Dr. Blythe Kaufman is a Catholic, wife, and mother of three children. She has homeschooled her three children. She is the author of the new release, A Soul Prepared through Suffering.(available in our online bookstore now!) The book explores the topic of suffering and how suffering in many ways is a gift from Our Lord.Although she experienced disability and a failing body at an early age, the journey showed that when suffering was given in healthy measure, good things resulted.
Blythe is the founder of the Children’s Rosary®prayer group movement with groups having been started in over 45 countries worldwide. She has been a frequent guest on EWTN and has authored two prior books that have been translated into multiple languages. Bishop Oliver Doeme calls her new book a “must-read.”We had the privilege of meeting with her and learning more about her story and vocation to uniting children in prayer across the world.
Dr. Kaufman was raised Catholic, attending Catholic schools and college. She then went on to dental school where she strived after her ambitions and found her prayer life taking the back seat to her goals. It was through her challenging diagnosis that she felt a re-kindling of her desire to have a relationship with Our Lord and His mother. The author at the age of 30 was diagnosed with a genetic condition that ultimately would remove her from the clinical practice of Endodontics after only one year of private practice. Upon her diagnosis, Dr. Kaufman attempted to find a scientific solution to her disability. Having come to no solution and feeling lost, she encountered Our Lord's loving grace and surrendered her cross to our Father in the sacrament of Confession. She described this pivotal moment as"Hope flooding into my heart."After praying for the grace and strength to walk to daily Mass, since her disability made it impossible to drive, Blythe was given the graces and began attending Mass. She would stay after praying with a group of women saying the Rosary. With this newfound strength, Blythe set out with a desire to continue to instill in her heart and the hearts of her children, a love of prayer. They began saying the Rosary together nightly.
The inspiration behind founding this international Prayer Movement, The Children's Rosary, began with a request from her pastor for an increase in collections as their parish was struggling financially. Blythe felt the tug to bring her children to prayer for this request. And so it began in August of 2011 in West Hartford, CT, with just her children and a few others meeting at the church, kneeling before the altar, offering roses and the Rosary to Our Lady. This became a routine, and the first official prayer group of the Children's Rosary started.
Our Lady's graces were evident, as the church received its highest collection that weekend secondonly to Easter and Christmasfor the remainder of the year. They had the prayer group consecrated to theSacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "In this way, the group is under the protection of Christ and His Mother," says Blythe.
Families who saw these little children, humbly kneeling before Our Mother, wanted these prayer groups in their own parishes. Blythe comments, "Itstarted as grass roots, spreading person to person." On October 7th, 2012, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, another group formed on the other side of the country. What a testament to the workings of Our Lord and His Mother! These prayer groups, miles and miles apart from each other, were somehow meeting on the same day and as it turns out the very same time. "United from different points of the globe, connected in prayer." The growth of this movement was supported by individuals, families and various dioceses.And so, the prayer movement flourished quickly, forming groups across the US, Argentina, Australia, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland and many more!The Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life has created awebsiteto promote this Apostolate to Bishops visiting the Vatican.
The fruits of this mission were clearly seen; families were renewed in prayer, parishes strengthened but the goal of this mission can be summed up into one sentence. Blythe says, "The goal of the Children's Rosary is to support the prayer lives of children and to help them to grow in holiness." Her disability made living daily life more than difficult, starting this movement presented its challenges but Blythe persevered. She comments, "My kids were the hands of the movement from the very beginning." They helped to send out packages to groups forming across the globe. In total over 500,000 handmade rosarieshave been sent by the Children's Rosary to help initiate new Children's Rosary groups or help existing ones.As the rosaries are handmade, these gifts are delivered to these children as expressions of love.
What a beautiful mission to be a part of.
The steps to begin a group are straightforward and Blythe shares them with us below:
- Obtain permission from your priest to begin a Children's Rosary group.
- Choose a location (usually in a Church or parish center, but groups cannot meet in private homes)
- Choose a regular meeting time (monthly, weekly or, if interest exists, daily)
- Invite a group of families and children to your first Children's Rosary, and consider putting a notice in your Church bulletin.
We ask that each group be Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In this way, the group is under the protection of Christ and His Mother.
Benefits to participation in the Children’s Rosary:
- Support for the prayer lives of the children.
- The children of your parish are joining a tapestry of prayer composed of children from over 40 countries. In this way, the children are covered in the prayers of other children meeting around the world each day.
- Monthly Mass is offered for all the members of the Children's Rosary and all who help the Children's Rosary.
"It is really important for our kids to see they are not alone in their faith." - A Children's Rosary Group Leaderfrom Heroldsbach Germany
“Our Children’s Rosary is now drawing people from other parishes! Two women came for our July group. They loved it! Now I am going to their Rosary Altar Society in October to talk with them on how to start a Children’s Rosary group in their parish." -AChildren's Rosary Group Leader from New Jersey.
For more information about the Children's Rosary visit the website:childrensrosary.org.
If you would like to start a Children's Rosary please contact Blythe Kaufman atBlythe@childrensrosary.orgas the prayer group movement likes to keep a record of all the groups which are initiated.
The Mother of Divine Grace online bookstore is now carrying the Children's Rosary collection of materials:
1. The Children's Rosary book explains how to begin a Children's Rosary, how to run your first meeting and can be used by the children within the meetings.
2. The bookChild Consecration: To Jesus through Mary—Following in the Spirit of St. Thérèse, the Little Flowerallows adults and children to make a 33Day Consecration to Jesus through Mary.This Consecrationweaves the principal components of the St. Louis de Montfort Consecration through a lens of spirituality identified with St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. It is characterized by simplicity, confidence, and trust.All of the books included in this collection have an Imprimatur.
A video of steps to run your first Children's Rosary can be viewedHERE
Watch this brief testimony videofrom a grandfather who began taking his grandchildren to the Childrens' Rosarybelow.
Thank you to Dr. Kaufman for the wonderful evangelization work she is doing and for sharing her story with us today. May God Bless you!
Don't miss our Light of the Faith episode airing on Thursday, May 23rd with Dr. Blythe where she will go into more detail about her new book, "A Soul Prepared Through Suffering." Register for this webinar here if you have not yet!
