Contemplating the Seven Sorrows: An Interview with Ruth Berghorst

Introduction to Ruth Berghorst

Today, I am honored to welcome Ruth Berghorst, the author of Contemplating the Seven Sorrows of Mary, available at SophiaInstitute.com. Although Ruth and I have never met, we share mutual friends, including Kathleen Beckman and Dr. Bob Schuchts, both of whom have been guests on this show. We discussed Kathleen's book on Conchita and Dr. Schuchts' healing ministry in Tallahassee. The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows holds a special place in my heart, as I have visited Kibeho, Rwanda, and our ministry sent an 18-foot, 2-ton statue to Kibeho over 20 years ago. I was particularly moved to see a reflection on one of the Sorrows of Mary that included St. Bakhita of Sudan, as our EADM ministry is working on projects in South Sudan to build wells for villages without water.

Discovering the Seven Sorrows Rosary

Ruth discovered the Seven Sorrows Rosary and learned of the promises given to St. Bridget. She prayed a novena to Our Lady for her husband to become Catholic, and on the ninth day, he asked for the contact information of the lady at church who heads up the RCIA program.

The Book's Reflections on Contemporary Issues

Ruth's book beautifully lays out the Seven Sorrows of Mary, with reflections that connect these ancient sorrows to contemporary issues, offering powerful prayers and insights. Our discussion would not be complete without mentioning the Church-approved Marian apparitions in Kibeho, Rwanda, which began in 1981 and continued until 1989. The Rwandan genocide of 1994, which lasted four months and claimed over one million lives, was tragically foretold by Our Lady, who warned of a “river of blood” if people did not turn back to God.

Redemptive Suffering and Our Lady's Compassion

Ruth also spoke about the concept of redemptive suffering. Reflecting on Our Lady's Seven Sorrows deepens our awareness of the pain and challenges she faced as the Mother of Jesus. In understanding her sorrows, we can better appreciate how she, in turn, understands our sufferings and stands ready to help us.