Join the Rosary Campaign to Pray for Peace in Homes

Hope's Garden, a ministry that supports healing for victims of domestic violence, calls Catholics to pray the Rosary for families during October.

October is an important month on our liturgical calendar. Not only is it dedicated to the Holy Rosary, it’s Respect Life Month as well. 

And it’s also Domestic Violence Awareness month.  

In honor of respecting all aspects of life and praying for an end to domestic abuse, during the month of October Laura Ercolino of Hope’s Garden and I are hoping to inspire as many individuals and organizations as possible to pray a daily Rosary for peace in homes and for the healing and restoration of marriages and families.   

The statistics are shocking, yet they reveal a harsh reality: one in every three women in the U.S. has been, or is, in an abusive relationship. For men, the statistics are also grim—one in every eight to ten men find themselves to be victims of violence within what should be the safety of their own homes. These statistics hold steady regardless of race, educational level, location—and religion. What this means is that when you attend Mass on any given day, chances are you will run into a falsely smiling parishioner who’s hiding a deep and confusing secret: 

Their home is not a home of peace, but of terror and chaos.  

It’s time to start talking about this serious problem, to build awareness, support, and healing help for Catholics suffering in abusive marriages.  

In addition, the tragic pornography epidemic has drastically increased the rates of physical and sexual abuse within marriages and homes, and as Catholics we know the Rosary is the most powerful prayer weapon for reconciling and reforming hearts. Helping individuals heal from pornography addiction is another focus of our Rosary prayers during the month of October. 

Will you join us in this campaign for an end to domestic violence and peace in homes? It’s easy to participate.  

• Can you commit to a daily Rosary during the month of October with the intention of praying for peace within homes and for the healing and restoration of marriages and families? If praying a Rosary each day feels too much for you, you can still join this intention in your daily prayers by reciting just one Ave Maria. 
• Can you spread the word? The team at Create Soul Space and Hope's Garden has created a digital packet with resources and images that can be shared in parish bulletins or inserts, flyers, on social media, and more. Please share these with your friends, on social media, and with your parish and/or diocese.  
• If you’re a Catholic organization whose mission is to help heal marriages and families, and would like to be included on our resource page, please send me your URL, logo, and a brief description of your ministry, so you can be included that way.  
• Our goal is to help all individuals impacted by domestic abuse to find the resources they need to access healing and restoration in Christ, strengthen their Catholic faith, and build homes founded on authentic love. Prayers are our primary means of healing, but also spreading the word in whatever way you are able is another huge step toward attaining the peace of Christ in all homes. 

Copyright 2023 Jenny duBay
Images: (top) Canva; all others courtesy of Hope's Garden and Create Soul Space

About the author: As a domestic abuser survivor, trauma-informed life coach, and author, Jenny duBay knows what a huge emotional, spiritual, physical, and psychological impact domestic violence has on a person. She founded Create Soul Space: A Catholic Woman’s Guide to Domestic Abuse to help cultivate awareness of domestic violence within a Catholic setting. Jenny is affiliated with Hope’s Garden and works with various parishes to spiritually support victims and survivors of domestic violence.