University Hospital is located directly across the road from Saint Peter and Paul's Church in Tucson.  It was not unusual to receive several emergency calls a day at the rectory.  One day, a call came for a man with a rather stirring story.  To assure his anonymity, we’ll call him Ed.
    When I reached his bedside, Ed was dying.  His peaceful resignation grew visibly as I administered the Church’s sacraments, especially Our Lord in Holy Viaticum.  All the while, Ed was holding his Rosary firmly in his hands. “I’m glad that you have been praying your Rosary,” I said. "Oh! That silly thing!" Coming from the lips of a dying man, it was a startling response.  Ed lost no time in explaining. 
    “It happened in the South Pacific during World War II.  Machine gun fire had me and another soldier pinned down in a foxhole.  Bombs were bursting all over and I was certain that we were finished.  Then, a strange thing happened.  The other guy put down his rifle, got on his knees and began praying the Rosary.” 
    At that time, Ed was a confirmed atheist. Glaring incredulously at the man, he screamed: "Put down that silly thing! That's not going to help us.  There's no God up there.  We need guns! Not beads!"  His words went unheeded as the man prayed more intently. "O.K. You fiddle with that silly thing; I'll hold onto my rifle.  You’ll see!  In the morning, I'll be alive and well." 
    And so it came to pass.  With the break of dawn both soldiers had survived the battle.  "See! I'm alive,” Ed said gleefully, “and I didn't rattle off any silly beads!" "Yes,” the soldier said!  “But Ed, every time I prayed a Hail Mary for me, I said one for you."
    Lying on his deathbed, Ed recalled how God's grace filled his soul in that horrid foxhole.  Soon after he took instructions from the Chaplain.  After his discharge from the Army, he married a wonderful Catholic woman and they had six children.  Ed attributed all of these blessings to the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary.
    "Every day my wife and I got on our knees and we prayed that silly thing together.  I'm not afraid to die.  In fact, I'm anxious to meet Our Blessed Mother. I want to thank her for my happy life and for teaching me about Jesus through the Holy Rosary."  The next day Ed was dead. 
    Our Divine Savior works in many ways for our salvation.  This good man’s story is one of untold millions that Our Lord will reveal to us on Judgment day. 
    My dear friends, Our Lady of the Rosary always answers our prayers!  At Fatima, she asked us to pray the Rosary every day for peace in the world.  If heed her wishes, she will lead us to her divine Son, Jesus.  The Blessed Virgin Mary is Our Mother of Mercy!

                    Father Richard J. Rego, S.T.L.