Mary’s Presence in the Final Years: The Rosary Team Brings Hope to Seniors

(Photo provided)

By Teresa Rodriguez

After finishing the Rosary with her fellow residents and volunteers from The Rosary Team, Martha “Marty” Todd smiled with peaceful joy. Over her lifetime, she has witnessed miracles through prayer — healings in her family, conversions of loved ones and graces that could only have come from God.

Now, in her later years, she treasures the weekly visits from The Rosary Team, whose volunteers gather to pray with elderly residents in care facilities across the archdiocese. Their presence brings comfort, companionship and a reminder that no one is ever forgotten in God’s love.

“We all love our mother,” Marty said, her eyes brightening as she spoke of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Sometimes, when I get uptight about things or worried, praying the Rosary brings comfort and kind of eases my whirling mind.”

A Life Marked by Grace

Marty’s journey to her nursing facility began unexpectedly after a seizure during a family Christmas visit made her realize that she “wasn’t infallible.” What could have been a frightening transition became a blessing, bringing her closer to her children, grandchildren and extended family.

Her voice caught with emotion as she recalled a miracle that transformed her entire family. One of her closest relatives was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

“We just prayed our heads off,” Marty said.

After surgery and biopsy, the surgeon returned with impossible news: there was no cancer.

“We just know she had a healing,” she continued.

That miracle rippled through her family, drawing more relatives into the Catholic Church as they recognized “the value of Catholic prayer.” Her grandson Andrew, once a quiet and thoughtful boy, began attending daily Mass in high school. Today, he is Brother Francis, serving as assistant to the abbot at Conception Abbey.

“He was always kind of a quiet, pondering kid,” Marty reflected. “We realized he had a call.”

A Husband’s Final Grace

Perhaps the most unexpected conversion came from Marty’s husband, Richard Todd, who was not Catholic. During a visit to their son Rob in Missouri, Richard was diagnosed with cancer. Their son gently asked him, “Don’t you think it’s time you were baptized?” Richard simply replied, “I guess so.”

A priest baptized him in the hospital, giving him what Marty calls “a direct line to Heaven” before he passed away four months later.

These profound experiences of grace and conversion have shaped Marty’s deep appreciation for the spiritual care she now receives at Morningstar, her nursing facility. Having witnessed how powerfully God works in the final moments of life, she knows the vital importance of bringing faith to those approaching their final years.

The Rosary Team’s Presence

When volunteers from The Rosary Team arrive, something special happens. Their visits bring “more connection with people,” Marty explained. “They are doing something nice for us.”

The presence of volunteers transforms the experience from routine prayer into relationship. They become bridges to the wider community, especially for those in assisted living or memory care who have limited mobility.

“It’s quite a wake-up call when you move into a facility like this,” Marty said.

Since arriving, she has seen about 20 to 25 people pass away in a single year — some who “seemed really vital and just didn’t wake up one morning.”

That reality shapes how residents think about faith.

“We all realize we’re getting closer to the end of life,” she noted. “I think we ponder a little more about what it will be.”

Among her neighbors are “fallen-away Catholics” she prays for.

“It’s never too late as long as you’re still breathing,” she said.

A Legacy of Faith

The Rosary Team’s ministry is more than weekly visits. It is a lifeline that shows seniors they are cared for and remembered. Volunteers bring statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lead familiar prayers and embody Christ’s love for those society too often forgets.

Marty sees the fruit of such faith passed down through her family. Her granddaughter, Alex Martinez, daughter of Rich and Joanie Todd, recently graduated as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Marty attended her graduation in Nashville — a joy she credits to being closer to family since moving to Morningstar.

In Alex’s healing work, like Brother Francis’s monastic vocation, Marty sees how prayer echoes through generations, bearing fruit in both religious and professional service.

Expanding a Vital Mission

Marty’s story highlights why The Rosary Team’s mission is so crucial. Across the country, nursing facilities house thousands of elderly residents, many of whom suffer spiritual isolation. While activities may include exercise and entertainment, few offer the kind of deep spiritual care needed as residents face mortality.

Requests for The Rosary Team’s presence continue to grow nationwide. The ministry runs entirely on the generosity of donors who believe in supporting the spiritual welfare of the elderly — fulfilling both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Their gifts make possible the training, coordination and expansion of this mission of prayer.

To learn more about supporting The Rosary Team, visit www.therosaryteam.org.