Une Minute avec Marie
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Former porn actress Bree Solstad, converted by the Virgin Mary while visiting Italian churches, testifies:
The Rosary itself has been such a blessing to me and my spiritual growth. My favorite part is honestly the intentions, and thinking about someone or something that needs my prayers. That’s a lot of prayer to devote to one person or one thing. Just that act of contemplating an intention from someone other than myself gets me out of my head, helps me to stop focusing on myself, and reminds me of others who need prayer.
It’s odd because later in the day the Rosary prayers from earlier often come up in my head again. The Rosary has really helped me with humility and charity for others.
When I pray the Rosary every day, I can tell there is a huge difference in my mood. I’m less irritable, I have more love in my heart and I am much more patient. It’s like a soothing therapy session, prayer and meditation, all rolled into one. I cannot recommend daily devotion to the Rosary enough.
When I first thought about giving up the lavish income that came along with my work in pornography, it was a real struggle. But I knew to truly convert and give my life over to Jesus, and to truly be a witness to others in the industry and to those struggling with addiction to porn, I had to shut it all down. It was scary and came with a lot of anxiety. I knew I wanted to do something that would bring faith, hope, and beauty to people’s lives.
Before I fell into the production of pornography, I actually worked under one of the top jewelry designers on the East Coast. So, it seemed fitting to me to go back to those roots and use my God-given creativity and eye for beauty. This new job helps me to feel gratitude and keeps me connected to Jesus and Mary. I’ve designed and handcrafted several custom Rosaries that were given as baptismal, Confirmation, or anniversary gifts.
Making something beautiful and prayerful for someone’s daughter’s Confirmation is so special to me. I even got to design a special six-decade Rosary for a Dominican priest. It’s incredible that I could be a part of something like that, given my past. In my previous life, nothing I did for work bettered anyone or made me feel special about anything. All it did was bring me deeper into the sins of pride, lust, and vanity.
My heart is now so full. The fulfillment I feel from this new endeavor is God’s mercy. And the support I’ve received has been overwhelming... I am so grateful to God for this new life.