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Last night around 9:30, our good friend and devoted Rosary Army soldier Joyce Malawey went home to Jesus in Heaven. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Her husband Charlie called us this morning. He has been a pillar of strength for Joyce over the past few months as her body gave into cancer. Please pray for Charlie that he now be given a special grace.

Joyce in our home last year, busily making all-twine knotted Rosaries.

I don’t think I can ever adequately express how important Joyce was to Rosary Army. We met her through this apostolate when we suddenly started receiving huge boxes of all-twine knotted Rosaries from her each month. I had no idea who this woman was that regularly sent us boxes of 100 or more Rosaries.

Eventually Joyce joined our RA Forums and posted under the name Philomena, after one of her favorite saints. She was a regular presence on our forums and everyone loved her.

Two years ago we were trying to make a tough financial decision. I hadn’t really said anything to anyone about it, but Joyce and Charlie felt prompted to make a considerable donation to Rosary Army. It was a total surprise and a complete answer to our prayers. I had to call Joyce to thank them for their generosity and it was that first phone conversation, I think, that started the relationship between our families.

Joyce and my mom started trading emails, and they, too, became good friends. Joyce took us up on our invitation last year to fly down for the Eucharistic Congress here in Atlanta. The plan was that she’d stay with us for part of the week, and then the second half of her visit would be spent over at my parents’ house. But on the day after the Eucharistic Congress, my mom’s health took a sudden nose dive and she ended up in the hospital for 10 days. Joyce was here with us for those first few frightening days and she distracted our boys as well as Jennifer and I and we laughed and ate and prayed and she just kept making Rosaries. She was always making Rosaries.

Joyce came back a few months later when we were going to be teaching teens how to make all-twine knotted Rosaries at the National Catholic Youth Convention. For three straight days Joyce went non-stop, talking and teaching and laughing and just being Joyce. She taught hundreds of people how to make Rosaries. She gave thousands of Rosaries away.

Shortly after her trip here in October, her health took a downturn. In December the doctor only gave her a few months to live. Soon thereafter her fingers got so sore she could no longer make Rosaries.

After a couple of chemo treatments, she was able to get some mobility back in her fingers and she went back to making Rosaries. At one of her treatments a nurse got curious about what Joyce was doing and Joyce ended up teaching her how to make them, as well. Charlie told me that same nurse sent Joyce a card a few weeks ago to tell Joyce that she’d already made and given away over 100 Rosaries.

After Joyce’s fifth chemo treatment, it was evident that the cancer was not relenting. So they stopped the treatment and brought in hospice to help with the transition.

For the next two months Joyce and Charlie prayed every morning. Charlie was an absolute rock for his wife of so many years. He was everything a husband should be for his dying wife. He was a model of faith and made sure Joyce had everything she needed, including regular Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Yesterday Joyce’s complexion changed to an ashen gray. Charlie kept telling Joyce to go to the light, that it was alright, that the light was Jesus Christ waiting to bring her home.

As a family they prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet. When they finished, Joyce took four more breaths and then went home to Jesus.

I thank God so profusely for the gift of Joyce today. She was an absolutely incredible woman. When I think of our Rosary Army soldiers, Joyce is often the first one to come to mind. If you’ve ever received a Rosary from us that looks like it was dyed by hand, there’s a good chance it was made by Joyce.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this woman. Please take her into your kingdom and the reward waiting for her there.