Set the Captives Free!

Throughout the United States, over 600 volunteers have dedicated themselves to setting captives free. They set seniors free from the captivity of spiritual isolation during their frequent visits, bringing them joy, companionship and hope.

These volunteers pray the Rosary with seniors at over 250 care facilities in nearly 30 states. They’ve impacted thousands of lives. Yet, in the United States, there are tens of thousands of senior care facilities of one type or another, in which some estimate that millions of seniors reside. Many more souls need to be set free!

A Great Unmet Need

In her research Teresa Rodriguez, the founder of The Rosary Team, discovered that some 50,000 care centers currently exist. These range in size from the small care homes housing up to six to ten residents, to very large senior care facilities. One thing most have in common is that residents often receive little or no spiritual support during their stay.

On top of that, consider the story of one resident that Teresa shared with me. This elderly woman experienced the death of about two dozen peers within a year at her care center. Can we even begin to imagine the sense of loss she felt? These people are surrounded by death. They need far more spiritual support than most parishes can provide them.

Of course, some parishes may send a priest to say Mass at senior care facilities, but even then, these Masses may occur only once a month. Similarly, EMHCs may visit some facilities with the Blessed Sacrament, but that may be at most once a week. And, while some parishes may send volunteers to lead the Rosary periodically, many don’t have such an initiative in place.

Captives Held in Isolation

Think back to March of 2020, when most Catholics went into “lockdown” mode, their parishes closed. Mass generally was only available through streaming videos of priests saying Mass in empty churches.

For about four months, we had to settle for spiritual communion while watching Mass from home. Many of us still recall the sadness, despondency, and occasional tears shed at not being able to actually attend Mass, and physically receive Jesus in Communion during that time.

If you’ve ever experienced anything at all like that, prayerfully recall what it was like. Then, consider what it must be like for the faithful Catholics—captives in senior care facilities—who cannot participate in a live Mass. What must it be like for them to not be able to receive Communion regularly? And how spiritually isolated must they feel, to not be able to join in praying with others?

The Rosary Team

The Rosary Team formally began as a 501(c)(3) in 2021. As a hospice nurse, Teresa had noted an abysmal lack of spiritual support for care receivers in the centers she visited. With volunteers from local parishes, she began to fill the need these residents have for prayer and spiritual accompaniment. As an act of charity, The Rosary Team volunteers pray the Rosary with residents in care centers, bringing the light of Christ to them.

Christ’s Command

This fits so well with our Catholic faith! Christ tells us in the great commandment that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And, we are to love our neighbor as ourself. He did not characterize this as a suggestion. It’s a commandment. We have a lot of flexibility in how we each can fulfill it. But fulfill it we must.

Strengthening Lives, Overcoming Depression

We can fulfill this commandment through works of mercy. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities…” (CCC 2447).

Volunteers have the opportunity to practice spiritual works of mercy, such as comforting the sorrowful, counseling the doubtful and praying for the living and the dead, when praying the Rosary with residents at senior care centers or in adult day care centers.

As well, the corporal works of mercy include visiting the sick and the prisoner. It’s no stretch to consider that long-term residents of these facilities represent the ‘sick” or the “prisoner.” Their physical and/or mental state may hold them captive or imprisoned at this stage of life. Visitors bringing the gift of prayer and companionship help assuage some of the burdens they’re facing.

Tim Von Dohlen, an owner of multiple senior care centers, shares how some residents have felt abandoned and without purpose in their lives. Yet, over his forty-plus years in the business, Tim has seen the power of the Rosary manifested. He’s witnessed how praying the Rosary in these centers provides a sense of purpose and helps residents stay involved and interactive. It strengthens their lives and helps them overcome depression. Never underestimate the power of the Rosary.

Our Lady’s Exhortations

And consider also that Our Lady has told us to pray the Rosary in multiple apparitions, including Fatima, Akita and Kibeho. She has asked us to pray the Rosary daily for peace, the Pope, bishops and priests, and as a weapon against the enemy in spiritual warfare. To those intentions, seniors add their own as they pray this powerful prayer with The Rosary Team volunteers.

Advocating for Seniors

What can be done to set more captives free? Expanding coverage from 250 facilities to 50,000 will require a huge, coordinated effort among various entities. Teresa Rodriguez envisions The Rosary Team providing that coordination through use of its proprietary app to manage all the logistics, which is a key part of the endeavor.

The Rosary Team advocates for the faithful in the centers. They know how the senior care industry works. They know who to contact, and how to effectively work with management to get Rosary volunteers into the centers.

Working with other apostolates and local parishes, The Rosary Team deploys a seamless approach, bringing Catholics together to benefit the care receivers. Growing in reach simply will entail more of all of this, but it will require many more volunteers and more donors to augment the generosity of those already sharing their treasures.

Can You Help Set Them Free?

Many Catholic apostolates exist that are, or could be, collaborators with The Rosary Team to supply volunteers needed for the mission. For example, the Legion of Mary already has volunteers working in some locations under the auspices of The Rosary Team. The Rosary Confraternity might be another candidate to participate in this work, as well as the Militia Immaculata, and the Flame of Love. All of these apostolates have a devotion to Mary at the heart of what they do.

Other apostolates such as the Order of Malta and The Knights of Columbus have missions focusing on service to others and could also be a good fit. The Order of Malta is dedicated to the preservation of human dignity and care of those in need. The Rosary Team’s work certainly seems to fit into that scope.

The aim of the Knights of Columbus is to help their members, families and parishes grow closer to Christ. In Tim Von Dohlen’s experience, some Knights’ councils have adopted care centers and led the Rosary at them.

And, given that women generally outlive their husbands, Teresa believes it’s likely that some of the residents in senior care facilities are widows of Knights. As a result, Knights and their wives might want to lead the Rosary in some of these facilities.

We know also that some residents of care centers are armed forces veterans. The Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus embrace the Order’s principle of patriotism. This includes reaching out to veterans. Knights could be instrumental in leading the Rosary for veterans in these facilities.

Who Will Go?

There probably are many more potential partners with whom The Rosary Team might be able to collaborate to expand its reach and set these captives free from spiritual isolation.

One thing is certain. We’re all growing older. More Boomers will become candidates for senior care facilities. The number of captives will grow. Many of these captives will be Catholics. Who will go to set them free?

“Our Lady has never refused me a grace through the recitation of the rosary.”  – St. Padre Pio