Our Lady of the Rosary has followers everywhere—sometimes in the least likely places. They’re followers who turn to her for solace and strength, followers who turn to her in devotion during mundane moments in life, and followers like St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who are in the vanguard of her army and go forth in spiritual battle, holding Rosaries in their hands.

Deacon John McKaig of St. John Fisher Church in Marlborough, Conn., often prays the Rosary during unexpected times of the day. “When I’m in the parking lot, waiting for my wife, I’ll see someone I don’t know. But I see a need, and I’ll ask the Lord, ‘You know these people and I don’t. You know their needs, so please take care of them some way.’ And then I pray the Our Father and ten Hail Marys on my fingers. I do that over and over again until I’m finished, and I trust that God always answers my prayers.”

On those occasions, he also finds the strength to do things he never thought possible.

“Sometimes while I’m praying the Rosary, a thought will come to me, and my immediate response is ‘I don’t think I could do that.’ Then, in reflection after hearing that thought, I hear something else: ‘All things are possible through Christ, Our Lord.’”

One household chore CarolAnne dislikes is wiping down the shower doors. It’s a tedious yet monotonous task that we all have to do (except, of course, those of us who try to avoid it altogether, hoping someone will do it for us).

Recently, she was inspired to sanctify that task in much the same way St. Therese of Lisieux found holiness in common chores like folding napkins and sweeping the floor.

“I just thought of approaching it differently,” she said. “Every morning, I have to do this really boring thing and what could I do to make these few minutes worthwhile? Then, it occurred to me I could pray a decade of the Rosary while doing this routine, repetitive but necessary task. So every morning, I pray for departed relatives and loved ones, offering a decade of the Rosary for their souls so they’ll be on the fast lane to Heaven.”

Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson, who was abducted in 1985 by Hezbollah terrorists and held captive for almost seven years in Lebanon, suffered through his tribulation by reading the Bible and praying Rosaries he crafted from debris in his cell. They were spiritual practices, which helped him endure the unendurable.

When Anderson died at 76 last year, his obituary described his captivity as “nearly seven years of brutality during which he was beaten, chained to a wall, threatened with death, often had guns held to his head and was kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time.”

During his captivity, another hostage, Father Lawrence Jenco, heard Anderson’s first confession in 25 years.

John Kolenberg, Sr. of Stamford had one of the deepest devotions to the Rosary of anyone I’ve met. Years ago, when I worked at The (Stamford) Advocate newspaper, he called to tell me his story.

As a young man, John served as a gunner and tank commander with the 3rd Armored Spearhead Division and received three stars for combat in the Battle of the Bulge—the largest and bloodiest battle that U.S. forces fought on the Western Front.

When John was discharged, he entered a Trappist monastery in Conyers, Ga., but later left to become a teacher, marry and raise a family. Of his many accomplishments in life, John wanted to talk about a very special one.

Throughout the day, he prayed the Rosary for friends, family members, strangers, for healings, conversions, peace, the Blessed Mother’s intentions … and many more intentions only known to Our Lady of the Rosary. In total, he probably prayed several million Rosaries over the years.

For John and countless others, the month of October, which is dedicated to the Rosary, is a special time of year.

Follow their example. Take up your beads—or buy a set—so you can pray the Rosary.

If this troubled world makes it through, it will be because of the often anonymous, loyal souls devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary. And she won’t disappoint them.

As St. Pio said, “Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.”