From a young age, Sister Josefina learned a tender lesson about the Rosary from her mother: every Hail Mary prayed with love becomes a rose for the Virgin Mary.
Today, she shares this childhood memory — one that deeply marked her life — and encourages others to rediscover the beauty of Marian prayer.
During May, traditionally the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the pastoral team of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Christ the King shared Sister Josefina’s testimony, in which she recalled a childhood story that continues to inspire her devotion to Mary.
In the video, the nun explains that she weaves rosaries “with much love” because she learned to pray the Rosary with deep affection for the Virgin Mary from an early age.
“I remember that when I was little, my mother told me that when someone prayed, the Virgin Mary held a little bag in her hand. Whenever a person prayed the Rosary with devotion, the Hail Marys turned into roses, and the Virgin Mary would place them in the bag. When the Rosary was finished, the bag was full. Then the Virgin Mary would make a crown from the roses and place it at her feet.”
The nun said it brought her great joy to create something in honor of the Virgin Mary, and she began sharing this story with her friends.
“We got into the habit of praying the Rosary every day as a group of friends, so that the Virgin would give us the crown of roses.”
Today, Sister Josefina hopes more young people and families will return to the Rosary and discover in this prayer a simple yet profound way to accompany the Virgin Mary every day.
She also explained that her congregation makes small bracelets featuring a decade of the Rosary, designed to help people pray throughout their daily routines.
“You can wear that little bracelet, and if you’re on the bus or walking alone, you can pray with it without anyone noticing you’re praying the Rosary. And you’re offering a little bouquet of roses to the Virgin Mary, which she will return to you as a blessing,” she concluded.
The post touched many users, who filled the comments with personal experiences and expressions of love for the Virgin Mary.
“Blessings, Sister Josefina… I pray the Rosary every day — a bouquet of roses for Mother Mary.”
“🌹🙏 Once, while attending Mass in a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, I was sitting in the fourth or fifth row when I suddenly smelled a beautiful and powerful scent of roses. I asked the woman next to me where the roses were because I could smell them but couldn’t see them. They told me there were no roses in the chapel and that they couldn’t smell anything. Later, they told me that if only I had experienced it, perhaps the Virgin Mary had passed near me. That happened many years ago, and I still have never forgotten it. 🌹🙏”
“Sister Josefina, every night before going to sleep, I pray the Rosary! How beautiful the image of the bag full of roses and then the crown of roses! 🙏🙌”