"It Exploded!": EWTN Chapel Receives Thousands of Roses After Priests Request Mary Garden

This is so amazing!

Fr. Joseph Mary and Fr. John Paul Mary of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word recently requested roses for their Marian garden at EWTN.

During Mass on May 10 and 11, both priests mentioned starting a Mary garden, which is a devotional space with flowers honoring Our Lady. Each rose symbolizes a rosary prayed.

To their surprise, viewers from all over the world called local florists in the Birmingham, Ala. area. The EWTN chapel received non-stop deliveries all day beginning May 11. The deliveries have not stopped since.

“I encouraged people…gently–that they could send a rose for every rosary that they intended on saying,” Fr. Joseph said of his Mother’s Day Mass.

Fr. John Paul Mary told ChurchPOP that they “lost track” of the number of roses, and “every florist is booked to bring roses until May 31.”

That’s a LOT of roses and rosaries!

“I prodded the fire a little bit…and it exploded!” Fr. John Paul Mary added after mentioning the rose garden during his Monday morning Mass.

“It’s brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. The florists here had to shut down during the virus time, and they are just so elated,” Fr. Joseph explained.

“I just received a text from one of the florists who is not Catholic. She said this has really been a spiritual experience, because one lady sent her a link about Our Lady of Fatima…the comments from the people and devotion to Our Lady has really touched her heart.”

“In order that people may share in the joy we experienced,” Fr. John Paul Mary explained, “We decided to take roses to nursing homes–to the people who have been locked up due to COVID.”

“When Fr. Joseph donated roses to one nursing home in Birmingham, the nurses broke down,” Fr. John Paul Mary continued. “He told them we wanted to bring a sense of joy and hope to the elderly in the nursing home.”

Because of the overwhelming amount of roses, the friars request writing in a spiritual bouquet to be placed at Our Lady’s feet.

With the subject line spiritual bouquet, e-mail viewer@ewtn.com or mail the request 5817 Old Leeds Rd., Irondale, Ala., 35210. The friars will place those petitions in a basket at Our Lady’s feet in the chapel.

Here’s what the chapel looked like before the Mary garden began:

Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word

Here’s what it looks like now:

Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word/EWTN

Here’s the rose blessing video:

Click here if you cannot see the video above.

Here’s what the chapel looked like before the Mary garden began:

Here’s what it looks like now:

Here’s the rose blessing video:

Hail Mary, full of grace!