TO writes: “Whenever I read something involved with a locutionist, I always wonder if it is from the devil.  Can Women of Grace investigate the “Chaplet of Protection”.  Here is information I found at the website.”

Thanks for a great question!

First of all, for those who never heard of it, the Chaplet of Protection was allegedly given by Jesus to a woman named Joyce (no last name given) who asked her to make the prayer public. According to the website referenced above, Our Lord attached specific promises of protection to this prayer which Joyce claims go beyond storms, natural disasters and military strife. “It has a GREAT HEALING POWER [emphasis in original] attached to it, as well, in that it can mend broken marriages, and cure spiritual, physical and emotional troubles.” Joyce explained that this prayer has “another dimension of protection, even greater than what we can understand at this time.”

A man by the name of John McLarney claims that when Jesus gave the chaplet to Joyce, she didn’t have a computer and had no means of spreading the message. McLarney, a member of Faithful Remnant came to her assistance.

The chaplet itself is prayed on a Rosary and consists of praying the Creed, Our Fathers, and Glory Be’s as usual. The first three Hail Mary’s are said in praise of the Father, in petition, and in thanksgiving that the petition will be granted. The prayer “Jesus Savior, Merciful Savior, spare your people” is prayed on all of the Hail Mary Beads. At the end, the prayer “Son of God, Eternal Son, thank you for the things You have done” is recited three times.

Although the prayer itself seems harmless enough, I always have reservations when a seer does not give his or her full name, especially when they are carrying a message that offers as many extraordinary promises as this one does. Although there is no indication that Joyce has refused Church scrutiny, and she may very well be receiving spiritual direction, this information should be given to the public along with the message so that the faithful can know if the Church is at least aware of her and the message she’s spreading. Otherwise, who would want to risk becoming involved in any future messages this woman may want to promulgate that are not in keeping with Church teaching?

Remember, Satan invented the old “bait and switch” technique – lure you in with what seems like a perfectly harmless devotion, just to get you hooked on the seer who he will later use to promote messages with slight flaws that get more and more pronounced over time. By the time you figure out what’s happening, you’ve become the messenger of a false prophet.

Don’t risk it. We have much more powerful devotions than this one. History has proven the power of the Rosary time and time again, with fantastic miracles such as the Battle of Lepanto and the sudden exit of communism from Austria after World War II.

St. Faustina Kowalska gave us a chaplet of protection par excellence and one which has just as many if not more extraordinary promises than Our Lord allegedly gave to Joyce – and it’s Church approved! Even more noteworthy is the fact that Faustina revealed herself, and submitted both herself and Our Lord’s messages to sometimes humiliating scrutiny. For decades, the devotion was banned by the Church until new investigations revealed the translation problems that led to its censure. In this way, both Faustina and the Message of Mercy were tried by fire and found to be golden.

Joyce must do the same and until she does, there is no reason in the world why you can’t stick to tried-and-true devotions without feeling like you won’t get the same benefits as those promised by the Chaplet of Protection. In fact, knowing how generous God is, He will probably give you even more protection as a reward for your prudence!