Doggedly Devoted

Theresa Moore of Seymore, Connecticut, was not your typical public school teacher. During her 37 years teaching English to ninth graders, she often tried to bring her faith in God into the classroom.

"I put up Scripture passages around my classroom. No one ever told me to take them down," she said. "I also gave students Rosary beads. I thought that eventually I would get fired, but I never did."

Once, Theresa gave a set of Rosary beads to a student whose mother was struggling with alcoholism. "I told her, 'Mothers can't always give us what we need, but you have a Mother in Heaven whom you can go to. I'm going to pray for your family, and you can tell them I'm praying for them.'"

Every day, Theresa prayed for this student's struggling mother. Years later, the mother approached Theresa and told her, "I knew someone was praying for me. I've been sober for three years, and I wanted to thank you."

"Those prayers really did matter," Theresa said. "The Blessed Mother really did intercede for her."

At least one of Theresa's coworkers didn't like the way she witnessed her faith in the classroom. "One colleague tried to destroy my reputation. ... It turned out that she and some other colleagues were involved in Wicca. I met this deacon who was involved in Catholic deliverance ministry. He told me that these coworkers were probably putting spells on me. I didn't believe it at first. It was very bizarre."

Though Theresa decided to retire from teaching in 2020, her suspicion about her former coworkers dabbling in the occult inspired her to better arm herself spiritually. Over the summer, she was invested in the Blue Scapular of Our Lady. She also started reading Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, and prepared to consecrate herself to St. Joseph, the Terror of Demons.

"I think these spiritual practices protected me," Theresa said. Not long after starting these spiritual practices - and not more than one day into her retirement - Theresa suffered a strange accident through which she believes the Blessed Mother protected her.
"I took my dog, Annabelle, on a walk. I was holding onto her leash with my right hand. Something spooked her, and I went flying into the air. I landed on my head. I went to get up, and everything was dizzy. I touched my head, and I could feel blood everywhere."

Passersby called an ambulance, and Theresa was admitted to the emergency room. She needed three staples to treat the wound on her head. She also broke her clavicle, pelvis, and two ribs.

"The orthopedist said, 'With all of the breaks you have, it's unbelievable that all you need to do is rest. Everything is in line, you just need to take it easy.' ... They had been afraid I broke my scapula bone, which would have put me in a cast. But I didn't. I feel as though Mary protected my scapula."

When Theresa returned home, she took out her bag of personal effects that had been removed at the emergency room. "My Blue Scapular was soaked in blood," she said. She took this as a sign of the Blessed Mother's protection. Today, Theresa continues to heal and says she's enjoying her retirement.

"The morning of the accident, I had been praying before I left for my walk. In fact, on the steps of my house I had a candle burning to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John Paul II. I believe they interceded for me."
LAMDVD

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