Helen and The Rosary

Narrated by Father Bovius.

A very sinful woman named Helen happened to be in church one day and heard a sermon on the rosary. On her way out she bought one, but kept it hidden so no one would see it. She began to recite it, and although she said it without any devotion, Our Lady filled her heart with such consolation and sweetness that she could not stop praying it. This filled her with such horror at her sinful life that she could find no peace until she went to confession, which she made with such deep sorrow that the priest was astonished.

Afterward she went straight to an altar of the Blessed Virgin to thank her, and as she said her rosary, the Virgin spoke to her from the image: "Helen, you have offended God and me too long. Change your life now, and I will grant you many favors." Ashamed, Helen admitted that she had indeed been very sinful, but begged the all-powerful help of Mary, gave herself entirely to her, and resolved to spend the rest of her life doing penance.

With Mary's help she gave all she owned to the poor and took up a hard penance. She was tormented by dreadful temptations, but she kept turning to the Mother of God and always overcame them with her aid. She was favored with many graces, including visions and prophecies. A few days before her death, Mary warned her it was coming, and when the hour arrived the Virgin came with her Son to visit her. At her death, her soul was seen rising to heaven in the form of a beautiful dove.

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Source:

Simplified retellings of the "example" stories that St. Alphonsus Liguori placed at the end of each section of The Glories of Mary. These are paraphrased in plain modern prose, faithful to the substance of the 1888 English translation. Liguori himself, in his author's "Protest," noted that the miracles and apparitions in the book are offered on human authority only, not as articles of faith.