronald Reagan's special envoy to the Middle East, that she had prayed for a ceasefire the next day, and she was certain there would be one. He told her, in an I'll-eat-my-hat tone of voice, that if there was a ceasefire he would personally escort her through the lines.

[Jason Molitor]

Please keep them coming. Any saint stories that come to mind?

[joe bell]

Here in the US, in 1812 , the Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter in New Orleans was saved from a devastating fire that was sure to burn down the convent by the praying of the sisters to Our Lady of Prompt Succor. The fire miraculously stayed away from the convent.
Later in 1815, the same sisters, with many faithful present, prayed in front of the same statue, imploring Our Lady to save the city from the British in the Battle of New Orleans. When this was done, Mother Superior having promised to have a Mass of Thanksgiving sung if the Americans would win, the British were defeated. Gen. Jackson went to the convent and thanked the sisters for the prayers.
Miracles certainly do happen. If only the world would take more notice.

Joe

[Seamus L]

Jaime Cardinal Barros de Camara of Rio De Janeiro's rosary campaign against the far left government of Joao Goulart in Brazil in 1964. On March 19 of that year, over 600.000 people (mostly women) marched through the streets of Sao Paulo saying the rosary for several hours.

The rosary campaign in Austria that lasted for nearly 7 years, that culminated in the Soviet Union agreeing to leave occupied territory in 1955. As many as 10 pct of the population of Austria participated.

[Theotim]

The rosary prayer of 2 million people in 1986 saved Philippines from the dictatorship of Marco who sent military to attack the gathering crowd. But the soldiers disobeyed the order after Mary appeared to them. Eventually, the dictator was overthrown and a democratic goverment was established.
source: http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/Ar...he-rosary.html